5 Edible Houseplants

5 Edible Houseplants

Grow Houseplants that you can Eat

With many of us living with smaller outdoor spaces, the popularity of houseplants is on the rise. Bringing them into our homes creates an oasis of peace after a long and stressful day. As the concrete jungle closes around us, we can create our own living jungles to retreat to.

House plants have a host of other perks too. They look great intermixed with interior design, can improve indoor air quality, are less demanding than other pets, and some of them will also produce fruit and other edibles.

These five edible houseplants are presented with basic plant information, care instructions, and where to get a hold of one online.

Tomtato

Tomatoes and potatoes are actually related. This means when the top of a tomato plant is grafted onto the roots of a potato it will grow! You can buy this fun two-in-one plant to grow either in the house or on small patios and it will give you a harvest of both sweet cherry tomatoes and up to five pounds of white potatoes.

Buy a Tomtato in the USA

Get one in the United Kingdom

Care & Situation

• This plant is not a GMO — it’s a graft of two naturally grown plants
• Needs a sunny location
• The tomato plant needs a support to grow on
• Rich soil and regular watering are required
• Grow as you would an ordinary indeterminate tomato
• Tomatoes and potatoes do suffer from Blight but growing them indoors saves them from this fungal infection.

Dwarf Avocado Trees

Imagine growing your own green gold — fresh avocados. While many trees will reach 40 or more feet in height, dwarf varieties can stop at 8-10. The plant itself is tall and leafy and you’ll have more chance of getting your tree to flower and fruit if you buy one that’s been bred to be raised in containers.

Buy a dwarf avocado tree in the USA

Care & Situation

• Requires plenty of bright sunshine
• Plant in multipurpose potting compost with good drainage
• Only water when the soil feels dry
• Rotate your plant so that it receives sunlight on all sides
• Give it a monthly feed
• Needs to grow in quite a large container

Calamondin Orange Tree

I’ve had a Calamondin Orange Tree for the past ten years and it produces small orange-like fruit and beautifully scented flowers every year. The fruit look like mini tangerines but are very tart so are probably better to use in place of limes or lemons in a recipe.

Calamondin and other dwarf citrus trees are relatively easy to grow and their fruit can be left on the tree for months. That means you pick them at your leisure and leave them as decor for the rest of the time.

Care & Situation

• Requires a bright situation with at least four hours of sunlight a day
• Water thoroughly and allow the soil to dry out a little before watering again
• Flowers may need to be hand-pollinated with a paint brush
• Does best in compost for citrus trees but multipurpose will work as well
• Can grow 3-4ft tall

Chili Peppers

Some Chili Peppers make great houseplants. Depending on the variety, you can get compact and attractive plants that have mature chilies for weeks at a time. The fruits generally begin green and then transition to yellow, orange, or red so makes for interesting watching. You can also get ornamental chilies like the ‘Bolivian Rainbow Chili’ that have purple, red, and yellow fruit all on the same plant.

Care & Situation

• Chilies require a bright situation and plenty of warmth
• The compost should be quite rich or supplemented with regular feeds
• Watering chilies sparingly keeps the plants more compact
• Take care when handling chilies since they can cause burning and irritation if you touch your eyes, nose, or other sensitive areas afterwards.
• Ornamental chilies can be eaten but are usually extremely hot

Garden Herbs

The most traditional of edible houseplants, garden herbs have been made far too disposable by modern supermarkets. The live plants that you can get in the shop are not bred for longevity and so you need to buy them time and time again. Invest in good quality perennial garden herbs like chives, thyme, peppermint, and sage, and you’ll have healthy plants that will thrive for years.

Care & Situation

• Most require a bright and sunny position
• Perennial garden herbs will grow for years
• Annual or biennial garden herbs will grow for a season or at most two. These include parsley and coriander (cilantro)
• Each will have different water and soil requirements but remember it’s always better to under-water than to over-water.
• All need good drainage
• Some plants can be propagated to create new ones including sage, basil, and rosemary
• Having herbs growing near your kitchen will encourage you to use them in preparing meals

Fiddle Leaf Fig

I’m adding this one in as a bonus plant. Much loved by interior designers, the Fiddle Leaf Fig grows well in well-lit yet indirect sunlight and normal humidity. At 3-5 years old becomes a stunning ornamental house plant making this plant is all the rage with stylish plant lovers.

Though the Fiddle Leaf Fig can produce figs it usually only happens when the plant is in an outdoor position. Still, there is a chance it could produce edibles in your home and it’s attractiveness will no doubt convince you to bring it into the fold.

Care & Situation

• Requires a well-lit situation out of direct sunlight
• Normal humidity
• Soil needs good drainage so mixing your compost with perlite is a good idea
• Water only when the soil becomes slightly dry
• Slow growing but can grow to 12 feet high in 15 years. Pruning can keep them smaller though.

Original article and pictures take lovelygreens.com site