The Texture and Pattern of Indoor Plants

Indoor plants, particularly foliage plants, can add a richness of texture and pattern to the overall design of a room. The glorious intricacy of some leaves, stems and tendrils is a natural foil to the limited palette of colors and range of materials that is often found in the modern interior.

Many of the best houseplants are grown for their magnificent leaves, which often look like landscapes in their own right. Deep fissures and grooves, spots and veins, pleats and puckers, hairs and sticky bits, all add to the complex fascination of the plant. The gently ribbed leaves of a banana (Musa) instantly bring a tropical ambiance to a living room, while the amazing fan-like pleats of the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera) or the delicate tracery of a miniature bamboo conjure up images of the Far East. Interesting textures invite you to reach out and touch them. It is hard to resist patting the wonderful mounds of Soleirolia soleirolii, the mind-your-own-business plant, while the translucent beauty of Sparrmatinia africana when light shines through its pale, downy leaves is breathtaking.

Succulents, with their amazing ability to store moisture, display particularly varied textures and patterns. The elegant, magisterial Aeonium 'Zwartkop' has smooth, shiny black rosettes, while the echeverias have soft, matte greeny blue foliage that looks wonderfully modern in a metal container (although their petal-like delicacy would look equally at home in a traditional interior). Members of the large Kalanchoc family provide color, form and texture, and positively thrive on neglect. The fleshy leaves are often tipped with subtle color, particularly K. thyrsiflora whose pale green leaves are tinged with red and covered in a soft bloom. But. of the succulents, perhaps the ultimate in minimalism are the living stones (Lithops). With their pairs of fat fleshy leaves, which part to allow through a flower, they have a science-fiction air about them.

Even the simple addition of a mulch or top-dressing can give an arrangement added texture, setting off the plant to perfection, while also helping to retain moisture. Indeed, some of the more subtle plants look better displayed against a background of white gravel or crushed shell. A layer of sand beneath a cactus suggests a mini desert, while sea shells are reminiscent of summer at the beach. Paying attention to the finishing touches in this way will ensure your displays look well designed.

We are all familiar with the irregular patterning of begonia and pelargonium leaves, but for a truly weird experience look to carnivorous plants, such as pitcher plants (Sarracenia) and Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula), for their intricate form, grasping little claws or juicy pitcher-shaped flytraps. They need either rainwater or filtered, lime-free tap water as heavily chlorinated water will kill them. The markings on pitcher plants are strangely beautiful and often richly variegated. They live on flying insects and are the most eco-friendly way of keeping flying pests at bay.