Plants as we know all, come in different shapes and sizes, colors, and attributes.
Our interest today is in plants with long leaves. Some leaves can be broad and long, while others are seen to be beautifully narrow and long.
Science has discovered that plants have longer leaves to help them survive extremes of temperature.
That is why a majority of the plants in this list are found in the tropics or other areas with max temperature changes.
1. Lady Palm
The lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) is a small palm with thick clumps of thin erect green stems.
It is an attractive, slow-growing palm that is ideally suited to indoor cultivation and also helps to purify and filter the air.
Fan-shaped, glossy green fronds with five to eight narrow, scimitar-shaped segments grow on the stems.
This palm is popular as a houseplant since it is exceptionally tolerant of low-light settings.
It is best planted in the spring, at the beginning of the growing season. This palm grows at a somewhat modest rate, gaining less than a foot in height every year.
Because Lady palms grow slowly, it is critical to check moisture levels before watering.
2. Spider Plant
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) is regarded as one of the most versatile and easy-to-grow plants.
The little plantlets grown on lengthy hanging stems that resemble spiders gave rise to its’ name.
This clump-forming, perennial herbaceous plant native to South African coastal areas has slender, strap-shaped leaves that emerge from a central point.
The leaves might be pure green or multicolored with white or yellow streaks running lengthwise.
The plant grows to be about 12-15 inches tall. The large, thick roots and rhizomes evolved to retain water, allowing it to withstand infrequent watering.
At the tips of the stalks, little white star-shaped flowers appear.
Following flowering, additional leaves grow at the tips of the stems, generating miniature plantlets.
Spider plant has been reputed for cleansing air indoors as it absorbs chemicals such as formaldehyde and carbon monoxide.
Here is an article I wrote on plants with hairy leaves
3. Corn Plant
Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans) has strap-like leaves that arise from a stout woody stalk in a fountain-like cluster.
The corn plant is a tropical African perennial shrub that is widely grown in Europe and the United States.
It has been widely cultivated in those parts of the world since the 18th century. When cultivated as a potted plant, this plant can reach a height of 6 feet.
It has been observed to reach a height of 20 feet in the wild.
The plant develops slowly, with thick canes or stems producing long, narrow leaves that shoot upward like corn stalks.
They are occasionally mistaken for palm trees, which is why they are referred to as “fake palms.”
4. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a tropical plant species in the Aloe genus. The plant has stemless long leaves that spread out from the plant’s primary stem.
The leaf’s edge is serrated with tiny teeth.
Aloes require a position location that receives both direct and indirect sunshine.
Direct sunshine can cause the plant to dry up and turn its succulent leaves yellow, so if your aloe is in a particularly sunny location, you may have to water it more frequently.
Dust the plant’s stem with rooting hormone powder to promote new roots to grow after planting.
Rooting hormone can be purchased locally at a garden center or hardware store, or online.
5. Yucca Plant
Yucca is a genus of around 40 perennial plants. Yucca plants are indigenous to Mexico and the Caribbean.
They are visually appealing and slow-growing plants that are also incredibly drought tolerant.
Most yucca species will grow into room-devouring monsters over time, but it takes so long that you’ll have many years of usage as a houseplant before it becomes stupendously big.
Pet owners should exercise caution while bringing a yucca into their homes because all portions of the plant are harmful to pets, including cats, dogs, and horses.
Also check out this article I wrote on plants with needle like leaves
6. Cypress Vine
The thin, thread-like leaves of cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) give the plant a breezy texture.
It’s usually cultivated against a vine or pole, which it climbs by coiling itself around.
The star-shaped flowers bloom in red, pink, or white throughout the summer and into the fall.
Hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy sipping nectar from the blossoms, therefore the plant is also known as a hummingbird vine.
The plant is prized not just as a flowering vine with small, fragile, papery star-shaped blossoms that are generally bright red, but also as a foliage plant with its graceful, dainty, and fluffy fern-like leaves.
The plant can grow between 3 and 6ft tall and has a spread width of about 3ft. It demands direct sunlight and should be kept equally moist.
However, be cautious around the plant because it is hazardous to both humans and pets.
7. Oregon Grape Holly
The Oregon Grape Holly (Mahonia aquifolium) is a beautiful evergreen shrub that brings color and beauty to the shadow garden. Oregon’s state flower is a little ornamental plant.
Racemes of cheery, vivid golden-yellow flowers rise just above the foliage in the spring.
They attract pollinators with their light fragrance before giving way to bunches of dark blue-purple appetizing berries in summer.
They resemble little grapes and attract birds and wildlife.
The beautiful evergreen foliage has holly-like, leathery leaves that emerge bronze-red in spring, grow to glossy dark green by summer, and turn deep crimson in fall.
This broadleaf evergreen shrub has an erect to sprawling habit and grows slowly, reaching heights of 3-6 feet (90-180 cm) and widths of 2-5 feet (60-150 cm).
8. Cast Iron Plant
Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is a lovely foliage plant for the garden. It has soaring, spear-like, green leaves.
The leaves can grow up to 2 feet in length and 4 inches wide. It occasionally produces small cream and purple blooms when growing outside.
These blossoms can be seen around the base of the plant, however, they do not appear if the plant is grown indoors.
Watering well and fertilization are all that are required of cast-iron plants.
The cast-iron plant grows slowly, and spring is often the ideal time to plant it. It is a tough plant that is resistant to insects and diseases.
9. Pinstripe Calathea
Calathea ornata (Pinstripe Calathea) is a stunning member of the Maranta or prayer plant family. Their tall, elegantly veined leaves create a bold statement in your decor.
Pinstripe is indigenous to Africa, the West Indies, Thailand, Central, and South America.
These plants grow to be around two feet tall and two feet wide on average. This makes them suitable for growing in a pot inside your house.
Calathea ornata prefers indirect light that is bright. Avoid direct sunlight as much as possible; otherwise, the leaves may fade or even burn.
The pinstripe plant prefers warm temperatures ranging from 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (18-29 degrees Celsius).
10. Emerald Wave Sweet Bay
Emerald Wave Sweet Bay has a pyramidal growth habit and lovely green foliage with grayish-green undersides that emerges chartreuse in spring.
The glossy, thin leaves are incredibly beautiful and stay green all winter.
In the early summer, it bears plum purple berries. Emerald Wave Sweet Bay is a caulescent evergreen tree with a beautiful pyramidal shape.
Its average texture blends into the environment.
The effect can also be balanced with either a finer or coarser plant(s). This is a low-maintenance tree that can be trimmed at any time.
It is an excellent choice for bringing bees and butterflies to your garden.
Conclusion
This list of beautiful plants will make you want to have a garden immediately.
With their varying size and shapes and beautiful foliage, these plants will make a great addition to any garden whether indoors or outdoors.
With the exception of the yucca plant and the cypress vine, these plants are safe around humans and pets.
They will help attract some beautiful butterflies to your garden and leave you tingling with a warm sensation.
