10 Houseplants That Aren't Your Usual Houseplants

Air Plants (Tillandsia)

A departure from your typical pothos and spider plants, air plants are unusual because they don't require soil. In the wild, they grow on other plants, such as trees, rather than rooting in the ground. Inside, they are often displayed in terrariums, seashells, or simply by themselves.

Native to drier climates—from the Southeast U.S. to South America—there are more than 730 types of tillandsia. Apart from looking downright funky, air plants are likely the world's least demanding houseplant. However, just because they're soilless doesn't mean they don't need water.

Living Stones (Lithops)

Living stones, also called pebble plants, are a type of split succulent that resembles rock. They come in a variety of colors and even produce daisylike flowers, which emerge between the leaves in the fall and winter. Just as peculiar as the living stone's appearance is its life cycle: When it gets a new set of leaves in the spring, it sheds its old leaves like a crab outgrowing its shell.

Like all succulents, living rocks require very little maintenance. While they do love a sunny spot, they can go long periods without water. In fact, they shouldn't be watered during their dormant periods, in the summer and winter.

Marimo (Aegagropila linnaei)

Marimo (meaning "ball seaweed" in Japanese) is a type of spherical green algae that can grow up to a foot in diameter and has a velvety appearance. Plop these geometric wonders in a jar of water or an aquarium and you'll never have to entertain guests again.

Japanese moss balls are easy to care for, requiring only room-temperature tap water (changed weekly) and some light to grow up to a quarter inch per year. They're a rare find, but are sometimes sold at aquarium stores.

Toad Spotted Cactus (Orbea variegata)

Previously named Stapelia variegata, this succulent has star-shaped flowers that are sure to dazzle house guests, The flowers, which often appear in late summer or fall, vary in color; the speckled yellow variety pictured is how this plant got its "toad" common name. Toad spotted cacti are drought-resistant and easy to care for.

Bonsai (Various species)

If you're looking for an unusual houseplant, how about a whole entire tree? Well, in miniature form. Unlike succulents, air plants, and others that you can practically display and forget about, the bonsai requires ample trimming, pruning, clamping, wiring, grafting, and defoliation. It's an exercise in patience and craft.

Bonsai is an ancient Japanese art form blending horticultural techniques and Asian aesthetics. It uses the same species of tree you'd find in your backyard—such as fir, maple, birch, cedar, and cypress—but they're stunted to coffee table-size.

Orange Trees (Citrus X sinensis)

An orange tree isn't what you'd expect to see outside of the Mediterranean, California, or Florida—much less in a living room in the Midwest. These citrus-producing plants can, indeed, grow even in cold climates so long as they're given naturally rich soil, a stable 65-degree environment, and five or six hours of direct sunlight per day.

Caring for an orange tree isn't terribly difficult, but it does require patience. An orange tree can take three to five years to begin producing fruit, and even then, the fruit takes up to eight months to ripen.

Forced Bulbs (Various species)

Another quirky botanical conversation piece is the indoor-growing bulb. Flower bulbs are globe-shaped buds, typically planted in the ground, with overlapping leaves growing from them. Convincing these bulbs to bloom indoors is a trick humans have been performing for centuries. The hobby was such the rage in 18th-century Europe that special vases were designed for this purpose.

The act of tricking bulbs to grow inside, out of season, is called "forcing." Many types take to it, including hyacinth, paperwhites, tulips, and amaryllis. The procedure is simple, but varies with the type of bulb and vessel you choose.

Nasturtium (Tropaeolum)

Nasturtium is common in outdoor gardens, but it's not as often seen inside. The flowering, edible plant can thrive in an indoor environment, and you can pluck its leaves and petals to add color to your culinary creations. Grown indoors, the nasturtium is even able to produce flowers year-round as opposed to only during summer. These plants can grow in cultivars or vines, but the former may be better for inside as it takes up less space.

Coffee Plants (Coffea arabica)

What's more impressive than growing your own coffee fruit? These plants are native to tropical areas of Africa and Asia, so growing them in your home will take some extra work—but that's the price of having unusual houseplants sometimes. One way to mimic the heat and humidity of its native environment is to grow the coffee plant in a jar, which allows it to recycle its air and water.

Your coffee houseplant will likely need a bit of pruning to prevent it from growing into a medium-sized tree. You'll also have to wait a few years before it begins producing flowers and the subsequent fruit that contains the beans.

Pitcher Plants (Nepenthaceae)

The pitcher plant's most unusual quality is its cuplike leaves that hang on stringy stems and form pitfall traps for insects. For this reason, they're called carnivorous—like the Venus flytrap. The plants can be planted outside, but make a beautiful, tropical-esque addition to your interior, too. Plus, they'll take care of your fly, moth, wasp, or ant problem.

In the wild, pitcher plants are perennials (mostly) that grow in Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and Australia. If growing at home, you'll need to replicate those conditions with moist soil, lots of humidity, and a fair amount of heat and sun.