Frequently Asked Questions

That's quite a fun question to answer, and we recently wrote a full article about it called Understanding Plant Names. Essentially, it's all thanks to a Swedish man named Carl Linnaeus (born in 1707). Before Linnaeus, plants were given brief descriptions in Latin as their "scientific name," which was ultimately a confusing approach.

Linnaeus proposed that closely related plants be given a genus name. Since there can be many different varieties or species within any one genus, the species name became the second part of its official title.

When Linnaeus was writing, Latin was the only language universally understood by scholars and scientists across the globe. It was the "international language" of the time.

Naming almost every plant on Earth in this way took enormous effort. Because Latin names are now so ingrained and universal, it is unlikely they will ever be converted to anything else. On our website, we use the most common names people use in everyday conversation so you know which plant we are talking about, but we always include the official scientific name too.

As discussed above, all plants have an official scientific Latin name, but the majority also have several semi-official nicknames or common names. These often vary by country; for example, readers in Europe may know Sansevieria trifasciata 'Laurentii' as the Mother-in-Law's Tongue while in America it is often called the Snake Plant.

The choice of common name is almost always based on how the name resembles the plant itself. We talk about this in much more detail in our Understanding Plant Names article.

Never give up! We all have to start somewhere, and even the most experienced owners will lose a plant from time to time. The key to turning that black thumb into a green one is knowledge. Arm yourself with your plant's specific requirements and you will be successful. It really is that simple!

There isn't always a clear distinction, and sometimes a plant can be both! Many plants kept indoors all year round actually originate from tropical climates where they exist as garden plants year-round.

Generally speaking, a houseplant is one that needs to be indoors for certain parts of the year (such as during winter) to survive in cooler climates.

Each of our plant profiles has a "propagation" section specifically for that variety. For a more general understanding of the different methods, see our Propagating Houseplants guide.

The best thing to do is check our Plant Hub for the specific plant you need help with. It's full of profiles and care tips to help you rescue your green friend.

If the article doesn't fully address your situation, leave a comment at the bottom. One of the OurHousePlants.com team or a fellow visitor will likely have a helpful suggestion for you!

We get asked this often, and the answer is no, we do not sell any houseplants directly. We suggest checking out our Where to Buy Houseplants article for ideas or visiting our Shop Page.

No, thank you. We do not require any external SEO services. Please do not message us regarding these services, as we no longer respond to these types of inquiries.

Sometimes! Our criteria for guest posts include:

- Original content that provides useful, highly relevant information to our readers.

- Content that matches the OurHousePlants.com style.

- Articles must be human-written (no AI-generated content) and not a duplication of a topic we have already covered.

Plants have always been popular, and for as long as people have had homes, they have brought nature indoors. The plant landscape is constantly changing, making it as exciting as the latest fashions.

Regardless of trends, most people find immense pleasure and satisfaction in cultivating plants. Whether it's an innate desire to connect with nature or simply because they look awesome, we wanted to build a resource that brings everything together.

We created this website for you, to help you enjoy the hobby and take pride in your indoor garden.

We sure do! You can check it out here.

Absolutely! We love contributions. You can start by leaving helpful comments or sharing your plant pictures with us. If you want to write a full-length article on a topic you are passionate about, please contact us so we can make it happen.

Our content is completely free to read. We don't sell memberships or products directly. To cover our running costs and keep producing free content, we use advertisements and affiliate links. We try to ensure these are always related to plants or topics of interest to our readers.

We don't. If you want to support us, the best way is to get involved! Share your pictures, join the conversations in the comments, and follow us on social media. The best reward is knowing you are out there enjoying the site.

It's applicable to anyone! While we are based in the UK, the principles of houseplant care are universal across the globe.

Not currently. If that's something you'd like to see, let us know! In the meantime, you can communicate with us through the Disqus conversations at the bottom of every page.

Many are photos of our own plants, while others are kindly sent in by our visitors. We also use images from sources like Flickr or Wikimedia Commons.

We always aim to use images we have permission for. If you spot a photo that belongs to you and you'd like it removed, please let us know. we would much rather remove it than cause any upset.

You bet! Get in touch via our Contact Form or email us directly. If we use your photo, we are happy to include a link to your website or social space at the bottom of the article.

You may use our copyrighted images provided you give appropriate credit with a link back to OurHousePlants.com, ideally directly underneath the picture.

This falls under the Creative Commons License. You may not use these images for commercial gain or profit. Failure to follow these guidelines may result in legal action.

You are welcome to quote us, but you may not lift large sections of our text and pass it off as your own. We do monitor for plagiarism and will issue DMCA takedown requests where necessary.

Yes! We talk about our favorite plant books in our Bookshop.

Yes! We list our favorite plant websites on our About Us page.