Types of Indoor Trees

As a potted statement plant or part of a houseplant collection, indoor trees make lovely, living decorations for the home. With some attention to lighting, soil needs and water requirements, citrus trees, palm trees, dragon trees and fig trees all grow well in indoor containers. Make sure you choose containers with drainage holes that are large enough and heavy enough to balance the tree's height.

Citrus varieties need fertile, well-drained potting soil and must receive five to six hours of sunlight per day. These trees grow best in warm rooms, and temperatures should be kept above 50 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Some of the best species for growing indoors are Meyer lemon (Citrus x meyeri), calamondin (Citrus mitis) and Seville Orange (Citrus auranium). If grown outdoors, citrus trees are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 11. Healthy indoor citrus trees can bear fragrant flowers and edible fruit year-round.

A wide variety of palm trees exist. Indoors, most palms grow best in partial shade, and they all need well-drained soil kept most in the spring and summer and allowed to dry out slightly between waterings in the winter. Winter temperatures should not drop below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Varieties grown indoors include the European fan palm (Chamaerops humilis), which is hardy in USDA zones 8b through 11, and the bamboo palm (Chamaedorea erumpens), which is hardy in USDA zones 10b through 11.

Dragon trees, more often called by their scientific name dracaena, feature thin leaves growing atop a tree-like stalk. They can reach up to 15 feet high, though dracaenas grown as houseplants generally grow shorter. Dragon trees do not produce showy fruits or flowers. They prefer light shade, and the potting soil should be kept moist at all times. Warm growing conditions are required, with a temperature that doesn't drop below 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Red-edged dracaena (Dracaena marginata) and dracaena (Dracaena deremensis) are both commonly grown as houseplants. Outdoors, they are hardy in USDA zones 10b through 11.

Ornamental figs come in bush, trailing and tree types grown for their foliage. They require bright light, temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter and careful watering. The soil should be allowed to dry out a little between waterings during the growing season, and figs must be watered sparingly in the winter. Varieties of rubber plant (Ficus elastica), including Decora (Ficus elastica decora) and Robusta (Ficus elastica robusta), feature large, leathery foliage. The weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) has smaller leaves with a graceful, drooping form. It can grow up to 60 feet tall if left unchecked but is very tolerant of severe pruning to maintain it at an indoor size. Both these fig trees are hardy in USDA zones 10b through 11 and are grown as houseplants in all zones.