THEM INDOORS

Which is the fairest house plant of them all - and the least likely to die on you? Our experts choose their favourites

THERE is far more to house plants than the looming, dark-green dust atractors you see in the corner of sitting rooms up and down the land. As well as the familiar ferns, cacti and succulents, there are many other plants that will flourish indoors. Winter treats include flowering bulbs such as hyacinths and crocuses. There are also orange and lemon trees, and heathers. Herbs, and even fruit and vegetables such as strawberries, aubergines, sweet peppers and peanuts can also thrive in the home. But a visit to a garden centre can leave shoppers feeling confused. Which indoor plant should they buy?

THE TEST

We asked two plant experts to tell us which were their top five house plants, and to list them in descending order - a tricky task, considering there are hundreds on the market. Our plant wizards were Trevor Sims, senior adviser to the Royal Horticultural Society at its model gardens at Wisley, and Dr David Hessayon, author of 17 popular titles in the Expert Books series, including the bestseller The House Plant Expert (Transworld Books pounds 6.99).We asked them to take into account what effect the plants would create in the home, how easy they were to look after, and price. The two experts came up with rather different choices, influenced by their personal preferences (David Hessayon admitted he had expensive tastes). However, one plant cropped up in both their lists: poinsettia, the classic Christmas-time favourite.

CUPID'S BOWER (ACHIMENES HYBRIDA)

This was Trevor Sims's all-time favourite, because of its outstanding effect; it produces up to 60-70 flowers on one plant. "It will make a real splash in the living room, and is particularly good under artificial light," says Trevor. The flowering season also lasts for a long time - two to three months in the summer. A good variety is "Pink Beauty", but it is also available with white, purple and pinky-red flowers. The only disadvantage is that this plant can't just be left to look after itself; it needs watering daily, if not twice a day. In the winter it dies down, though the scaly rhizomes - which, Trevor says, look like tiny curled- up caterpillars with little legs - can be replanted the following year, from January to March. You'll pay pounds 2.50 for a plant in an 11cm pot.

HYACINTHS (HYACINTHUS)

These bulbs flower in midwinter, and the flowers are long-lasting, will scent the room and are cheap (about 50p-60p per bulb). Another bonus, if you have a garden, is that after flowering the plant's life can be extended by planting it outside to flower in future years. The bulbs, which must be the type prepared for early flowering, are also very simple to grow. If planted now, they will flower in the New Year. Trevor Sims recommended "Pink Pearl" (which is deep pink), "Anne Marie" (pale pink), "Jan Bos" (red), "Delft Blue" and the two white varieties, "L' Innocence" and "Carnegie".

POINSETTIA (EUPHORBIA PULCHERRIMA)

Poinsettia, a native of Mexico, qualified for Trevor Sims top five because of its long-lasting colour during the winter months. The "flowers" last so long - three to four months - because they are not flowers at all, but bracts. A wide range of colours is now available - not just the familiar red bracts, but pink, white and pink-and-white marbled varieties. Trevor's personal preference, though, is for white.

He suggests clumping three or four plants together on the ground, as the full effect of the colour is best seen from above. Poinsettias are also easy to look after: make sure the plant is wrapped well so it doesn't get a blast of cold air when you take it home, and keep it out of draughts and away from the sun and direct heat from a radiator or heater. Poinsettias are pricy, though: pounds 5-pounds 10 each. Trevor recommends (as with most house plants) placing the plant in a saucer and watering it from the bottom.

FLAME NETTLE (COLEUS)

Coleus can have white, yellow, green, brown, purple, red or orange leaves, or combinations of these; they can also be veined or mottled, and in different shapes. The plant is ideal for people who are less than green-fingered. "Coleus is adaptable. It will grow almost anywhere. It's a very forgiving plant and will take a lot of punishment," says Trevor. Growing to 18-24in, it will cost about pounds 3.75. The foliage looks best in full sunlight, and if the flowers are pinched out. The leaves can also be pinched out to shape the plant. Trevor recommends growing cuttings in water. "It's nice for children to look at the roots forming, in a glass jar," he says, "or growing from seed - though the colours that emerge can't be guaranteed."

CREEPING FIG (FICUS PUMILA)

Trevor Sims chose this climbing or trailing plant because it lasts a long time and is very simple to look after. "Untemperamental," he says. It is a member of a large family of plants, including the familiar rubber plant, and has small, heart-shaped leaves which can be either green or variegated. He recommends it for a shady, moist area such as a bathroom, or for hanging from the ceiling in a macrame holder. It's also a good plant, he says, for including in a mixed bowl with others. The cascading leaves draped over the bowl soften the look of the vessel's hard edge. Good value at pounds l.50 for a small plant.

FLAMING SWORD (VRIESEA SPLENDENS)

An example of a bromeliad from the South American tropics. David Hessayon picked it for its striking red spear that lasts for months, and its rosette of pretty, banded, strap-like leaves. Flaming Sword is also easy to care for. "You just need to keep the central cup of leaves topped up with water," says Trevor, "and you don't need to worry about keeping the soil moist." Expect to pay between pounds 6 and pounds 10.65 for a decent Flaming Sword.

POINSETTIA (EUPHORBIA PULCHERRIMA)

David Hessayon chose this plant for its beautiful red bracts (which should be out by Christmas and last for at least a couple of months), and for its unfussy nature. "Unlike an azalea," he says, "which won't survive if it isn't watered every day, the poinsettia needs minimum attention." The owner need only follow basic rules: don't let it dry out, and don't keep it in a draught or in a dark location.

MOTH ORCHID (PHALAENOPSIS)

Despite the reputation of orchids as very difficult customers, this pretty white one is "dead easy to grow", says David Hessayon - "and it lasts for months." In a centrally heated room with dry air, orchids are easier to grow than ivy or cyclamen. "If you're happy in the room," says David, "then cyclamen certainly isn't." Moth orchids have numerous flat-faced flowers measuring about 2in across. Available from bigger garden centres, they will cost pounds 9-pounds 20 depending on the number of flower spikes.

KENTIA PALM (HOWEA FORSTERIANA)

David Hessayon just had to include a palm in his selection, because of its architectural shape which gives such style to a large room. The kentia variety, which will eventually reach a height of several metres, is easy to look after. It needs some light but will tolerate shade. The compost should also be kept moist. These slow-growing plants are expensive (about pounds 19.95 for a 2ft plant: each extra foot of plant adds about pounds 10). "But it's worth the money," says David Hessayon, "as long as your pocket is as deep as the room is large."

ALOCASIA

For his fifth plant, David Hessayon chose something out of the ordinary which is most at home in the South American jungle. Alocasia has 2ft-long arrows of leaves, which are a dark, velvety green colour with prominent white veins. It's the kind of plant where your guests walk into the room and say "Whozzat?" Alocasia has to be looked after properly; in particular it must be kept humid by regular misting, or by surrounding the pot with wet peat. But David Hessayon says it's worth the trouble: "Everyone needs just one challenge, and this is it". Alocasia costs about pounds 8.95, and will be harder to find than our other choices.

STOCKISTS All plants available from garden centres except Alocasia, which will probably be found only at specialist house plant suppliers.