Majestic, tropical and low-maintenance … and happy anywhere but a hot windowsill

Why will I love it? It has majestic, dark green tropical foliage, but is a surprisingly low-maintenance plant, because it tells you what it needs. It will droop dramatically as soon as it’s thirsty, but recover swiftly after a good watering.

Light or shade? Spots in bright, indirect sunlight – or even low shade.

Where should I put it? In the corner of your living room – close to a window, but not on a hot windowsill – or in your bathroom. Note that its leaves are toxic to cats and dogs when ingested.

How do I keep it alive? Keep it away from direct sunlight. Water weekly, increasing this to twice a week during hot summer months. The elegant white flowers appear in early summer – plants that fail to bloom usually aren’t getting enough sunlight. It prefers a warm room temperature – between 18–24C –and high humidity, so mist the leaves regularly, or place the pot on a tray of wet pebbles.

Did you know … What most people call its “flower” is actually a modified leaf, called a spathe, that starts off pale green then turns white as it opens, around a yellowish spadix.