Strangely, These Plants Love Coffee

Can't imagine a morning without coffee? You aren't alone. To many of us across the globe, coffee makes the world go round. So did it ever occur to you that your plants might get a kick out of coffee too? Yep, strange though it may sound, a number of plants would love to share your java on occasion. They take it black, no sugar, please. (See more serving tips below.)

Christmas cactus (​Schlumbergera bridgessii​) burst into bright finery around the holidays — colorful, tubular flowers in pink or lilac — and seem to bloom for months. This, plus their easy-care ways and long, long life, make them popular and exceptional houseplants. They are epiphytes in the wild, so they require excellent drainage, bright light, and acidic soil.

Forget the eggnog! Your faithful holiday plant prefers to celebrate — all year long — with coffee, coffee, and more coffee. According to Thrifty Fun, these festive, long-lived plants will be thrilled if you irrigate strictly with coffee, half a cup twice a week. Don't overwater by adding more or anything else.

Cyclamen (​Cyclamen spp​.) isn't a traditional holiday houseplant, but its popularity soars in winter. You can find container cyclamen, with heart-shaped silvery leaves and colorful flowers, in garden centers as the year draws to a close. The plants grow to 8 inches tall and flower from December through April. The foliage is mega-attractive too, with silver marbling on the upper side of the leaves.

Cyclamen are not demanding houseplants and require very little human effort. But they do prefer their soil on the acidic side. That's why they are happy to share your morning coffee, according to Gardening Know How experts.

Moth orchids (​Phaleonopsus spp.​) are far and away the best beginner orchids and they make gorgeous houseplants. They are rewarding, undemanding plants that reward a little effort with a designer display of elegant, arching sprays of bloom, each with over 20 flowers that open successively and last for weeks.

What does "a little effort" mean in this context? It means taking the time to find the balance between light, humidity, temperature, and airflow. They also need regular watering and fertilizer. Can you use coffee? The Dirt Doctor tells us that diluted coffee is a great fertilizer for orchids.

No, they are not pine. These tropical plants hail from Norfolk Island in the South Seas, where they grow into towering giants. But the smaller, potted versions look like small Christmas trees from a child's dream, with a full, graceful canopy and needles soft enough to pet. They will last for decades and longer with proper care.

Norfolk Island pine (​Araucaria heterophylla​) grow best in bright light and well-draining acidic soil. That's where coffee comes in, according to the Spruce, since a weekly cup will deliver enough acidity to keep the evergreen happy. They also like humidity, so place the container on a pebble saucer of water to create a little microclimate in a bright corner.

African violets (​Saintpaulia spp.) ​are small, enchanting houseplants that will brighten up any room with their royal purple or deep pink flowers that contrast brilliantly with the soft, dark-green leaves. These delicious little plants bloom in low light as well as the brighter light they prefer and hate sitting in wet soil.

On the other hand, African violets love loose, well-draining soil, acid, and nitrogen. That makes coffee a natural fertilizer. You can pour cool, diluted coffee right into the soil as long as you don't provide too much. There's also another way to do this. According to Creative Homemaking, it's even better to use a mix of coffee grounds and broken egg shells as fertilizer, working a little into the top of the soil every few months.

If only taking care of human hearts was as easy as helping the heart-shaped leaves of philodendron (​Philodendron bipinnatifidum​) thrive. These are the ultimate survivor plant and they sail right through days of neglect to offer climbing or cascading vines packed with those glossy green leaves. In low, medium or bright lights, philodendron shine.

To make your heartleaf happy, plant it in well-draining soil and water when dry. If leaves turn yellow, you are going overboard, and brown means you are being too stingy. Indoor Flora suggests that adding coffee grounds to the soil keeps the philodendron plant veins strong and flexible.