Pothos

Just like outdoor garden plants, houseplants have their own specific needs. Success indoors starts with understanding the conditions in different spots around your home and choosing plants that fit — just like you would outside. Here's my quick guide to identifying your houseplant habitat, with suggestions for plants I'd try.

LIGHTMost houseplants fall into one of two light categories: direct light, which is basically full sun; or bright/filtered light, kind of like dappled shade outdoors. Plants for direct light will be happiest in a sunny window where light reaches their leaves for most of the day. Plants that prefer bright or filtered light do better behind a sheer curtain or positioned farther from the window. An east-facing window works great too, since the morning light they'll receive is the gentlest.

If you can offer a full day of direct light,try cacti and succulents like agave and aloes, plus coleus, polka dot plant and date palm for foliage. For flowers in direct light, what I love growing is bougainvillea, mandevilla, hibiscus and passionflowers.

If you can offer bright or filtered light,try chenille plant, cymbidium, dendrobium or phalaenopsis orchids, African violets and cape primrose (Streptocarpus) for flowers. Great foliage options include rex begonias, caladiums, spider plant, dieffenbachia, piggyback plant and stromanthe.

Is the light limited in your home?Go for plants with large, dark green leaves — cast iron plant (Aspidistraelatior), peace lily and aglaonema are all tough as nails, or try different types of ferns.

TEMPERATUREMany houseplants — especially the flowering ones — come from tropical spots and love warm to hot temperatures. Some, though, can handle or even prefer cooler conditions. When thinking about your home's temperature, keep in mind it can fluctuate. Your bathroom might be warm and humid during a shower, then cool the rest of the day. Entryways can be cold or drafty. I always suggest observing a spot at different hours before committing a plant to it.

If you have a room that's consistently warm,try tropical plants like citrus, bougainvillea, banana and mandevilla. If you blast your heat, though, remember that the air can get pretty dry — you'll want to bump up the humidity for these plants.

If you keep your thermostat on the low side in winter,look for plants from temperate forests — piggyback plant, fats, jasmine, English ivy, Norfolk Island pine and some ferns. Desert cacti and succulents also do well in cooler northern homes, where the lower temperature keeps them from getting spindly in winter's weaker light.

YOURSELFAt the end of the day, your houseplant choices really come down to how enthusiastic you are and how much time and effort you're willing to give them.

If winter gets you down because you can't garden outside,high-maintenance or finicky houseplants like orchids or gardenia might be just the thing, or you could build a big collection of easy but diverse plants to keep you busy and happy.

On the other hand, if you enjoy winter's respite from planting chores or need time for other things,pick something that thrives on neglect — succulents, sansevieria, pothos and trailing philodendrons are all great choices.