Chinese evergreen is a forgiving houseplant grown for broad, patterned leaves splashed with silver, cream, pink, or red over deep green. Plants stay full and mounded rather than leggy, so they furnish a tabletop or floor pot nicely and hold their looks with little fuss.

It gets by in lower light where many colorful houseplants fade, though brighter indirect light keeps the pattern strong; direct sun scorches the leaves. Let the top inch or two of soil dry between waterings, keep it away from cold drafts, and it will carry on quietly for years.