Three trailing houseplants for a shelf, a bookcase or a hanging planter, chosen so the leaf shapes and markings contrast.

Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil' has heart-shaped leaves splashed lime green over deep green and grows quickly, either trailing or climbing a moss pole. Epipremnum aureum, golden pothos, carries glossy heart-shaped leaves marbled with gold and is the most forgiving of the three. Maranta leuconeura 'Fascinator', the prayer plant, stays low and gently trailing, with dark green leaves marked by red herringbone veins that fold upwards in the evening.

Give them medium indirect light, or a dimmer corner if that is what you have, and keep them out of direct sun, which scorches the maranta and bleaches the variegation. Let the top few centimetres of compost dry between waterings for the philodendron and the pothos, and keep the maranta a little more evenly moist. The maranta is the fussy one: it wants humidity and soft water, and the leaf edges brown in dry air or hard tap water. Keep the group above 15C and away from cold draughts, and feed monthly from spring to early autumn. Trim any leggy stems to keep the plants full.

Supplied as three established plants in 1 litre root balls, ready to pot into containers of your own. The philodendron and the pothos are harmful if eaten and irritate skin and eyes, and their trailing stems hang at the height a cat will reach.

Cultural Information

Common Name: Philodendron Brasil, golden pothos and prayer plant

Fully Grown Height and Spread: Philodendron trails 100 to 200cm; pothos trails 150 to 250cm; maranta 20 to 30cm

Growth Habit: Trailing or climbing, trailing or climbing, and low and spreading

Perfect For: Shelves, bookcases, hanging planters and moss poles

Foliage: Lime and dark green heart-shaped; gold marbled heart-shaped; dark green with red herringbone veins

Flowering Time: Grown for foliage

Planting Position: Medium to low indirect light indoors, out of direct sun

Soil Type: Free-draining, peat-free houseplant compost

Hardiness: Tender, indoor only; keep above 15C

Maintenance: Moderate; the prayer plant wants humidity and soft water

Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage

Type: Houseplant collection of three plants