Three upright, clean-lined houseplants chosen to sit together in a plain room without looking fussy.

Ficus elastica 'Tineke' is a variegated rubber plant with large glossy leaves marked in cream, green and a soft pink flush, growing upright and branching over time. Dracaena trifasciata 'Superba', sold as Sansevieria and known as the snake plant, is a stiff rosette of upright sword-shaped leaves with lighter banding. Zamioculcas zamiifolia, the ZZ plant, has glossy deep green leaflets on smooth arching stems and holds its shape with almost no attention.

Give the group bright to medium indirect light. The snake plant and the ZZ plant will take a dimmer corner, but the ficus needs the light to keep its variegation, so treat the brighter end as the target. Keep them between about 15C and 25C and away from cold draughts and radiators. Water when the top few centimetres of compost are dry and let the snake plant and the ZZ plant dry out further still, because overwatering is what kills both. Feed monthly through spring and summer and wipe the larger leaves to keep them clean.

Supplied as three established plants in 1 litre root balls, ready to pot into containers of your own. All three are harmful if eaten and the ficus sap irritates skin, so keep them away from children, cats and dogs.

Cultural Information

Common Name: Variegated rubber plant, snake plant and ZZ plant

Fully Grown Height and Spread: Ficus 100 to 200cm; snake plant 60 to 90cm; ZZ plant 60 to 90cm indoors

Growth Habit: Upright and branching, upright rosette, and upright clump with arching stems

Perfect For: Living rooms, bedrooms, home offices and plain modern interiors

Foliage: Cream, green and pink variegated; dark green with lighter banding; glossy deep green

Flowering Time: Grown for foliage

Planting Position: Bright to medium indirect light indoors

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

Hardiness: Tender, indoor only; keep above 12C

Maintenance: Easy to moderate; the ficus dislikes being moved or chilled

Seasonal Interest: Evergreen foliage

Type: Houseplant collection of three plants