7 Unusual Houseplants to Up Your Plant Parent Cred

Your home isn't like everyone else's, so it makes sense to choose some unique indoor houseplants to brighten up your space. Exotic plants can be totally amazing (think pitcher plants that actually eat stink bugs) and super beautiful too. The key to choosing one you'll love is making sure you keep the care needs in mind. These are a few incredible options to consider.

Want something truly head-turning and super cool? The carnivorous pitcher plant, Nepenthes 'Rebecca Soper' is a lovely and fascinating choice. The dark purple exterior is really pretty, and the interior of the pitchers has a captivating speckled pattern. It's a plant that works for its care too, catching household pests like stink bugs and flies.

It thrives indoors in indirect light and around 80-100% humidity, and it's best to water it with rainwater instead of tap water when possible.

Philodendrons grow well indoors, but they can be a little boring. Not so with the variety "White Princess." Its stems and leaves feature green, white, red, and pink, making it a rare and beautiful option for any interior. It's easy to propagate too if you want to grow several of them.

Care-wise, you don't have to be a helicopter plant parent to keep this variety healthy. It needs plenty of indirect light and lots of water, but it will adjust to most humidity levels.

Want something whimsical and head-turning that will makes guests smile when they come to your home? Albuca spiralis "Frizzle Sizzle" is like the adorable Muppet of plants. It features tight crockscrew spirals of foliage, and it has little yellow flowers that smell beautiful.

What's great about this (besides how cute it is) is that it's a succulent and doesn't require a ton of maintenance. You can place it on a sunny windowsill where it's not too humid and water only when it dries out.

Go beyond the traditional green in your indoor houseplants and choose something extra lovely and colorful. Tradescantia Nanouk has purplish-pink foliage with touches of green and white too. It's kind of like a gorgeous version of your typical hanging plant.

It's also pretty each to care for if you don't have a green (or in this case, purple) thumb. It loves humidity, so it's a great option if your bathroom gets some bright sunlight. Don't let it dry out and make sure it gets lots of sun, and it will be the star of the show.

There's a reason Macodes Petola is also called "jewel orchid." This indoor plant seems to glow because of its contrasting leaf variegation. It's actually considered a weed in the rainforests of South Africa, but it's a super eye-catching addition to your plant collection.

It's a little finicky about its environment (it's used to the rainforest, after all), but growing this beauty is totally doable. Just keep it in indirect light, give it plenty of humidity, and don't let it dry out.

Aloe plants are pretty great, but you see them all the time. You can level up your aloe game with a variety like "Christmas Sleigh." The Christmas name is cute (it has red teeth all down the edges of the leaves), but the truth is, this plant looks a lot more like a dragon or dinosaur than anything related to Santa. It's crazy cool and a good option for your indoor garden.

This succulent is easy to take care of too, which is nice. It loves really bright light and fairly low humidity. Don't over water, and it will forgive you for most other mistakes.

A feature in some tropical gardens and a great candidate for indoor growing as a houseplant, the black bat flower is funky to look and and interesting to care for. The flower has "whiskers" and wide black wings, making it a pretty cool addition to your collection.

This plant is particular about temperature and humidity. It likes room temps and a humid environment like a bathroom. You also should water it often enough so the soil is always moist.

Although the way a plant looks is a huge factor in deciding to get it, there are a few things you should consider before you make a final decision.

• What kind of a plant parent will you be? If you don't have a lot of time for hands-on care, choose a plant that's low-maintenance.
• How is the light in your home? Make sure you have a place to put this new plant that will give it the right amount and type of sunlight.
• How much control do you have over temperature and humidity? If you're in an apartment or dorm room where someone else controls the temp and humidity, you should choose a plant that isn't too picky.

There are so many wonderful options for indoor plants that go beyond the standard varieties. Brush up on indoor gardening techniques if you're going to try one of the trickier choices and have fun caring for a plant not everyone else has in their collection.