Popular house plants of the 1950s and 60s?

[Seahorse]

Can anyone who was around in that era tell me whether there were 'typical' houseplants of the time? I'm doing a bit of retro themed decorating and looking for some plants to fit in. I'm thinking spider plants were perhaps quite a sixties (and into the seventies) thing? Not sure of others though.

Claire

[moggssue]

Hmmm, we had spider plants, boston ferns, christmas/easter cacti and african violets in the late 60s/early 70s - dont know whether that was just my mums taste though?!

[Alexx]

When i think of the 50s i imagine aspidistra plants.

I have a 50s piano in the house if that's any good

[HappyMouffe]

I wasn't around in the '50's but cast iron plants must have been about (Aspidestra).

[HappyMouffe]

Beat me to it, Alexx

[HeyWayne]

"Mother-in-laws tongue" - no idea the real name, but they seemed to feature quite high when I was growing up in the seventies, and Mum had them for a long time prior to my arrival in '75.

Rubber plants (again, name?), they also seemed to be quite popular round our way...

[Rowan]

Aspidistras, definitely, partly because they're very long-lived and might have been an Heirloom (honestly, we had one that was 80+ years old in the 70s!) - and also because they're tough as old boots, and could survive the pollution of those coal-fired days. Begonias, I'd think - certainly my Mum had some long-lived ones in the 70s - and maybe silver-dollar plants. I'd try period fiction for research, but make sure it's really written in the 50s/60s, not just set then by someone who may not know what they're talking about! Also, you'd have to decide what social class your period room is going to reflect. Good luck with it!

[Seahorse]

Thanks, those are great suggestions. I had no idea aspidistras could live that long!

I've just picked up a sixties style wicker and bamboo plant stand from our local Don't Dump That (similar to Freecycle) so I think that will add to the ambience too.

It's an interesting point about which social class to reflect Rowan - I'm sort of aiming for middle class-ish, the sort of 'look' people who could buy all new stuff would have had!

Claire

[shirlthegirl43]

We have a collection of 1950's valve radios as well as our '50s jukeboxes. I have an old houseplant book (from the 40's but the edition I have was revised in the 70's) so I could have a look in that if you want to check anything specific

[bubblewrap]

Can anyone who was around in that era tell me whether there were 'typical' houseplants of the time? I'm doing a bit of retro themed decorating and looking for some plants to fit in. I'm thinking spider plants were perhaps quite a sixties (and into the seventies) thing? Not sure of others though.

Claire

Seem to remember a rubber tree(plant) late 50s early 60s

[Flummery]

"Mother-in-laws tongue" - no idea the real name, but they seemed to feature quite high when I was growing up in the seventies, and Mum had them for a long time prior to my arrival in '75.

Rubber plants (again, name?), they also seemed to be quite popular round our way...

Sanseveria? Ma-in-law's tongue - spelling may be quaint!
Ficus elastica - rubber plant.

[sewer rat]

Spider plants definitely, our house was full of them, Aspidistra too and we had the mother of all cheese plants in the corner - up the wall and across the ceiling before it got too big !!!!!!!!

[Snadger]

What about those monstrous cheese plants???

[sewer rat]

Cheese Plants grew faster than radishes !! Bloody triffid-like ability they had. Went out of fashion I think about mid to late 70's

[sewer rat]

Oh Yeah - Indoor Yukka Plants - that was another I remember from when I was a kid