10 houseplants that don't look easy

No matter how much we love plants, some are more appealing than others. Particularly as some species aren't exactly easy on the eye. Are you looking for a variety with a unique look? A specimen that will leave no one indifferent? Discover our selection of ten ugly houseplants (that we love anyway).

Begonia Ferox is so ugly it's almost cute. With its leaves bristling with brown bumps, it looks like it's suffering from bubonic plague, even when it's at its best. And at the same time, those pustules give it a baby dinosaur look, fresh from the egg.

Begonia ferox is a rhizomatous Begonia, like begonia masoniana. To care for it, you need to ensure high humidity without misting. It should also be planted in part shade, to avoid damaging its distinctive foliage.

At first glance, the Rose of Jericho looks like an old sponge that's been left by the sink a little too long. But when you put it in contact with water, it opens up and turns green. It's somewhere between moss and fern. This strange behavior is dictated by its natural environment. The resurrection plant grows in arid deserts in Mexico and the southern United States. During the dry season, it goes dormant.

In our latitudes, the Rose of Jericho can be grown indoors, in pots or terrariums. Be sure to rehydrate it with non-calcareous water, and not to drown it. Give it a period of respite to respect its rhythm of life.

With its elongated, reddish urns, the Nepenthes alata might remind you of a baby's mobile. For the offspring of Dracula or the Addams Family. Because let's face it, with something like that hanging over his bed, any human would have nightmares.

As a carnivorous plant, Nepenthes doesn't just look amazing. It's also a difficult variety to grow. It requires perpetually moist soil and watering with non-calcareous water. And if there are no insects to trap, you'll have to feed it a few flies, aphids and bugs.

If Anthurium andreanum features in this list of ugly plants, it's on the recommendation of our Community Manager. For this Calathea lover, the Fire Tongue's varnished foliage and spathe make it look far too much like a plastic plant.

But her opinion may well provoke a reaction! Anthurium andreanum is one of the Monstera app users' favorite species . Easy to care for, it needs regular watering, a bright spot and a little fertilizer in summer.

When I first saw this cactus, I thought it was covered in mold. But no! The long white hairs on the old man's head are perfectly normal. In its natural environment, they protect the plant from the summer sun and winter cold. Indoors, it's the detail that sets it apart from other candle cacti.

Like all cacti, Old Man's Head requires a draining substrate and copious watering once the potting soil has dried out. It also needs full sun exposure, so that its coat is thick and very white.

Arachnophobes, beware! With its long green petals streaked with brown, the Brassia orchid looks more like Spiderman's cousin than the phalaenopsis hybrid. And yet, if you look closely, you'll notice that this variety has the symmetry characteristic of orchids.

Do you love weird plants and want to add the spider orchid to your collection? The good news is that it's one of the hardiest and easiest orchids to grow. Basin it regularly to keep the soil moist, repot it in light soil and fertilize it during the growing season for abundant flowering.

Tillandsia bulbosa's scale-covered bulb, from which drip leaves emerge, isn't exactly the stuff of dreams. Especially when you know that the hollow, gray bulb is home to colonies of ants. But the plant takes on a whole new look during flowering. A red bract and purple flowers adorn the plant.

Tillandsia bulbosa, like jellyfish head and spanish Moss, is epiphytic. You can therefore play with different supports to show it off to best advantage. Wire, wood or shell - anything goes. Best of all? Install it upside down, for greater originality and to prevent water from stagnating in its heart after watering.

The Drosera capensis is probably not the ugliest plant in this ranking. But its leaves, covered in red, translucent, slimy hairs, earn it a respectable eighth place. In fact, this fuzz is not a defect, but a marvel of plant technology. It enables it to trap and suffocate its prey.

Drosera capensis is not very demanding. It requires watering with non-calcareous water (fresh, rain, demineralized or osmosed), exposure to part shade and annual repotting. However, it needs no fertilizer. The insects it ingests provide the nutrients it needs to thrive.

The vernacular name alone sums up the problem with the rat-tail cactus. Its long, drooping grey-green stems are more reminiscent of Splinter or Croûtard than the lush vegetation of Central American forests. Yet Disocactus flagelliformis goes out of its way to please. In spring, it dresses itself in large magenta flowers.

To enjoy the bloom, you need to keep your cactus cool over winter. However, take care not to expose it to temperatures below 7°. You risk killing it.

At first glance, the limbs of the fishtail palm appear to have been attacked by slugs or snails. But no voracious gastropod is responsible for the irregular, triangular shape of the leaves. They're supposed to have that jagged appearance that gives the shrub a bald look.

If you adopt a fishtail palm, make sure you keep it out of reach of pets. Firstly, because it would be a shame for your dog to devour what's left of the greenery. Secondly, the plant is toxic. Its fruits contain oxalic acid crystals, a substance that irritates mucous membranes and skin.