Give it enough humidity and this tropical giant will transform your front room into a jungle

Why will I love it? Fans of Little Shop of Horrors will love Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum, a monster of a plant that brings tropical vibes to every room.

Light or shade? Indirect bright light.

Where should I put it? In a large, empty area, as this plant takes up a lot of space, often reaching an ultimate spread and height of between two and four metres, although it is usually smaller when grown indoors. And beware: it is toxic to cats and dogs.

How do I keep it alive? It appreciates warm, humid surroundings, so mist frequently and place the pot on a tray of wet pebbles if that’s not enough. It likes moist soil, so water weekly in summer – ensuring that only the top 5cm of soil dries out – and sparingly in winter. If the leaf tips dry out, it needs more humidity, more water or perhaps lower light exposure. You can cut around the brown tips with scissors and make the leaves look happy again.

Did you know … The species name, bipinnatifidum, is made up of the Latin prefix bi, for “double”, and pinnatifidum, for “cut into the shape of a feather”, referring to the plant’s symmetrical, feather-like split leaves.