It’s not easy being green, especially when the person in charge of your wellbeing is clueless as a cucumber. Few of us are born gardeners, but it’s honestly not that hard to care for houseplants and many don’t require much TLC. Plus, they add a touch of natural beauty to indoor spaces that everyone should be able to enjoy.
“Human beings actually have an innate desire to be with nature,” says Julie Weisenhorn, Horticulture Educator at the University of Minnesota. “It’s called biophilia, and there’s a lot of research on how plants indoors can reduce stress. Some even improve air quality,” she says.
The good news is that there are many, many species that thrive indoors with minimal attention paid. “There are a lot of really easy low care house plants that people can start with if they’ve never grown a plant before,” Weisenhorn says.
What the Experts Say
“The most important thing is watering—and it’s not watering too much, it’s watering just enough,” Weisenhorn says. “Most times with house plants, people really kill them with too much care.” So how much should you water? The answer depends on the plant. But, Weisenhorn offers an easy guide. The soil should be moist but not saturated. “Most house plants are going to live in potting soil and you can feel that with your fingertips,” she says. Stick a finger about an inch down or so. If it feels moist or damp, then there’s no need to water. If the soil is dry, hard or dusty, then you definitely want to add water. For the less confident, you can invest in a moisture meter for a modest sum.
Hathdia Soil Moisture Meter, Plant Hygrometer
A moisture meter can tell when potting soil needs to be watered.
Beyond watering, plant owners will want to mind drainage and air flow. If you have purchased a plant in a plastic sleeve that doesn’t have a hole in the bottom to release excess water, you’ll need to repot it. Similarly, if you have a plant in a plastic sleeve with a drainage hole but excess water is flowing into a decorative pot without one, you need to rectify that. “It creates an anaerobic environment for the roots,” Weisenhorn says. “In other words there’s no air for those roots,” which is crucial for proper growth. The symptoms for a plant that isn’t getting enough water are often similar to the symptoms of root rot from overwatering: wilting or dropping leaves.
Beyond watering, plant owners will want to mind drainage and air flow. If you have purchased a plant in a plastic sleeve that doesn’t have a hole in the bottom to release excess water, you’ll need to repot it. Similarly, if you have a plant in a plastic sleeve with a drainage hole but excess water is flowing into a decorative pot without one, you need to rectify that. “It creates an anaerobic environment for the roots,” Weisenhorn says. “In other words there’s no air for those roots,” which is crucial for proper growth. The symptoms for a plant that isn’t getting enough water are often similar to the symptoms of root rot from overwatering: wilting or dropping leaves.
Newcomer plant owners shouldn’t be afraid to prune plants. “If there are dead branches or stems, extra growth that’s really dense, you need to prune out some of those bits so that you get air flow through the canopy of that plant,” Weisenhorn says.
Plants can get dusty and dirt prevents light from getting through and giving the plant energy. Cleaning them is a fairly easy process. “I put my large plants into the shower, rinse it off with the sprayer, let it drain out then and then put it back,” she says. Smaller plants can just be wiped down with a damp paper towel or hosed off in the kitchen sink.
The Best Hard-to-Kill House Plants: At a Glance
BEST OVERALL
Cast Iron Plant
For the non-gardener, the cast iron plant is both aptly named and a perfect starter. “It is a tough plant and very difficult to kill,” Weisenhorn says. It can take lots of neglect and doesn’t need a ton of light. “It’s a bigger foliage plant,” she says. “But it’s a great one to start with,” plus it should work in most rooms in your home.
BEST FOR LOW LIGHT
Snake Plant
The classic green and gold snake plant looks great nearly everywhere. It also doesn’t need much light, water, or fertilizer. But for those who want something a little less common, Weisenhorn says there’s a ton of really cool new snake plants. Consider the starfish variant because the leaves look like the sea dweller.
(Also for a list of other plants that thrive in low light conditions, check out the University of Minnesota’s extension web page.)
BEST FOR OFFICES
Succulents
They’re low care and don’t need much water. There’s also a seemingly limitless number of varieties with interesting structures and shapes. Weisenhorn offers an easy tip to let you know when it is time to give a succulent a drink. “Pinch the leaves and if they’re soft and pliable, then it’s time to water.” But if the leaves are turgid then the cells are full of water and you can leave them be.
BEST FOR LIVING ROOMS
Calthea Wavestar
A dramatic plant can add a little wow to your living space. So consider the Calthea Ornata, also known as the pinstripe or zebra plant. The large, striped leaves add not only color, but texture to a room. It doesn’t require much water or direct light, which opens up placement options within your living room.
BEST FOR ENTRYWAYS
Peace Lilly
When you or your guests walk in the door, a Peace Lilly is a lovely greeting. While they can survive without it, Peace Lillies flourish and flower in bright light, the kind you might find near your front door windows. While it is a beautiful welcome, it’s not for everyone as its pollen is an allergen and toxic to cats and dogs. So, it is not pet friendly.
BEST FOR BEDROOMS
Jasmine
A touch of fragrance in the bedroom is a pleasant, soothing sleep trigger for the body. Sweetly scented, Jasmine tickles both the eyes and the olfactory senses. Plus it naturally wants indirect light during the day and darkness at night, just like you.
BEST FOR KITCHENS
Herbs
Perhaps a bit obvious, but herbs are always a great way to freshen up your kitchen style as well as cuisine. They also are typically low maintenance. Parsley, basil, mint, cilantro, choose whatever is pleasing to your eye or palate.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hard-to-Kill House Plants
What kind of plants should I buy?
When selecting a plant, think about where it’s going to live. “Look around your office or your home and figure out how much light you have and what directions your windows face,” Weisenhorn says. “That’s usually the limiting factor to what kinds of plants you can grow,” she says. An easterly-facing window offers access to the morning sun, which is good for a plant that likes cooler light. On the flip side, a western or southern exposure is optimal for plants that need more, and warmer, direct light.
Anything else I should consider when picking a place for my plants?
Most plants you will find in stores marketed as house plants will be comfortable in a normal indoor temperature range but consistency will offer them the best shot at a long, healthy life. But equally as important as the temperature is the humidity. “In Minnesota we have dry hot houses in the winter and that lack of humidity can be almost as detrimental as a temperature issue,” Weisenhorn says. To fight the hot dry air blowing from your furnace, she offers a few solutions. You can set your plants in a tray on pebbles. So the plant isn’t sitting in water, but there’s water evaporating up around it. Or you can move plants closer together to hold humidity, provided all your plants are healthy. “They’ll create a kind of growing ecosystem, so to speak, where that humidity is being kept within their canopies,” she says.
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