5 No Fuss Houseplants That Don't Care About Your Green Thumb (or Lack Thereof)
Indoor plants of course aren’t a new concept. For years they’ve been an interior design go-to for bringing life and visual appeal into an otherwise sparse space. Science-backed research proves that houseplants have feel-good benefits too. Becoming a plant parent can help reduce stress by giving you somewhere to point your attention other than at a screen. Plants also improve the quality of indoor air by producing oxygen and absorbing airborne toxins.
A lush living room draped with green shoots and large, thriving leaves sounds like a dream. Especially to the self-proclaimed plant-killers! Plants can be finicky. There’s nothing stress-reducing about watching something you tried to care for begin to yellow and wither away.
Overwatering, underwatering, root rot, insufficient light, and even pests like mealy bugs--there are a lot of plant care no-no’s that seem to be the downfall for those of us who weren’t born with the intuition of a horticulturist.
But fear not! You don’t need a green thumb to be a plant-person, and you can still look like you have one too. The hard-to-kill plants in this list are so low-maintenance that most of them can pretty much be left alone except for the very occasional tending to.
Air Plants
No soil? No problem! Air plants are so self-sufficient that all they need is adequate indirect light (close to a window is perfect) and a quick soak once a week to survive. Air plants extract the nutrients they need to grow from the air, which just means less work for you.
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue (Snake Plant)
Light or dark, they don’t care. Snake plants are content even if you don’t have much natural light in your home. They also prefer soil on the dry side, so they’ll only require watering when their soil is parched or close to it. Snake plants were one of the trendiest plants of 2020. We can see why.
Philodendron
As a low-light plant that prefers its soil to be dry and well-drained between watering, philodendron is one of the best plants for beginners. Viny and sprawling, some species of philodendron know no bounds. It’s recommended that you plan for your philo to be hung somewhere in your home, else be prepared for it to unfurl into the space around it.
Ponytail Palm
A relative of the Agave family, though it looks nothing like its family members, the ponytail palm is a succulent. Therefore, it stores water in its core as most desert plants do, and hardly ever needs watering. Especially as an indoor plant, be certain that its soil is bone dry before watering to prevent moisture build-up, which can lead to root rot and mold.
Pothos
Like philodendron, pothos plants will grow to unruly lengths without needing much help from you. Happy in bright or low light, the range of environments that pothos plants can thrive in is rather versatile. So, whether you have an entire sunroom or an apartment in the city with only one window, pothos will do just fine. Pothos is also easy to propagate. All you need is a cutting from your plant, a jar of water, and some liquid fertilizer/plant food drops. You’ll start seeing new growth in about a week's time. And no need to repot once it’s grown--pothos can survive in water indefinitely. Just be sure to routinely swap it out every few weeks, or when build-up becomes visible.