Growing plants indoors renews your space. Plants filter the air and brighten up any room. It just feels good to mix some life in with the rest of your décor, especially after a long winter. Maybe it’s the spring weather coming, but I’ve just felt all planty lately. Houseplants, along with herbs and veggies I’ve started from seeds, are cropping up in every room of my home.
Many common houseplants flourish all year long without a lot of maintenance. (My kind of plants.) These five are my favorite easy-to-care-for houseplants. They’ll even thrive for those of you with black thumbs.
Aloe Vera
You know what’s great about aloe vera? It’s happiest when you leave it alone. I’ve had my aloe vera plant for almost two years and I’ve found that when I coddle it, it starts to wilt. All aloe vera needs is a warm sunny window and very few waterings. Any time I overwater my aloe vera plant, it looses its bright green color and starts to turn a dull grayish-green. Just leave it alone, sit back and enjoy!
Dracaena
This lush plant requires just a little TLC. It only needs indirect light, making it the perfect indoor plant, and intermittent waterings. I tend to go a week or two without watering mine and it does fine, but I’d say experiment with yours’. There are many different varieties of dracaena, all of which are quite sturdy plants. Mine is Dracaena deremenis. I love its shiny green leaves. They’re so pretty, it almost looks like a fake plant.
Succulent
I’ve forgotten the specific name of this succulent, but all succulents are notoriously low-maintenance. (Aloe vera is a succulent by the way.) Succulents are used to desert-like conditions, so they grow well with bright light and few waterings. Pretty much all you need to remember with succulents is to not overwater them and don’t let them sit in water. They don’t like wet roots! Side note: I planted this succulent in a thrift store teacup. Too cute, yes?
Jade
This quirky little plant doesn’t need a lot of care. Know why? Jade is also a succulent. (Seeing a pattern here?) Jade simply needs a spot in your home with bright light and some direct sunlight. Set it near a sunny window and it will be quite happy. You can let its soil dry out between waterings.
Snake Plant
This striking plant with its dramatic vertical leaves matches its looks—it isn’t a plant you need to fuss over. Keep your snake plant in a room with lots of natural light and let it dry out between waterings. That’s it. I hardly ever water my snake plant and I’ve managed to keep it alive for almost a year.
What plants do you like to grow in your home? Let me know in the comments…
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March 20, 2013
I LOVE cacti and succulents so I have lots of them.
March 20, 2013
Yay for succulents! I need to look into cacti more. For a long time I didn’t think they were pretty, but they’re really growing on me. Any favorite varieties?
March 21, 2013
Mammilaria, opuntia, echinocactus grusonii, echinpsis,ferrocactus,gymnocalycium, notocactus, they are all easy to care for, lots of light and just a little water and almost no fertilizer, no direct sun behind the window as they can burn then, you can put them otside in Summer, first in the shade and slowly give them more sun, have fun !
March 21, 2013
Thank you! I’ll definitely look into those!
March 24, 2013
Love this post. We are wanting to get into doing more gardening this spring! Thanks for sharing! Xo, M&K at brewedtogether.com
March 24, 2013
Thanks so much!
April 10, 2013
[…] make a room feel more alive. They add freshness and color to a room. (Take a look at my five favorite houseplants for ideas.) Vases filled with flowers or a bowl of fresh fruit can also do the trick. Want […]
June 7, 2013
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species that probably native plant originated in northern Africa. The species does not have any naturally occurring populations, although closely related aloes do occur in northern Africa.
June 7, 2013
Thanks for that info Hayden!
February 22, 2014
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May 18, 2014
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February 1, 2017
[…] A bouquet of flowers is fun, but gifting a plant is even better. Plants brighten up a space, clean the air and they last longer than a dozen roses. (If you need ideas for what plant to buy, here are my five favorite low-maintenance houseplants.) […]