With spring right around the corner, our minds tend to start to shift toward thoughts of greenery and the outdoors. For me, I’ve also been jumping the gun on that a bit by visiting my local greenhouse and bringing some plants home to liven up my indoors. Plants have been shown to improve our quality of life; I recently wrote about 6 pet-friendly houseplants you can bring home, but today I’m going to list off a few of my favourite houseplants for beginners
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
The literal only way to kill this plant is by taking too much care of it. It retains water, so you want to water only very rarely; overdoing it will kill it. It can tolerate just about any form of neglect though: the snake plant thrives on low light, low water, and low effort.
As a bonus, the snake plant absorbs carbon dioxide at night and release oxygen (many other plants do this during the day), making this a great choice for your bedroom. Put a few of these bad boys near your bed, and you’ll be sleeping better in no time!
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamilfolia)
With a scientific name as obnoxious as that, it’s no wonder ZZ plant got its nickname. Nomenclature aside, the ZZ plant needs even less water than the snake plant (you can literally ignore it for months at a time), making it an incredibly low-maintenance houseplant. It’s also tolerant of low light, making it a versatile plant that’s more than happy to brighten up whatever corner of the house you see fit.
The only kicker to this guy is that it’s slow-growing, which means it’s going to cost you more at the greenhouse, and you’ll want to pay the price in order to get the exact size you want!
Pothos (Epipremnum Aurem)
Unlike the other two houseplants we’ve talked about so far, Pothos is a vine-like plant that loves to trail down over its pot. This make it great for placing on a bookshelf, in a hanging basket, or on an open-faced wall shelf.
And if you own a pet, you’re going to want to put it in one of those places, too, because this guy is absolutely poisonous to them. But it’s beautiful, tolerant of all kinds of light conditions, and isn’t too fussy on water, making it an all-star on the list of easy-care houseplants.
Rubber Tree Plant (Ficus Elastica)
The rubber tree is a striking plant that makes a statement no matter where you place it in your home (you’re going to want to show it off though). Even indoors, this one will reach for the sky, so prune it periodically to keep it in check.
The rubber tree likes a bit of light, so put it somewhere where it will get at least indirect sunlight. As for watering, it only needs a good soak every week or two – easy peasy.
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)
The only plant to make both the list of pet-friendly and the list of easy-care houseplants, the Cast Iron plant is an all-star for a reason. Like the snake plant, it thrives on neglect, preferring low light and very little water. In fact, giving it what many of the fussier houseplants out there demand – direct sunlight and tons of water – are really the only ways to kill it.
Umbrella Tree (Schefflera Actinophylla)
This striking easy-care plant is another beauty that demands little of its owners. Just place it somewhere with bright, indirect light and water it once the soil is completely dry, and you’re good to go. Like many of the other plants on this list, the umbrella tree is more tolerant of dry soil than overly soggy soil, so water sparingly and it will reward you with beautiful foliage
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