Choosing a plant that is sturdy and won’t collapse if you make a mistake is the best thing you can do when you’re new to plant care. Here, we have compiled a list of five very forgiving houseplants, include snake plant that they highly recommend for beginners as well as for anyone who dreams of raising a thriving plant family at home.
Snake Plant
Why we love It? This one is the biggie. Snake plants are tall, dark, and handsome because of their Missoni-like pattern. As well as being able to withstand pretty much any living condition, snake plants also act as excellent air purifiers.
When to water? Snake plants are drought-tolerant and you should only water them if they are completely dry. You can determine this by picking up the pot and noticing the wet soil is much heavier than the dried soil. The plants thrive best in hot, dry, and bright regions found in deserts in West Africa. They can deal with pretty much anything, so a slightly darker and more humid setting shouldn’t be a problem. How To Keep It Looking Healthy. Use sandy potting soil (like one for succulents or cacti) to prevent root rot caused by uneven watering.
Philodendron Green
This is another option besides the snake plant. The Philodendron Brazil has streaky, heart-shaped leaves that grow from elegant vines. It looks lovely hanging in a window or spilling off a shelf. Philodendron green is among very forgiving houseplants. You can forget to water them every once in a while and they won’t wilt even if there isn’t much sunlight. Since they are prone to leaf burn from direct sunlight, you might want to put them in a window that doesn’t get too hot in the afternoon.
Philodendrons like windows that get 3 to 4 hours of light each day. If you live in an area with particularly bright windows, you can hang sheer curtains to reduce the glare. As this plant grows up trees in its natural habitat, you can insert a plant stick into the soil and wrap the philodendron around the stick to allow it to grow taller instead of sprawling all over the place.
Plants like this grow quite fast, especially if they’re well cared for, so you’ll probably have to re-pot them every year or when their roots begin poking out of the drain holes. In its new home, it shouldn’t be wider than a few inches and it shouldn’t be deeper either because its roots won’t reach all of the soil if it’s not wide enough, causing a bacterial or fungal outbreak.
Money Tree Pachira Aquatica
You can also grow this houseplant as another option besides the snake plant. It is actually quite common to find the Mini Money Tree despite its unusual shape. Moreover, they’re pet-friendly, affordable, and sturdy. This is one of the best, long-term plants. A money tree can live for almost seven years and thrive in humid environments. However, it can’t survive in an overly dry environment.
This plant loves bright lighting, but it won’t be too bothered if it isn’t near a window that gets lots of natural light. You can snip off the top of the trunk when it gets too lanky. When new leaves grow out of the top, the lower leaves will turn yellow no matter how frequently you water them. It’s completely natural. Simply cut them off with sanitized scissors if you do not like the look.
Monstera Deliciosa
Here is the reason why we recommend this plant for you. Even though the Monstera Deliciosa looks like a diva, it requires very little maintenance. Despite not being able to stick it right in the window, it won’t drop its leaves if you don’t give it enough water. Where It Grows Best
Normally, these plants are forest dwellers who seek out optimal lighting for themselves. They can therefore grow almost anywhere as long as they are exposed to sunlight. Unlike most rainforest plants, these do not require quite as much humidity, but if your home is quite dry, mist the leaves with water. If you stick a trellis in its soil, your Monstera might be happier since it likes to climb trees. The leaves will probably grow bigger and healthier if you allow it to lean against something or trellis it. The roots on these plants grow aerially, which you can trim if you don’t like the look.
Chinese Evergreen
The last but not least, Chinese evergreen is one of the very forgiving houseplants. It is tough but beautiful, Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) grows well in a variety of indoor environments, just like snake plant. The flowers of these tough plants resemble calla lilies when there’s enough light. The leaves have a variety of eye-catching patterns.