No matter what we do or learn, we all start somewhere. Plants are my happy place and have been a part of my life since my childhood. Maybe you are a beginning gardener and don’t know where to begin.
Despite the frustrations and confusions, I’ve learned so much and the ride has gotten smoother. You’ll find this to be true as you get more comfortable caring for houseplants.
To get you started, here’s a list of seven easy tabletop and hanging houseplants.
Although plants are living things, it is possible to kill them. I’m not saying they’re impossible to kill, but there have been some deaths under my supervision. That’s why I recommend these 7 steps; they are proven and true in my book.
You can find these plants in local nurseries, big box stores or online stores, and they are not only easy to care for, but also long-lived.
It is usually 4′′, 6′′, 8′′ and 10′′ grow pots if you are not familiar with the word tabletop. In other words, they go on a table, shelf, credenza, buffet, armoire, etc.
7 EASY HOUSEPLANTS FOR THE TABLE AND FOR HANGING
I’m just touching on a few points regarding these rockstar houseplants. If any of them pique your interest, click the links to find out more.
Snake Plants
Light levels below are low to medium. A Snake Plant (Sansevierias, Mother in Law Tongues) is the toughest, easiest plant in the world. The taller growing varieties can be floor plants. They come in a range of leaf patterns, shapes, sizes and forms.
ZZ Plant
Medium light. ZZ Plants (Zamioculcas, Zanzibar Gem) are quite popular in the last five to six years and have beautiful foliage. You can even grow them as a floor plant if they’re bigger. There’s also a variegated variety, but that’s much harder to find.
Pothos
If you are gonna grow trailing plants, you should probably opt for some pothos (Epipremnum, Devil’s Ivy). Those with variegated foliage and chartreuse foliage require medium light. Jade Pothos, with solid green foliage, tolerates lower light.
Spider Plants
A hanging plant that requires medium to high light is the Spider Plant (Chlorophytum, Airplane Plant). A trailing plant’s primary advantage is that you can propagate them easily by cuttings. They’ll tolerate low light, too, but they won’t propagate as readily. Most commonly, they appear in color combinations of green/white or green/chartreuse.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera requires medium light to grow well; it is considered a succulent and prefers bright light. When the plants are happy, you’ll see pups (babies) spawning from the base of the mother plant. The plump leaves contain gel that has various healing properties.
Ponytail Palm
With their bold foliage (Beaucarnea, Elephant’s Foot) and tall, bulbous trunk, Ponytail Palms are as beautiful as they can be. I almost chose the Jade Plant, but the Ponytail Palm received more comments and questions.
Lucky Bamboo
It grows best in conditions of low to medium light since it is commonly grown in water. However, it can also be grown in soil.
Bonus Plants
This was just too good to pass up! These plants were very close runners up. Perhaps I should have done 12 instead of 7, but sometimes too many choices can be overwhelming. It can prevent us from getting started on anything.
Christmas Cactus, Peperomias, Hoyas, Jade Plants & Cast Iron Plants are easy to grow and care for. Several readers commented that they didn’t have good luck with Chinese Evergreens (Aglaonemas).
Light Levels
The light I am referring to here is natural light since I have no experience with artificial light. It is important to be aware that light levels vary from season to season so you may need to bring your plants closer to a light source during the winter months.
A few houseplants are unable to take direct heat and should be kept away from heat-producing windows.
However, some of the plants above will tolerate low light levels, but they will not produce as much if any growth. Medium light levels are better.
Low light
Low light does not mean no light. This is a northern exposure with no direct light.
Medium light
There is either an east or west exposure with 2-4 hours of sunlight coming into the window each day.
High light
Typically, this is a west- or south-facing exposure with at least 5 hours of sunlight per day.
I use my instincts when it comes to light and houseplants with low light plants. You can have one in a high-light room as long as it’s at least 10-15’ away from the windows.
TIPS TO HELP SUCCESSFULLY MANAGE YOUR HOUSEPLANT ADVENTURES
Begin with small plants.
Small plants are cheaper and can help build your confidence. A 6′′ Pothos will cost around 8 dollars whereas a 6′ Dracaena can cost up to 50 or 60. Just as you might not want to start out with a 10-person Thanksgiving dinner when you’re new to cooking!
Buying plants on a whim is a bad idea.
I love that fluffy little maidenhair fern, but it isn’t a very long-lasting houseplant. The same goes with quite a few other plants, too.
You need to know the plant’s requirements & where it goes.
In a bathroom without natural light, you wouldn’t want to plant an Aloe vera and near a hot, sunny window you wouldn’t want a Lucky Bamboo.
Don’t overwater.
It is one of the most common causes of houseplant death. Plants need oxygen and will die from root rot if kept constantly moist. You should keep the majority of houseplants away from constant watering.
Low light does not mean no light. Plants absorb light, which keeps them green and growing (the process explained in a nutshell!). The vast majority of houseplants will not survive in low light over time. Plants labeled low light always do better in medium light.
Just try one or two of these plants, and you’ll be “houseplant obsessed” in no time. The more plants the better, right?
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