Top 10 Easiest Plants to Take Care Of
#10: Philodendron
The word “philo” means “love” in Greek and “dendron” is Greek for “tree” which makes the philodendron the “love tree.” And you’ll love how easy it is to take care of. The two biggest factors in plant care are generally sunlight and water. And the philodendron is pretty forgiving on both counts. Medium and indirect sunlight works best, but they can often grow in low light if that’s all that’s available. As far as water goes, you should wait until the top inch of soil is dry before watering. Overwatering can cause problems, but the plant doesn’t hold a grudge. Stop over watering and the plant will perk back up.
#9: Peace Lily
Do you have a problem with underwatering? Or overwatering? Well, you need to go out right now and pick up a Peace Lily. Not only are they beautiful plants with white, spade-shaped flowers, but they’re very forgiving when it comes to being watered too little or too much. If you do neglect it, the plant will tend to droop, letting you know it’s thirsty. Give it a drink and it will undroop quite quickly. They don’t need a lot of light to survive. However, if you give them enough, they’ll flower all year round.
#8: Lavender
This purple plant with its beautiful and calming aroma can be found in a whole host of products these days, from lavender soap and lavender shampoo to lavender sleep masks. And, if you want, it can also be found in your home. Ideally, you would want to grow lavender plants outside, as the most important factor in keeping them happy is a lot of bright sun. But if you can find a spot on a window sill with enough light, they’ll grow indoors too. This is also a plant that does well in arid conditions. So, as far as watering goes, you just need to water it hard then wait till the soil is dried out and water it again.
#7: Christmas Cactus
Top 10 Christmas Songs from Musicals That Put Us In the Holiday Spirit
The poinsettia is the king of the Christmas plants, with sales topping an unbelievable 34 million each year. But, for those of you looking for a beautiful holiday plant that’s even easier to take care of, may we suggest a Christmas Cactus. Given that it’s in the cactus family, you might assume these plants originate from hot, dry locations. But in actuality these cacti are native to the rainforests of Southern Brazil. This means they do require more water than a typical cactus, but in general a good watering every 2-3 weeks should be plenty. This also means they don’t need the same crazy, direct heat as their desert counterparts. Bright, indirect light is perfect. Happy Holidays.
#6: Cast Iron Plant
Top 10 Podcasts Where the Cast Rewatch their Shows
When someone can eat anything without getting sick they’re said to have a “cast iron stomach.” Well, while you can’t feed the cast iron plant anything you want, caring for this one is easy peasy. The plant got its name from being able to survive some of the harshest conditions, so don’t stress about the room’s humidity index or the number of sun-drenched hours it receives. In fact, the cast iron plant prefers low light, but can survive in anything except direct, hot sun. Allow for the soil to dry out between waterings. Unless you completely forget about it, or try to drown it, the plant should be fine.
#5: Snake Plant
The Tragic Story of Jake The Snake
The Snake Plant is also known as the mother-in-law’s tongue. Although, unlike a mother-in-law, the plant requires much less care and attention to keep it happy. There are really only two things you don’t want to do to a snake plant: overwater it and freeze it. It will grow well in an area with bright, indirect light, but will also be content in a more shaded area. For watering, let the soil pretty much dry out and then give it a drink. This can be anywhere from every two to eight weeks depending on the climate where you live. If you’re planting outside, not in a pot, be aware that these hardy plants can become invasive like bamboo, so make sure you keep them contained.
#4: Kalanchoe
The kalanchoe is part of the succulent family, and as such is adept at retaining water. Which means it’s yet another plant on this list that doesn’t require the constant attention of you and your watering pot. Let the soil dry out and then wet it up again. Simple. Another bonus for all nervous plant parents out there is that kalanchoes can withstand varying temperatures. The plant is native to Madagascar and ideally enjoys warmer weather. However, it can survive in colder winter temps as low as 45F(7C). While the plant is easy to care for, we also want to note that it is toxic to pets and should be kept where your dogs, cats and birds can’t get to it.
#3: Aloe
It won’t surprise most people to learn that the aloe plant has medicinal qualities. Many of us probably grew up with aloe plants in our house and know it as the plant with that gooey gel in it that made our sunburns feel better. Having aloe plants around is very handy and thankfully pretty easy as well. The plant enjoys indirect light, and should be quite happy with a solid watering every week or two. Another plus for this one is that there’s no need to stress out about replanting, as an aloe plant can grow in the same pot for years with no issues.
#2: Pothos
Pothos is a trailing plant that, if taken care of, can reach over 10 feet in length. If you’ve been looking for a plant that will make a great visual statement as well as require very little work, this is the plant for you. Ideally you have a spot in your home that can provide the plant with bright, indirect light. However, one of the nicknames for the pothos plant is “devil’s ivy” because it can survive in low-light conditions as well. Do you have problems remembering to water your plants? Well, the pothos plant doesn’t like over watering but if you go too long without wetting the soil you’ll start to see the leaves droop as a reminder that you’ve ignored it long enough.
#1: ZZ Plant
Top 10 Easiest Animals to Own
While it isn’t true that the band ZZ Top is named after this plant, it is true that the ZZ plant is often referred to as the, “king of the indestructible plants.” Sure, they like indirect, moderate light. But throw them in a windowless office and they’ll be fine as well. Yes, it would be ideal to water them every week or two. But they’re also pretty drought-friendly, which is perfect for the forgetful ones and the frequent travelers among us. And, as if you needed another reason to pick one up, a NASA study found that ZZ plants are great at purifying and removing a number of toxins from the air.
