It’s amazing how much a few plants can decorate a house or apartment. But if you’re the kind of person who can kill even a fake plant, it’s highly recommended that you don’t buy hard-to-care-for plants.
Everyone knows someone with a “green thumb”, who seems to be able to make their plants work just by being around them, talking to them or even playing music. If you want to try your luck with your “green thumbs”, here are the best houseplants for beginners like you.
Contents
Selection of the best indoor plants
Pachira
The Pachira is a tropical tree
The Pachira, also known as the money tree, is a traditional symbol of good fortune and good luck. Legends say that a farmer prospered after learning to weave the young logs of this green plant. And it’s easy to see why: its unusual trunk gives this tree a unique appeal. Usually, each stem has between five and six leaves, but it’s considered good luck to discover one with seven. Think of it as trying to find a four-leaf clover.
This beautiful tree is very easy to care for for novices who are also looking for a little extra luck and prosperity.
Croton
The croton has different colored leaves
This shrub is able to survive in extremely low light levels. It is very beautiful. The leaves have colors of gold, pink and orange tones. In addition to keeping the substrate slightly moist, washing the leaves with distilled water or rainwater will keep it in good condition.
The only drawback is that this plant is poisonous. Therefore, make sure that children and pets are kept away to prevent them from ingesting it.
aureum
Potos is an easy to care for climber
If you’re looking for a plant with heart-shaped leaves well-suited to low-light areas, it may be time to buy an Epipremnum aurem, better known by its common name: poto.
This hardy plant is often grown with its stems hanging over the edge of shelves or in small pots that add a touch of hope to the room it’s in. You can even cut a stem and place it in a glass of water to get a new copy.
Band
These are popular plants inside homes
These plants were scattered around our grandmother’s house when we were little. The strips have been grown for years and… they are so popular today! Its scientific name is Chlorophytum comosumand develop green or variegated lanceolate leaves. They usually produce runners, which can be separated and planted in individual pots.
In addition, they root easily in water and are virtually invincible. They need only light, moderate watering.
Spathiphyllum
The peace flower is a perennial plant
These small plants of Chinese origin are among the easier houseplants to grow and maintain. They can tolerate a wide range of light conditions and need only moderate watering, so they usually last for years.
And do you know what the best part is? They are very hardy and also act as an air purifier for the interior of the home.
Cissus rhombifolia
If you want to hang baskets, Cissus rhombifolia is a perfect addition to any room. The color and shape of its leaves make it a very decorative plant, so don’t hesitate to get one.
It is a small plant that will give you a lot of satisfaction. Just place it in a bright room and don’t forget to water it from time to time.
Succulents
Succulents are plants that want light
Succulents and cacti are ideal plants for those who are far from having a “green thumb”. They are very adaptable and can survive certain weather conditions better than other plants.
They should be located in a place where they can get direct sunlight all day. And while they are drought resistant, they will grow best if during the summer they are watered once a week, and the rest of the year every two weeks. You can find them at any garden store.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo is a fast growing plant
Does Feng Shui sound familiar? Not only are these popular plants that help balance the energies of your home, but they are also used to attract happiness, health, love and abundance. Lucky for you, it doesn’t take much luck to see one of these natural wonders grow. We have seen these plants grow in very inappropriate conditions (poor lighting and air quality), and with owners who have forgotten about it.
If you want to make sure this plant helps you get the love you deserve, keep your water fresh by changing it weekly and remember to keep the water levels about an inch from the base of the reeds.
Small indoor plants
If you don’t have much space, don’t worry. There are several houseplants that don’t grow very large and are also suitable for beginners. Some of us have seen them before (succulents, for example), but there are others that I want to show you:
Anthurium
The Anthurium is a houseplant
Belonging to the genus Anthurium, is a perennial herbaceous plant that produces red or pink inflorescences during almost the whole year. Its leaves are green, a little leathery, very sensitive to direct light.
In spite of this, it is very easy of maintenance as long as it is watered with rain water or without limestone and kept in a luminous room, protected from the draughts.
Ficus line
Ficus pumila can be grown as a hanging plant
Ficus trees are often thought of as all huge trees, but the truth is that there are exceptions, like the Ficus Line. This houseplant has green leaves, which grow on hanging stems, so it can be grown in pots throughout its life.
Of course, it is important that it is in a bright room, near a window for example, and that it is watered about twice a week.
Fern Nephrolepis
Nephrolepis are easy to care for ferns
Of all the ferns found in nurseries, there are none quite like the Nephrolepis. Its green fronds (leaves) can grow upright or, more generally, drooping which is why they can be kept in hanging pots.
Put it in a bright room but without direct sun, and water it from time to time. If you wish, you can even take it to the garden or balcony in the spring, always avoiding exposure to the royal star, otherwise it will burn quickly.
Tillandsia
Tillandsia is a tropical plant
It is a type of bromeliad whose leaves, colors and size vary greatly depending on the species: they can be greenish, grayish, bicolored or variegated, more or less fleshy, with few roots (Tillandsia aeranthos) or with many.
In any case, they are all taken care of in the same way: light watering but not direct, and more or less followed in spring-summer and somewhat spaced the rest of the year.
African Violet
The African violet is a plant sensitive to excessive watering
It is a valuable houseplant belonging to the genus Saintpaulia. Its leaves are fleshy, dark green on the upper side and purple on the lower side, although without a doubt what attracts the most attention are its flowers, small, but with very beautiful colors.
Of all those in this list, the African violet is perhaps the most delicate. It needs a light irrigation but not direct and very controlled because it fears the waterlogging.
Maintenance of houseplants
Houseplants are not difficult to maintain
Houseplants are very beautiful plant beings, often considered very delicate. Of course, there is no shortage of reasons for this: these plants are grown indoors precisely because if they were left out all year, they would most likely die as soon as the temperatures drop a little.
And that’s because in reality, there are no houseplants as such, but there are tropical plants that, when grown in temperate regions, struggle in autumn-winter. Thus, one could almost say that each community has its own list. For example, it Ficus carica (fig tree) is a tree that, while in the Mediterranean it is kept in gardens, in areas where there are moderate frosts, it is kept indoors.
For all this, it is interesting to know more or less what care these plants need:
LOCATION: in general, they should be kept in rooms where a lot of natural light penetrates, away from drafts and a little away from the courtyards.
Humidity: Most of the plants kept “indoors” come from tropical rainforests, where the humidity is high. So don’t hesitate to put a humidifier, glasses with water around it, or even spray its leaves with lime-free water daily in spring and summer.
Irrigation- The frequency of watering will vary throughout the year. During the summer, it may be necessary to water about 3 times a week, but the rest with one per week or every ten days will suffice.
If in doubt, check the soil moisture with a thin wooden stick or by weighing the pot after watering and again after a few days.
Subscriber: it is strongly recommended to pay during the hot months of the year with a universal fertilizer (for sale it’s this way!) or liquid guano (for sale it’s this way!) following the indications on the product packaging.
Grafting: When you see roots coming out of the drainage holes, or when more than two years have passed since the last transplant, replace them with a larger pot in spring.
Pests and diseases: If properly cared for, houseplants usually don’t have problems. Now, otherwise they could have mealy bugs, red spider or whitefly; and if they are overwatered, fungi will rot their roots. The former are treated with insecticides such as diatomaceous earth (for sale it’s this way!) or potassium japan (for sale it’s this way!); for fungi there is nothing like a good copper-based fungicide and to control much risk.
Enjoy your houseplants 🙂.