5 Houseplants For Beginners

Do you want low-maintenance plants that still provide beautiful results when fully grown? Are you looking to give a plant to someone and don’t know which one to choose?

Not all plants have to be high-maintenance.

Is your house in a cave? Do you have a hard enough time remembering to keep yourself hydrated? Not to worry, the plants we’ve got for you can survive with little to no light and only the occasional watering. We’ve got plants even people without a green thumb could keep alive!

To help you find the perfect plant that’s almost impossible to kill, I have created a list of the top 5 easiest houseplants to take care of. Let’s finally get your plant collection started!

1. SANSEVIERIA

Also known as “snake plant” or “mother-in-laws” tongue.

If you would like a beautiful and structural plant that you can simply forget about, this is the plant for you! Sansevieria’s thrive on neglect and are very popular because they do well in a variety of light conditions. They will adapt to low light but thrive best in bright light. Sansevieria’s can go several weeks without water and most people actually tend to overwater them. The leaves will fold if it is overwatered and they tend to curl if it is under-watered.

It is best to keep your houseplants in plastic grower’s pots with good drainage and about once a month, pop them into your shower at a low temperature and give them a good watering. Let them sit in the shower to drain out and then put them back into their decorative pots.

We carry quite a few different varieties of sansevieria from 4” to 12” in size. Black coral which has black stripes mixed with dark green, laurentii that has brighter greener stripes with yellow edges, sayuri that is a mix of pale green and white, zeylanica that is stripes of different shades of greens, fernwood that are most tubular and pointed leaves, and hahni jade that is low and compact.

2. ZZ PLANT

This is another plant that you can place in a corner and forget about for months at a time! With a plant like a ZZ plant, why would you ever want to use artificial plants in your home? Your ZZ plant will tolerate any light condition, even a windowless corner. Just keep it out of direct sunlight.

The ZZ plant likes to conserve as much water as it can. If you see the smaller leaves falling off, don’t worry, give it a good watering and let it drain out. If you see the leaves are starting to yellow, this usually means that your plant has been overwatered.

3. PHILODENDRON

Are you looking for an introductory plant that will be hardy but will require a little extra love and attention from you? Philodendrons are one of the largest plant varieties. Some trail, some grow bushy, some grow straight up, the family has it all. They also will still thrive in low light and intermittent watering. Some of our favourite varieties of philodendrons that we carry in the store are philodendron swiss cheese, philodendron birkin, philodendron minima raphidora terasperma totem, and philodendron monstera deliciosa.

4. SPATHIPHYLLUM

Looking for a plant that flowers in lower light, looks beautiful and full, and is bold and bushy? The peace lily (spathiphyllum) is for you! These tropical plants are usually found on the forest floor where they get little spots of sunshine and are accustomed to high humidity. If you can replicate this environment in your home or office, they will reward you with dark foliage and lovely white blooms that will flower all summer long.

It is best to keep the soil of your peace lily moist but not soggy. Overwatering or poor drainage will result in yellowing leaves. Your peace lily can go up to about a week or so between waterings, but less if it is in a smaller grower’s pot. If you start to see your peace lily leaves droop, give it a good watering and it will bounce back in no time!

5. Succulents

Another large family with lots of siblings, succulents are very hardy and easy to care for. A common mistake is overwatering. Only water your succulents when the soil is completely dry. It is best to keep your succulents in the plastic grower’s pot or a clay pot with drainage. Depending on the size of the plant, either fill a low bowl with an inch or so of water, or your sink for a larger plant. Place your succulent in the water (making sure that the water does not go over the top of the grower’s pot) and let your succulent drink from the bottom. If you are watering from the top, the petals of some varieties of succulents will rot because they are sitting on wet soil. Make sure that there is no standing water in the base of your decorative pot.