The Top 5 Houseplants For Beginners

by ElizabethElizabeth's Picks, Plant Care, Plants

Don’t “fake it until you make it” regarding your plants. It’s time to swap your artificial plants out for the real thing!

If you’re new to plant parenthood, some of the questions might hit home are:

Do I have time to care for a plant?
How do I know which one to choose?
What if I forget to water my plant?

Rest assured, the perfect plant does exist, and the best part? You have options to choose from!

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, here’s a list of the top 5 easiest houseplants to care for.

Let’s finally get your plant collection started!

Sansevieria in pink plant stand in front of a black setting and panel wall decor

1. SANSEVIERIA

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

If you would like a beautiful and structural plant that you can forget about, this is perfect! Sansevieria thrive on neglect and are popular because they do well in various light conditions. They will adapt to low light but thrive best in bright sunlight. Sansevieria plants can go for several weeks without water, and most people tend to overwater them.

Helpful Tip: The leaves will fold if overwatered and tend to curl if it needs more water.

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, then put them back into their decorative pots.

We carry several varieties of sansevieria from 4” to 12” in size.

Sansevieria Plant Gallery

2. ZZ PLANT

Another plant you can place in a corner and forget about for months is the zingy ZZ Plant! Your ZZ plant will tolerate any light condition, even a windowless corner. Just keep it out of direct sunlight. This particular plant likes to conserve as much water as it can.

Helpful Tip: If you see the smaller leaves falling off, don’t worry, give it a good watering and let it drain. If you see the leaves are starting to turn yellow, this usually means that your plant has been overwatered.

ZZ Plant Gallery

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; this family has it all! They will thrive in low light and intermittent watering.

Philodendron Plant Gallery

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.

It is best to keep the soil of your peace lily moist but not soggy.

Helpful Tip: 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 quickly!

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) Plant Gallery

Last but not least…

Succulent in Rustic Silver Pot. The Top 5 Houseplants For Beginners

5. Succulents

One of the larger plant families with many 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. Keeping your succulents in the plastic grower’s pot or a clay pot with drainage is best. 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.

Helpful Tip: Make sure there is no standing water in the base of your decorative pot.

Succulent Plant Gallery

Are you in the Ottawa area? We’d love to see you! Visit us at the shop Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

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The Top 5 Houseplants For Beginners