These Hard-to-Kill Plants Let You Go Green Without a Green Thumb
If you’re anything like me (and I hope for your sake that in this respect you aren’t), you manage to kill absolutely every plant that comes your way. Whatever the opposite of a green thumb is, that’s what I have. No matter how hard I try, I can’t manage to keep flowers alive for more than a few days.
As you might imagine, this presents quite an issue– an apartment doesn’t really feel like home until it has a few houseplants in it! Not to mention all of the potential money-saving and cooking benefits of growing your own herbs and vegetables in your apartment.
So I’ve taken matters into my own hands and compiled a list of plants that even I couldn’t kill, and decided to share it with everyone out there who also lacks a green thumb.
We commonly think of jade as a beautiful stone, but it also happens to be a plant that requires hardly any care and will give your apartment decor an air of sophistication (score!). There are only two things you need to do to take care of this plant:
Water the plant when the soil becomes moderately dry.
Wipe down the leaves every once in awhile to remove dust.
2. Spider Plants
Apartment dwellers (particularly those of us without green thumbs) love spider plants (chlorophytum comosum) because they’re easy to care for– all you need to do is water them each time the soil dries out.
Plus, if you plant them in pots that hang from hooks, their long leaves will give your apartment decor a little something extra. You can fill your pad with spider plants by repotting the stems that grow from the original “mama” plant.
3. African Violets
Want to add a little color to your apartment? That can be challenging if you don’t have a green thumb– most flowering plants require a ton of care. Fortunately, African violets are not one of those plants.
Simply water them once a week and enjoy their beautiful blue, pink and purple hues! Just do your best to avoid getting any water on the plants’ leaves, as this can cause water spots.
Not just a miracle substance that brings relief to epic sunburns (I’ll never forget to wear sunscreen again), aloe is also a plant that even the most horticulturally challenged among us can manage to keep alive.
Step one: Acquire plant.
Step two: Water it when the soil is completely dry, about every two to three weeks.
Done and done.
Another green plant with long stems, pothos do well in all sorts of light, from bright office lights to indirect sunlight. Keep the soil moist and well-drained, watering the houseplant at regular intervals.
The other nice thing about pothos is that they get along well with other plants, so if you’re running low on pots, they’ll be OK sharing theirs with a neighbor.
6. Lucky Bamboo
To bring some good fortune into your apartment (who knows, maybe it will help you acquire a green thumb?), purchase some lucky bamboo. This houseplant does best in dim lighting, so keep it away from windows. Other than that, all you need to do is make sure the roots are always covered in water (an inch or two should do the trick).
7. Snake Plant
While snakes likely aren’t high on your priority list of things to have in your apartment, snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata) should be. Their leaves have a really unique sculptural look, and the plant itself is super easy to care for. The soil should stay pretty dry, so you only need to water it every two or three weeks. They’ll also do just fine in darker areas of your apartment.
8. Cast-Iron Plant
Cast-iron plants (Aspidistra elatior) have many qualities that those of us without a green thumb can appreciate, including an affinity for low lighting and an ability to survive minimal watering and poor soil. These plants also have thick green leaves that look great when paired with any type of apartment decor.
The great thing about kalanchoe plants is that they can not only survive a bit of horticultural neglect, but also produce gorgeous flowers. This is a great plant for those of you who live in warm and dry climates, as it can be a bit sensitive to cold. However, it can survive in temperatures as low as 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Just make sure to water it whenever the soil starts to feel dry.
If your apartment tends to be kind of dark, philodendron is the plant for you– too much direct sunlight can damage the leaves and stunt the plant’s growth. Simply water it once a week (at most), and enjoy the beautiful foliage. Easy peasy. Philodendron are also available in 200 varieties, so you’re sure to find one you like!