Easy Care Plants For Your Home * Spotlight My Health

Is there such a thing as low or easy care plants for your home? I certainly hope so because I have no green thumb whatsoever. My yard is proof and inside my home is even more proof, despite trying every year.

My poor yard looks almost the same as it did when I moved in many years ago, even though every spring we plant the same things our neighbors do. It doesn’t take long before ‘BAMB’ the yard looks like we never touched anything. Same goes inside my home. I may have two plants that are still holding up. So, I’ve vowed this year, to try adding more plants inside my home again.

WHAT PLANTS BRING TO OUR HOMES

I really like plants—I like what they look like sitting around, they brighten up a space and gives life to a room. I will admit I tend to forget about them; I’m sure that’s why I end up with nothing. I recently got a few new plants and I’m trying to be very aware of them to remember to take care of them. I took some spider plant babies from my sister’s plant, put them in water until there were plenty of roots, then potted them. So far, so good. (psst, I had to put an alarm on my phone to remind me to water them!)

How do you know what plants are good for the type of house you have? Lots of light, not so much light. Many things to think about with plants. Because we live in a wooded neighborhood, my home doesn’t get a lot of natural light inside, so I suspect that is part of the reason for me not having a green thumb. At least, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! So, I decided to do some research and find some plants that would more likely last in my home.

My main requirements were:

Low light

Low maintenance

Hard to Kill (if possible)

Not harmful to my dog or cat (love them)

Not a big list of wants, I didn’t think. I should be able to find plants like this, right? The plants I’ve come up with, are actually ones many of us may already know and have in our homes. So, this article with be a reminder of why you may already have the plants and for those that are more like me—well, a learning experience. Good way to look at it, don’t ya think?

Spider Plant

Who doesn’t like a spider plant? This plant is very hardy and easy to grow, and quickly, in just about any condition. The spider plant can even survive in low temperatures and can live for years in indirect light. This plant can even go for quit a while without water as it needs very little water during the winter months. Let the soil dry before watering.

Light: Indirect and natural light is best, but not direct sunlight

Water: Once a week if soil is dry

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Brown leaves mean this plant needs more humidity. Put in kitchenor bathroom for a while. Needs well drained soil, i.e. stones in the bottom of the pot

Low Maintenance: Very

Good reason to have: Good at clearing up carbon monoxide build up, cleans and filters the air

Peace Lily

Not a true lily, but the peace lily make a great floor plant since they can grow up to three feet. This plant is resilient and forgives its treatment and does just fine in darker rooms.

READ: Holiday Plants that Can Harm Your Pet

Light: Prefers low-light to partial shade

Water: Let plant droop a bit before watering

Pets: Harmful to both dogs and cats; take your pet to the vet if any of the following symptoms start after ingesting this plant. A lot of drooling, shaking their head and pawing at their mouth. A peace lily can cause inflammation of the mouth, and the upper airway.

Special Needs: Yellow leaves mean light is too strong; brown leaves mean the plant is being scorched by the direct sunlight

Low Maintenance: Don’t put in a drafty area or any place the temperature drops to below 45 degrees F

Good Reason to Have: Fights indoor air pollution cleaning the air we breath

Snake Plant

Hardy plant that can grow up to several feet tall and is very hard to kill. The snake plant is very tolerant as they can be neglected for long periods of time. This plant can survive drought and doesn’t mind low light.

Light: Can live with almost no sunlight

Water: Needs very little water especially during the winter

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Needs good drainage

Low Maintenance: Add some stones in the bottom of the plants container and it will be fine

Good Reason to Have: Per NASA, this plant is great at cleaning toxins in the air around it

Tropical Bromeliad

This is a tough, long lasting plant that doesn’t need much care. They can survive in low light, but can lose their color. During the winter months, you will probably have to move it some place with more light.

Light: Bright light, but not direct sunlight

Water: Likes to stay moist, but not soggy, give a good watering about once a month and can water the cup of the plant (pour water into the flower “cup”)

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Adequate drainage

Low Maintenance: Very

Begonia

I’ve never thought about putting a begonia inside my home as we’ve always planted them outside. I may have to give this a try. They are easy maintenance and grow nicely without direct sunlight. And are very pest resistant.

Light: Likes bright indirect light best, but can tolerate almost zero light

Water: Let soil dry before watering, don’t over water and water BELOW the leaves. Water on the leaves could start a fungus

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Loves humidity

Low Maintenance: Likes good drainage

Kangeroo Fern

This plant looks delicate due to its frilly leaves. The kangaroo fern is ideal for those of us that tend to forget to look after them. It grows easily and needs very little attention. (My kind of plant!) If you truly want a no care plant, go for the ferns. Out in nature, they basically grow in low light due to the canapy of trees. They still thrive.

Light: Natural light is best, but it needs almost zero light

Water: Let soil dry

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Prefers filtered or indirect light best

Low Maintenance: Likes humidity so makes a good bathroom plant

Peperomias

If this plant doesn’t have sufficient light, the colors with look drab, there will be less leaves or its leaves will droop or even drop off. The peperomias is a slow growing, low maintenance plant that doesn’t need a lot of watering.

Light: Medium to bright, indirect light (helps keep their leaves bright)

Water: Top inch of soil needs to dry out before watering

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Sufficient light

Low Maintenance: Very

Dracaena

This easy to maintain plant can grow up to twelve feet tall and can take some amount of neglect. You can keep it at a shorter length by pruning. If, your dracaena gets brown tips, it could be due to the fluoride in your water. You may want to try using bottled water for this plant’s health. Have you just painted a room in your home? Then put this plant in that room because it can clean the air from the toxins in the paint and solvents. The dracaena is adaptable and drought tolerant, and it is normal for its bottom leaves to turn brown and fall off.

Light: Needs little sunlight

Water: Moderate Water, but no soggy soil, and allow top soil to dry before watering

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Needs less water than most plants, but really likes its leaves misted, sensitive to fluoride, so use bottled water

Low Maintenance: Wipe dust off both sides of its leaves so it can do its thing for the air

Good Reason to Have: Can purify the air in your home

English Ivy

English ivy is very hardy, easy to keep alive and if planted outside, will spread. It grows easily and quickly when in direct sunlight and doesn’t require much maintenance at all. Because this plant can be on the invasive side, try and keep it away from other plants.

Light: Likes partial to full sun

Water: Prefers soil to be slightly dry before watering

Pets: Poisonous to dogs, cats, livestock and humans. Can cause heavy drooling, vomiting and diarrhea

Special Needs: Needs well drained soil

Low Maintenance: Very

Good Reason to Have: Helps take toxins out of the air, including fecal matter and carcinogens. Good plant to sit near smokers

Aloe Vera

Aloe is a very hardy plant and very tolerant of those of us who forget to water them. It loves to be snug and comfy in its pot, but if it starts toppling over, it’s time to replant. Just don’t go overboard with the size of its new pot. Aloe Vera likes close quarters.

Light: Needs bright, sunny place, or it will go dormant

Water: Wait until soil is fully dry and then give it a good watering
(about every two weeks)

Pets: OK

Special Needs: Really likes being planted in a terra cotta pot with well-drained soil

Low Maintenance: Just remember, limp or brown leaves means its been getting
too much water

Good Reason to Have: Good to have around for any reason you might need aloe vera

Chinese Evergreen/Silver Queen

Besides being easy to grow and durable, this plant is good at cleaning up the air in your home. Even though this plant prefers humidity, it still does pretty good in just about any condition you throw at it, including drought. That makes it a good plant for beginners. It tolerates low light but grows best in bright light. This plant is a slow grower and the brighter the leaves, the more light it needs. The light helps keep its bright colors.

Light: Thrives in low light (Tip: darker the leaves, the more light they like)

Water: Water less in winter especially if in lower light area

Pets: Poisonous if ingested by pets and small children

Special Needs: Does not like drafts, doesn’t like soggy soil

Low Maintenance: Really likes occasional misting, needs good drainage

Good Reason to Have: Air purifying

BASIC TIPS TO CARE FOR INDOOR PLANTS

*Watch for pests

*Clean the dust off their leaves so they can breath

*Don’t over-water

*Prune regularly

*Determine if your plant needs low light or bright light or direct light
and place appropriately

These plants are good for those that have busy work schedules, live in a dark apartment or townhouse or travel a lot. Any of these plants would also be good if you are someone like me who forgets about their plants. As I said earlier, I’ve actually had to set-up an alarm on my phone to remind me to water plants. But I want plants around because of the life and energy they provide to my home.

NASA did a clean air study and published a list of plants that help take care of the air we breath in our homes. Several of those plants, I’ve included in this post. So, not only are these plants pretty to look at, they are workers because they clean and purify our air. For that reason alone, they deserve the small amount of maintenance it takes to keep them thriving. At least in my book. Some of these plants are ones I’m going to be on the look out for to put in my home and try my hand at becoming a green thumb once again. How about you?

Stay Awesomely Healthy!