We all love a good houseplant or two, not only do they add some colour and look great, but they help purify the air too! But if you’re not that great at being a plant parent we’ve rounded up a handful of hard-to-kill houseplants that even the least diligent plant parents among us can keep alive. But not all indoor plants are created equal, so we’ve also found which plants work best in the different rooms in your house, helping you become a confident and proud plant parent.
WATCH: Melissa shows you how to choose the right plant for each room in your home
You want your low maintenance indoor plants to thrive, so the first step is to choose those that are natural survivors – especially if you’re prone to neglecting them. The next step is positioning them around your home in the ideal setting – where it’s hot, where it’s not, where it’s light, or where it’s dim. Then, when you forget to water and feed them and they flop, a quick, reviving tonic brings them back to life. Here are proven winners – and where to put them!
Easy plants to grow in your home
Finicky is for fanatics – here are a host of houseplants that aren’t fussy or demanding!
Devil’s ivy
Variegation is the key to the popularity of devil’s ivy, and the degree of light is the key to variegation. It copes well in deep shade but loses its foliage patterns. This returns if it’s in indirect, bright light. It tells you it’s being neglected when the leaves go brown. Just toss those and give it a drink.
Spider plant
The mother spider plant is nothing without her dangling spiderettes, so she looks best on a shelf or mantlepiece. Put it in a bright room but out of direct sunlight. You can create more by putting some spiderettes in pots next to it, cutting them away from their mum once roots have formed.
Succulents
Succulents need light and heat and it can certainly get hot in the kitchen! A north-facing window gives you all the light they need. Treat them to the occasional watering with the cool dregs from your kitchen kettle. Aloe vera is handy for minor skin cuts or scalds – wash wound, then break off a leaf and rub the oozing gel into it.
How to care for indoor succulents
Watering depends on individual needs. Push a pencil about 10cm into the potting mix and, if it comes out with crumbs, there’s enough moisture there. If it’s clean, water the plant mix.
Philodendron
There’s always a corner or void in a room where no piece of furniture can fit or be functional. Consider a large, green and glossy philodendron – it adds colour, charm and needs only the occasional wipe to clean off dust. Aim for bright, indirect sunlight near a window where the sun’s rays don’t actually touch the foliage.
Feed indoor plants with liquid fertiliser (dilute according to instructions) once a fortnight in spring and summer and monthly in autumn and winter.
Zanzibar gem
The architectural structure and shiny, dark green foliage make Zanzibar gem, or ZZ, an attention getter. Make it a statement plant on a tall stool or a long, lean planter in a warm, well-lit spot.
Is the ZZ plant hard to kill?
It copes with deep shade but grows more slowly when deprived of light. It’s one for the spotlight!
Cast-iron plant
The cast-iron plant is as tough as its name suggests – except when exposed to direct sunlight. Put it in a shady corner well away from windows. If your bedroom curtains or blinds are often closed, this is the place. There it can grow up to 1m tall, even when you forget to water it. Allow potting mix to dry out between waterings.
Rubber plant
Too much direct sun scorches your hardy, ruby-tinged rubber plant but it sulks in the shade. Apply the Goldilocks treatment – let it rest near an east-facing window as the morning sun is just right! It likes a damp but not too moist environment – so apply the ‘pencil test’ to check whether it needs water.
Maidenhair fern
Maidenhair fern grows naturally in shady, moist corners of your garden. Replicate these conditions indoors by putting one in your bathroom and letting it absorb the moisture filling the air during your showers. If your extractor fan removes moisture, mist air around fern.
Sansevieria
Fleshy leaves make sansevieria (aka mother-in-law’s tongue, but that’s a bit unkind) fairly indestructible. It copes anywhere, but to maintain its attractive foliage, bright, indirect light is best. The leaf blades are striking so put it where it’s not crowded out by furniture – perhaps near your front door.
You might need
You might also like:
How to care for your indoor plants in winter
Plant care: why you should add a coffee filter to your plants
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
