Houseplants are not only a decorating trend for 2022, but they offer a variety of health benefits for you in your home. Knowing the tpye of light you have, how much water to give these plants and the containers they should be planted in are all necessary for a successful houseplant.
Here are ten low-maintenance houseplants that we recommend:
- Sansevieria: Also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue or the Snake Plant, this plant has foliage that come in a variety of colors and patterns. They are a succulent and are very forgiving, making them a great plant for when you leave on vacation for a week.
- Philodendron: The key to this beautiful green-leafed plant is light. They thrive in nearlyto fully direct sunlight. There are many varieties of this plant, some that trail and others that are more upright. Both make great houseplants.
- Pothos: Similar to the trailing philodendron, thepothos have beautiful green and white leaves that trail. These are the “go-to” houseplant for many and can survive with little attention. When indoors these plants like bright but indirect light.
- Dracena: Some know this plant as a spike, but there are many varieties that can make great houseplants such as corn plant and lucky bamboo. These plants, like thepothos, like bright, indirect light. They also come in a variety of colors.
- Anthurium: A great plant for rooms of your home that don’t get a lot of light. These plants have beautiful green heart-shaped leaves and flowers that can last year-round if they get the right amount of indirect light. These flowers come in a variety of colors which includes white, red and purple.
- Zebrina: Also known as Wandering Jew, this beautiful purple and green stripedleaves is not only low-maintenance, but can be grown in soil or water. It is a succulent trailer that can easily provide cuttings to create more plants from. They also can produce a small white or purple flower along with the striking foliage.
- Nepthytis: This plant is also known as the Arrowhead Plant. It has green and white arrow-shaped leaves that resemble the tropical plant Elephant Ears. This plant wants bright, indirect light and for best results we encourage you to turn the pot once a week for even growing.
- Neanthebella Palm: A smaller, compact palm, this plant is great for indoors. The amount of water it needs is based on how much light it gets. The less light, the less you’ll have to water it. Ideally it wants filtered light, meaning no direct sunlight.
- Zygocactus: Cactus plants in general are low-maintenance plants, but this type, also known as Christmas Cactus, is one of our favorites. They prefer somewhat sandier soil and only need water about once every two weeks during the winter and about once a week in the warmer months. They produce red, pink and purple blooms twice a year at Christmas time and Easter. To get the blooms to set for Christmas, it is best to place them in a cooler room where they will get plenty of darkness at night.
- Kalanchoe: Another flowering houseplant, thekalanchoe is a great way to bring color into your home throughout the year. They come in a wide variety of colors and need bright light to keep blooming. After they are done blooming, clip off the dead flowers and while it may be green for a few weeks, it will start flowering once again. These are succulents so they like to have the soil dry out in between watering, and need to be kept on the dryer side during the winter months.
Many gardeners are also pet-owners, and as beautiful as these houseplants are for us, they can be dangerous if our pets ingest them. Before purchasing a new plant that will be within your pet's reach, be sure to check your plants toxicity on the ASPCA website or call your vet for information if your pet has already eaten the plant.