5 Houseplants You (Probably) Can’t Kill

Published: April 30, 2018

Spring has sprung, and with that comes the notion that you should probably add more greenery to your life. But while we would all love to have a very green thumb, the reality is keeping plants alive is hard. If you’re working 8+ hours a day, trying to keep your pets/kids alive and fed, or generally living a busy day-to-day, chances are fertilizing and measuring out water on a regular basis isn’t for you. “But I still want house plants!!” I hear you loud and clear. Here are 5 of the best houseplants to have if you’re busy or if you’re just really bad at growing things.

1. Cactus

This is kind of a no-brainer, but cacti have become super trendy recently. There’s plenty of reasons why these cute little plants are breaking into the mainstream. Most cacti only need to be watered once a week, and the general rule of thumb is to just water enough so the top layer of soil is moist to the touch. And the best news is it’s better to under-water cacti than over water them. So if you forget one week, chances are your little plant friend will still be A-okay. You will have to make sure your specific cactus is getting enough light, but a simple Google search can provide exactly how much it needs. Because cacti are so trendy, you can basically get as involved as you’d like in the prickly community. Oh, and it’s a major bonus that cacti are so cute.

2. Succulents

Close behind cacti are succulents. (Interesting fact: cacti are actually a type of succulent. Crazy, I know.) These weird little plants take many shapes and forms, and thus can provide a very diverse-looking garden that’s really not all that hard to take care of. The container you plant your succulent in should have a hole in the bottom, with a thin layer of rocks to allow for drainage. When you water it, make sure the water drains through the hole since these plants actually don’t like to stay wet. Don’t water them again until their soil is completely dry. That sounds like something a plant killer would say, right?

3. Snake Plants

Nicknamed a Plant of Steel (and Mother-In-Law’s Tongue), Snake Plants are for people who are looking to have a larger houseplant than a cactus or succulent. They enjoy indirect sunlight and drying out between waterings (every 2-3 weeks), making them the perfect, low maintenance houseplant. Snake plants are also known to help with purifying the air in your home, and they grow to be about 14 inches. If you’re someone who is always forgetting to water your plants, then a Snake Plant might be the ideal green friend for you.

4. Philodendron

Philodenrons have big leaves and can grow to be fairly large plants, usually reaching about three feet tall with a width that often doubles its height. So if you’re looking to fill a corner, this could be the plant for you. They enjoy bright sunlight and require watering once the top inch of soil becomes dry. These are considered easy plants to care for because they give us obvious signs when they need something. If it needs watering, its leaves will droop or start turning yellow. And the leaves are so large, you’ll definitely notice something is wrong.

5. Ponytail Palm

Finally, if you’re looking for a plant with a little flair, look no further than the Ponytail Palm. This plant will have you whipping your hair back and forth with how easy it is to care for. LIke succulents, they hate to be overwatered, so leaving them for longer periods of time is no problem. They only require watering when their soil is completely dry, and they prefer a bright location. An interesting fact about the Ponytail Palm: Indoors, they will grow to be about 4 feet tall with their leaves growing 3 feet long, but, outdoors, they usually grow to 10 feet with some reports of growing to an insane 30 feet in their natural habitat. So be careful planting this one outside, unless you want it taking over your yard.