Plants can bring some fun to every room in your home, they add a pop of color and even a bit of texture to your space. Some even can improve the quality of your air! Unfortunately some people don’t have the best green thumb, nor are some plants the best to take care of. So, I’ve done your job for you. These are fifteen of the easiest plants to take care of in everything from small spaces to large ones.
Snake Plants
Snake plants tend to like being near windows, but without the direct sunlight, so putting them on your kitchen counters or underneath a window in some shade are perfect for this plant. They don’t need a lot of water either, so if you’re one to forget watering don’t worry! They like getting water every two to three days. Or, if you forget that as well (don’t worry, I do too) the general rule of thumb is to water it when the top layer of dirt is dry and crumbles when you touch it. It’s good to give snake plants a lot of drainage, you can either buy African violet soil from a garden store, or if you want to make the soil yourself use one part garden soil, one part peat, and two parts sand for good drainage. Make sure you have a pot with a drainage hole as well.
Spider Plants
Spider plants are best kept in bright indirect sunlight much like snake plants, they also enjoy consistency, so moving them around too much isn’t very good for them. They are easy to please plants and can adapt to low light and artificial light settings very easily. They don’t like to be overwatered, so make sure you check that their soil is dry before you give them more, they also enjoy being misted, as they are from tropical regions and like humidity. If the leaf tips start to look brown your spider plant is asking for more humidity, so make sure you spritz it with water more often.
Peace Lily
Peace Lilies enjoy a lot of bright indirect light, but can grow in low light levels as well. They make perfect plants for those darker corners other plants don’t like to live in. Make sure you give them enough water, and if you aren’t sure when to water them don’t worry, they tend to be dramatic plants and will wilt if they need more water, but don’t worry they’ll perk back up a few hours after you water them. Keep your peace lily misted, as they come from tropical regions and like lots of humidity. If you’ve overwatered your peace lily it will start to look a little yellow, though this could also be a dying leaf. If you see some leaves start to get brown on their edges you’ve either given them too much sunlight or fertilizer, it could also be not enough water or humidity though.
Pothos
Pothos plants like a wide array of environments, and are pretty hardy plants. They do well with bright indirect light as well as low light. Adversely they are good plants to grow in either soil or vases of water. These are truly the everywhere plants. If you want it in your bathroom it will gladly live there, just be careful to keep it away from children or pets as it is toxic.
Peperomia
Peperomia is a plant that enjoys small spaces, growing only to 12 inches tall. It requires bright indirect light and watering only once a week, if not a little longer. It can die from overwatering very easily, so make sure that the soil is completely dry before you give it more. If you do happen to overwater your peperomia its stalk will start to rot and the leaves will wilt and yellow. I suggest watering it only once every 7-10 days just to be sure, it doesn’t mind a little under watering every now and then. If it doesn’t get enough light it will start to stretch towards the light, so if you see it starting to get a little leggy move it to a brighter patch, as long as it’s not direct sunlight.
Chinese Evergreen
Chinese Evergreen plants are the goldilocks of plants when it comes to water, they need just the right amount. Make sure you let their soil dry out a bit before you water them, I suggest watering them every 3-5 days. They enjoy light mistings and showers to get rid of the dust on their leaves, though you can also gently run a wet rag along their leaves as well.
Asparagus Fern
Asparagus ferns aren’t even ferns, they’re from the Liliaceae family which includes regular lilies as well as these ferns. These fake ferns enjoy shady places and lots of humidity, if you don’t want to continuously spray them with a mister having a pebble tray underneath the pot works well, as the water in the pebble tray evaporates it increases the moisture in the air around the plant. The fern can dry out in the winter months, sometimes to the point of looking dead, but come springtime the warmer temperatures will revive them.
Chinese Money Plants
Chinese money plants are simple enough plants, they like bright light with no direct sunlight and can be watered every few days, they like to have dry soil every now and then. They’re very hardy plants and can stand colder temperatures, though I don’t recommend leaving them outside during the winter. If they look a little droopy, that’s their sign that they want more water and make sure you wipe off their leaves regularly to keep dust off their leaves.
English Ivy
English ivy are very easy plants and are great hanging or trellis plants. They enjoy shady areas and moist soil, in the first few years of their lives they don’t grow very much, but as they age you will see them grow rapidly. They are very hardy once established and can withstand cooler temperatures and less water later on.
Aglaonema
Aglaonema prefers bright indirect light but can adapt to low light if needed. They don’t like a lot of water and it is recommended that you water them when the top 50% of their soil is dry, to check this you can use a pencil and stick it down into the soil, if wet soil comes up with it then you need to wait a bit longer. Make sure you have drainage holes at the bottom of the pot for this plant. Aglaonemas don’t mind having low humidity but will thrive in high humidity. Be careful around children and pets with this one as well, it can also be toxic.
Devils Ivy
Devil’s ivy are called this not because of their look, but because of how hard they are to get rid of, even when you’re trying. They enjoy light spots but not indirect sunlight, if you see the leaves getting lighter you better find a sunnier spot for your plant. You can leave the soil moderately damp but try not to leave the roots in standing water as that can lead to root rot, try to leave a drainage hole for this plant.
Cast Iron Plant
Cast Iron plants are very hardy and can handle deep shade, even being left under decks or stairs or where sunlight doesn’t often reach. Water when the soil gets dry and make sure you don’t overwater or put them in direct sunlight. However hardy they are to shade, they actually don’t like cold temperatures so if you leave them outside in the summer make sure you bring them in for the winter.
Monstera
Monsteras are very fun plants to have, not only for their looks but for the diverse conditions they can survive in. They like bright indirect light but can withstand direct sunlight if acclimated correctly. They can go without water for up to two weeks allowing for the soil to dry almost completely between waterings, though they can be picky on when they get water, they enjoy it more when it’s bright out. They do prefer humid places, though if that is not attainable they will not immediately die, though it wouldn’t hurt to mist them every now and then. If your monstera ever gets droopy or starts to turn brown and crispy on the edges you need to water it more. If the leaves get yellow then you’ve overwatered it and you need to leave it to drain before you give it any more water. This is another toxic plant, so keep it away from small hands and paws.
Heartleaf Philodendron
The Heartleaf Philodendron is a plant that likes bright areas with indirect light, though they can stand some low light as well. They like some wet soil, but not soggy, it also enjoys a bit of humidity as well. It’s not quite as dramatic as peace lilies when they want something, but they do tell you if they need more or less water. If their leaves turn yellow you’re giving them too much and if they are turning brown they need more, so make sure you pay attention.
Dracaena Fragrans
Dracaena fragrans like filtered sunlight, which means you can put them in those semi dark corners that only get light sometimes. If it’s too bright the leaves will get scorched and get brown, and if they don’t get enough light new leaves will grow in smaller. They also don’t mind a bit of dry soil, so when you do water, water well and leave it to dry out until the top inch is dry before watering again. They do like some humidity as well, so all in all a decent plant to have as long as you keep it in the right conditions.
