I have a lot of house plants…
I really do. Mountain Man often refers to our home as a jungle because of all the green I’ve cultivated. I love they way they look, they clean the air in my home, and tending to them brings me joy. I’ve even named some of them. Plus, I’m always propagating to add more – because I’m not even close to maxing out on house plants yet. Plus, it’s kind of like a fun science experiment to watch the different phases of a new root system growing and becoming a whole new plant.
More than a few times, I’ve been asked for recommendations for house plants that are easy to care for. So in honor of the first day of spring, let’s talk plants!
When you get a new plant, you should take into consideration what kind of light it prefers, and place it in your home accordingly. And a quick Google search can help you figure out how often it should be watered. Your planter should have proper drainage and it should be placed somewhere with easy access. A plant placed on a high, hard-to-reach shelf won’t get the love it needs.
Pothos
I have so many Pothos plants in my house. They do well in low light and can be watered once a week or less, depending on climate. I love the way they vine and they are easy to propagate when the vines get too long. If you’re not great at watering on a schedule, then you can just wait for the plant to tell you when. If you notice a slight droop in the leaves – meaning they aren’t as perky as usual – then it needs to be watered.
Snake Plant
This is also sometimes referred to as “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” which I think is a terrible name and therefore, refuse to use. This plant is all but bulletproof. I barely water it. In fact, one of the only ways to kill it is by overwatering it. And I accidentally damaged a few stalks of it by letting sit next to the fireplace while the fire was going – the heat scorched it a little.
Corn Plant
This guy was an impulse purchase at the hardware store just a few days after moving to Boulder. I just really needed a plant to mark our new beginning.
ZZ Plant
I have a ZZ Plant on the north-facing window sill of each bedroom. I think they are gorgeous – the leaves almost look fake because of their waxy shine. Better yet, they are super easy to take care of! I just water them once a week or so.
Aloe Varietals
I started with 3 aloe plants years ago, but they sometimes propagate themselves, and now I have so many! I hand out little babies to friends all the time. As succulents, they do well without frequent watering.
Jade Varietals
I have a few different types of jade, which are some of my oldest succulents. They like to have a lot of light but mine don’t do well in direct sunlight. They don’t need to be watered very often and are very easy to propagate.
Money Tree
Oh my money tree… some of my plants have sentimental value. After my grandpa’s funeral, I bought my money tree from a small family-owned florist shop across the street from my apartment in Chicago. Money trees are thought to bring good fortune and luck to those who place it in their home or office. I water mine 1 – 2 times a week. The soil should be moist – never soggy.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Bush
My Fiddle Leaf Fig Bush, or as I call her, Eleafabeth Warren, is the hardest plant to care for in my house. I water her 3 times a week with about 1 cup of water. The soil should never get dry nor soggy. If I neglect her, she’ll shed a dried-out leaf or two. I usually have to sacrifice a few leaves when I travel. But that’s okay.
Peperomia
This little guy is Peperomia. It likes medium light so I have it on a north-facing window sill, and it’s okay for the soil to dry out between waterings. I give it a drink maybe twice a month.
Lucky Bamboo
When we moved into our place in Boulder, a Russian neighbor gave me three very long and misshapen stalks of what I thought might be bamboo – but I had never seen any in that shape. These stalks had been neglected and allowed to grow all wonky. But thanks to YouTube, I learned how to cut them down and wax the ends so they don’t dry out. Once the new sprouts are ready, I’ll cut them off to become their own plants and continue the propagation process.
Faux Plants
Yeah! I have some fake ones, too! For rooms that don’t have any windows (bathrooms) or for super high shelves that I would need a ladder to access, I have placed faux plants. And that’s just fine! If you’re hopeless when it comes to keeping plants alive, they make some very realistic-looking fakes these days. You can get the aesthetic, but without the hassle of worrying about killing it.
What are your favorite house plants? Do you want to learn more about how I propagate these? Let me know in the comments below!
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