NATURE. It's beautiful. But frankly, I like it a lot better indoors--no bugs, no unbearable temperatures, no wild animals tampering with your cultivations. So, throughout the pandemic I've gotten quite invested in the hobby of maintaining houseplants. Watching the little fellas grow, completely oblivious to the chaos of the world they're in, just happy and thriving as long as they get water and sunlight and the occasional dose of Green Green . . . it's quite magical, and I highly recommend it as a hobby to keep you sane through whatever stress you face on the daily. Of course there's a learning curve, especially if you a) have never gardened before, b) have gardened before but killed every plant you've touched, or c) are used to gardening outdoors rather than in containers. At first I fell under the category of c, but I can proudly say I am now successfully nurturing a lively number of houseplants. Here are the top 10 that I recommend for beginners (i.e., the 10 that can best endure my/your occasional neglect). [Side note, I personify all my plants with he/him/his pronouns. No, I don't know why. Yes, I highly recommend you personify your plants as well.]
10. Bunny Ear Cactus
This lil guy was gifted to me over a year ago with the preselected name Mr. Prickles, and to this day he lives on as prickly as ever. Sure he leans a little bit (probably too shallow of a container--I'm planning to repot it over winter break), and his seemingly soft prickles (scientifically named "glochids") can injure if accidentally encountered, but he's a delight to care for, needing watered only every other week in hot months.
9. Little Fantasy Pepper
Also known as the Emerald-Ripple Pepper, this little plant has adorably smol leaves that spring out from the center almost in the style of an aloe plant (more on that later). Since they're somewhat akin to succulents, they grow very well in small containers, so they don't take up too much space. However, caring for a little fantasy pepper requires a decent amount of troubleshooting, as changes in lighting, watering frequency, and soil level can make them wilt a tad. However, mine has survived, so that's saying something for its ability to be revived after a setback. Also I think they have a preference for sloth-shaped pots hung from floating hands, but as of yet I haven't found any scientific journals that address this growing technique.
8. Aloe
Meet Nelson, my googly-eyed aloe plant. Despite needing repotted after The Mildewed Soil Incident of 2021 (overwatered him, my own fault), he's been a pretty hardy lil dude. Sometimes his tentacles (tendrils? arms? appendages?) get slightly weak at the base, but I don't harvest the aloe like some aloe parents do so it doesn't really affect anything. Definitely a helpful plant to have around if you have sensitive skin though--the soothing aloe inside the leaves can work wonders on burns or dry hands.
7. Painted-Leaf Begonia
This plant is wild. A family friend gave me a clipping of hers when she heard I was getting into plants, and despite my not having time to put it in a pot with soil, this gentleman has grown for months in just a crock full of water. What can be easier than that? (Although I will definitely repot him over break--I'm not planning on neglecting his nutrient needs forever.)
6. Chenilleplant
Look closely. Yes, zoom in. Put your face an inch from the screen. Squint at the image. "Are those... caterpillars??" you say inquisitively to your electronic device. "No," I respond jovially, "but that's what this plant was named after." Indeed, "chenille" is "caterpillar" in French, and this plant was named after the fuzzy little creatures due to its fuzzy pink blobs that bloom from its quaint leaves. Aside from needing continually moist soil and indirect sunlight, this caterpillar cutie sprouts peppily with minimal nature know-how. AND DID I MENTION IT'S FUZZY??
5. Heartleaf Philodendron
Another gifted plant, this dude is so fun to watch grow. With its vine-like stems and heart-shaped leaves, the best decision I made for this plant was to put it in a hanging basket (and handmade macramé hanger--hmu if you wanna buy one :)) so the leaves can just tumble out naturally. Aside from letting it embrace its gravitational desires, all this classic houseplant needs to thrive is an average amount of light, a weekly watering, and some standard soil.
4. Prayer Plant
Daytime:
I named this one my ramen plant after the unconventional pot I planted it in. However, the rest of the world calls this guy a prayer plant, as its circadian rhythm causes it to uniquely rise/fall in the evening/morning like a person kneeling to pray. Seriously, how cool is that??! I've noticed it prefers a decent amount of water--not so much that the top of the soil mildews (a common issue with overwatering), but enough that the soil remains slightly moist throughout the week. However, I highly recommend this plant to beginners because it literally tells you if it's not feeling good--if some condition isn't quite right, it won't open up during the day. But when the conditions are ideal, it has the most gorgeous, dual-colored, wavy leaves I've ever seen on a houseplant.
3. Lucky Bamboo
Meet Boris the bamboo! I have to admit, I was concerned to grow another bamboo after my previous one didn't last more than a month, but these shoots from Amazon came in pretty healthy and have remained so since. Also, I'm quite a fan of growing lucky bamboo hydroponically, meaning sans soil. All it needs is water and some rocks for it to curl its roots around! I also give it the occasional dose of Green Green, a mysterious green liquid fertilizer that has many plant-growers both confused and awestruck at how well it works. My main pro tip for hydroponically growing bamboo: use a glass container. Nothing beats being able to watch as the plant's roots multiply between the crevices of the rocks.
2. Wax Plant
My grandma gave me a clipping of 3 little leaves from her established wax plant, and at first I wasn't sure they'd do very well without any roots to start from. But after sticking him in some soil in a vintage cocoa tin and twist-tying his stem to a kitchen skewer for support, I've been able to watch that little clipping sprout into a chaotically tall vine with majestically speckled waxy leaves. He gets water once a week and keeps on growing like he wants to reach the ceiling. Maybe it's the cocoa powder residue. Maybe it's the curtains that look like his ancestors. Maybe it's Maybelline. Nevertheless, 10/10 an amazing plant to have in your in-home garden.
1. Air Plant
This is Hector, an air plant I purchased from the grocery store and stuck a couple googly eyes on. I literally barely touch this plant. He just sits on his little coaster with his little eyeballs googling and just exists. He can be right by the window or in a shaded corner. He can be forgotten about for over two weeks. He's just here to vibe. Whenever I look at him and think "oh dang when was the last time I watered Hector??" I just hold him over the bathtub and mist him until all his leaves are soaked. Then I set him back on his coaster. That's all he needs in life, and I admire it.
Do you have any of these plants, or others you would recommend? Do you have a Top 10s topic you'd like to see me feature? Tell your Top 10s writer, Madeline, in the comments!
TL;DR - here are the top ten plants that are pretty darn easy to care for.
- Air Plant
- Wax Plant
- Lucky Bamboo
- Prayer Plant
- Heartleaf Philodendron
- Chenilleplant
- Painted-Leaf Begonia
- Aloe
- Little Fantasy Pepper
- Bunny Ear Cactus
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