Easy to Care for Houseplants

My mom was always bringing home beautiful houseplants, only to tote them out to the curb a month later. To say she didn’t have a green thumb was putting it mildly I’m afraid. No matter how well meaning she was, her houseplants never lasted more than a few weeks.

Sadly, I have inherited her not-so-green thumb. I’m not sure if it is a matter of not having enough time, or rather just forgetfulness, but my houseplants tend to wither within weeks. I’ve had to go out of my way to find easy to care for houseplants so I can have some green in my home.

If you are like me, and you don’t seem to have the knack for keeping your houseplants alive, here are some easy to care for houseplants to add a little beauty to your home. For most of these, it’s simply a matter of watering and finding the right place to keep them happy.

Aloe

Not only is aloe an interesting houseplant, it’s a useful one too. Aloe is great for soothing all types of skin irritation from diaper rash to razor burn. If you’ve ever had sunburn, you may have used aloe to take some of the sting out of your burn.

Aloe is an extremely easy to care for houseplant. In most cases, place it in a sunny spot, and water when the dirt is dry, and it will thrive on its own. If your houseplant seems to be outgrowing its pot, replant in a bigger pot. Aloe will suffer if left in the cold, so make sure you don’t leave it in a spot that will see temperatures that fall below freezing.

African Violet

African Violets are a relatively easy to care for houseplant if you have a nice sunny spot for them to rest. They require up to twelve hours a day of sunlight, so if you can’t offer this, this houseplant may not be for you. Water left on the green part of the plant can cause problems, so use care when watering.

Use moderately fertilized soil when transplanting, some people even like to use peat moss to keep the soil from getting too dense. These houseplants require moist soil, so as long as you don’t saturate the soil with water, or allow them to go bone dry, these plants should be rather easy to care for houseplants.

Rubber Tree(Ficus Elastica)

These houseplants love sunlight, but only indirectly. Find a spot that gets filtered sunlight and the rubber tree plant will be pretty easy to care for. They require some fertilization and moist (but not saturated) soil. When the plant is not in the growing phase (sprouting new leaves or shoots) it can get pretty dry before you have a problem. They work best in spots with a relatively stable temperature as well.

Spider Plant(Chlorophytum comosum)

The Spider plant is another easy to care for houseplant. These are quite often found in hanging baskets and will cascade towards the ground as they grow. These houseplants do best with plenty of indirect sunlight. They only require moist soil to thrive, so don’t over water or allow them to get bone dry. They will need to be lightly fertilized once in a while, and brown tips can simply be trimmed off.

Dumb Cane(Dieffenbachia)

These houseplants will be easy to care for if you have a warm spot that doesn’t generally dip below about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. They have to be watered only about once a week, and require some fertilization, mostly in the spring and summer months. They don’t require, or like, direct sunlight, so be wary of setting them directly on a windowsill. Place them where they will get plenty of indirect light.

Final Thoughts

You will find these easy to care for houseplants to be a lovely addition to your home. As with all houseplants, you might want to take care that they are out of reach of pets and small children. They may be beautiful, but some can be dangerous if ingested.