If you love the idea of being surrounded by flora and fauna but feel as though indoor gardening is not your forte… we understand. Plant keeping can be daunting and we often don’t know where to start – or where we went wrong. If your thumbs are decidedly not green, this list is for you. We’ve sourced six of the best – and easiest to care for – indoor plant species.
Please note: As with all plants, keep these away from pets (and small children) as ingesting them can be poisonous.
Monstera: Nicknamed the “swiss cheese plant” this big-leafed beauty has “holes” in its glossy leaves. It thrives in bright indirect to medium light, making it well-suited for many spots inside your home. It only needs to be watered every one-to-two weeks and its large, wide-spread leaves can help fill in an otherwise empty corner with “tropical” flair.
Aloe Vera: Aloe Vera is a popular succulent that can live both indoors and out. As an inside plant, it needs bright, indirect sunlight – but even artificial light will do. Its fleshy juice can even be used to help treat minor scrapes and burns, making it beautiful and useful.
Peace Lily: Not only is this a graceful, oval-leafed, flowering plant, it actually helps to purify the air around it. The Peace Lily adds oxygen to the air and is believed to filter and remove toxins including benzene, formaldehyde, ethylene, and ammonia. Since they prefer filtered light indoors, these plants are ideal for offices and any east-facing windows.
Snake Plant: Great for beginners, this tall, thin-leaved plant can adapt to just about any indoor environment. The Snake Plant is hardy enough to handle a little forgetfulness and only needs watering when the soil is completely dry. (And don’t be fooled by its name; it has nothing to do with real snakes.)
Philodendron Heartleaf: With a reputation for being “nearly impossible to kill,” this plant is surprisingly delicate-looking. Its heart-shaped leaves grow on trailing vines that can grow up to 10 feet long. For a fuller plant, trim the vines back a bit. This fast-growing plant is also an air-purifier, making it an indoor MVP (most valuable plant!)
Orchid: These majestic-blooming plants are long-lasting, colorful, and require very little in order to survive. To avoid under- or over-watering, add just two ice cubes to their pots each week. The water will slowly melt and your orchid’s roots will slowly but surely seep it up. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
If plant care still seems a little overwhelming, there’s an app for that! Apps like Planta can be your secret weapon to successful plant care. With it, you take a photo to help you identify a plant, determine if it is getting enough or too much light, and even remind you when it is time to feed your fauna. Give plant keeping a try – you might be a “plant person” after all!