10 Indoor Plants for Beginners
10 Indoor Plants for Beginners Your Home
Jeanloz, 67, and her husband have almost two dozen indoor plants in their home in Chatham, Massachusetts, as well as another dozen or so in their antique shop. “They have a lot of history and personality to them,” Jeanloz says of her plants, which include a 7-foot ficus tree. “The ones that are given to us have memories of the person who’s given it to us. … I’m proud to say that we have a couple of plants we’ve had for more than 40 years.” Although Jeanloz has been growing plants indoors for years, she’s part of a hot trend. Even prior to the pandemic, houseplant sales had climbed 50 percent in the three years leading up to 2019, according to the National Gardening Association. Then came the pandemic, with its focus on home life, and suddenly it seemed that plant advice and hacks were all over Instagram, and other sites. “With and so many lockdowns, people have been stuck at home. So they’re looking around their space and feeling like, ah, it doesn’t feel that good in here. I’m here all the time now,” says Danae Horst, owner of Folia Collective, a plant shop in Los Angeles. “So a lot of people have really filled their over the last year and a half.” Houseplants are an accessible and inexpensive hobby, even if you have trouble keeping plants alive for 40 days, let alone 40 years. Just follow some basic rules, experts say. Assess your environment. Not all houseplants love the same conditions. Before you buy a plant, consider your home’s light exposure, humidity and temperature — and your lifestyle. For example, do you need something low maintenance because you’re away from home a lot? “Really making sure you’re choosing something that matches your space and your lifestyle — that’s going to set you up for success better than just choosing the plant from the list that someone said was easy,” says Horst.
Water wisely. Jeanloz admits she overwaters. Her solution was to buy a water meter that tracks moisture in the soil. Candice Hart, a state master gardener specialist with the University of Illinois Extension, has another option: Stick your finger in the soil. Then, when the soil is dry, really saturate the plant and let it drain rather than lightly watering the top layer of soil.
Follow the instructions. The most common mistake is not researching a plant or ignoring any care suggestions that come with it, says Mignon Hemsley, who, with Danuelle Doswell, owns Grounded, a virtual plant store based in Washington, D.C. Need help? Check back with the store or garden center, reach out to your state extension service, research experts on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, or follow an indoor-plant Facebook or Reddit group.
Learn from failure. When things don’t work out, let it go. Sacrifice your plant to compost and move on. “I mean, obviously, it can be costly if you’re buying a lot of plants. But I’ve certainly learned a lot over the years by killing a lot of things,” says Hart. “There’s always those couple of plants that I just keep trying over and over again and getting better, a little bit better.” If you’re ready to take the plunge, here’s a list of 10 plants these experts say are good for houseplant novices. of
Susan Moeller is a contributing writer who covers lifestyle, health, finance and human-interest topics. A former newspaper reporter and editor, she also writes features and essays for the Boston Globe Magazine and her local NPR station, among other outlets.
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Getty Images Orchid Houseplants are family to Danielle Jeanloz.Jeanloz, 67, and her husband have almost two dozen indoor plants in their home in Chatham, Massachusetts, as well as another dozen or so in their antique shop. “They have a lot of history and personality to them,” Jeanloz says of her plants, which include a 7-foot ficus tree. “The ones that are given to us have memories of the person who’s given it to us. … I’m proud to say that we have a couple of plants we’ve had for more than 40 years.” Although Jeanloz has been growing plants indoors for years, she’s part of a hot trend. Even prior to the pandemic, houseplant sales had climbed 50 percent in the three years leading up to 2019, according to the National Gardening Association. Then came the pandemic, with its focus on home life, and suddenly it seemed that plant advice and hacks were all over Instagram, and other sites. “With and so many lockdowns, people have been stuck at home. So they’re looking around their space and feeling like, ah, it doesn’t feel that good in here. I’m here all the time now,” says Danae Horst, owner of Folia Collective, a plant shop in Los Angeles. “So a lot of people have really filled their over the last year and a half.” Houseplants are an accessible and inexpensive hobby, even if you have trouble keeping plants alive for 40 days, let alone 40 years. Just follow some basic rules, experts say. Assess your environment. Not all houseplants love the same conditions. Before you buy a plant, consider your home’s light exposure, humidity and temperature — and your lifestyle. For example, do you need something low maintenance because you’re away from home a lot? “Really making sure you’re choosing something that matches your space and your lifestyle — that’s going to set you up for success better than just choosing the plant from the list that someone said was easy,” says Horst.
Water wisely. Jeanloz admits she overwaters. Her solution was to buy a water meter that tracks moisture in the soil. Candice Hart, a state master gardener specialist with the University of Illinois Extension, has another option: Stick your finger in the soil. Then, when the soil is dry, really saturate the plant and let it drain rather than lightly watering the top layer of soil.
Follow the instructions. The most common mistake is not researching a plant or ignoring any care suggestions that come with it, says Mignon Hemsley, who, with Danuelle Doswell, owns Grounded, a virtual plant store based in Washington, D.C. Need help? Check back with the store or garden center, reach out to your state extension service, research experts on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, or follow an indoor-plant Facebook or Reddit group.
Learn from failure. When things don’t work out, let it go. Sacrifice your plant to compost and move on. “I mean, obviously, it can be costly if you’re buying a lot of plants. But I’ve certainly learned a lot over the years by killing a lot of things,” says Hart. “There’s always those couple of plants that I just keep trying over and over again and getting better, a little bit better.” If you’re ready to take the plunge, here’s a list of 10 plants these experts say are good for houseplant novices. of
ZZ plant
The initials stand for Zamioculcas zamiifolia. These tough, vertical plants require little light and can tolerate being dry because the rhizomes in their root system hold water. The raven variety has leaves that are almost black. ofGolden pothos
This trailing plant will give you hints about what it needs, says Doswell. When the leaves point up, they are well hydrated; when they start to droop, they need water. Water too much and they turn yellow. ofSnake plant
“Super-duper low maintenance,” Hemsley says. Sometimes called mother-in-law’s tongue, it’s a vertical slow grower that’s very adaptable and does well in low light. ofJade plant
Part of the succulent family, these plants can live for generations. They like bright, indirect light but can adapt to low light. The more light available, the bigger, they get. ofPeace lily
This is a more challenging beginner-friendly plant, Hemsley says, and can be a bit of a diva — drooping when it’s dry, for example. But patience will be rewarded with striking green foliage and white blooms. ofHeartleaf philodendron
This is the classic houseplant that might have been on your mother’s mantle. It’s also a trailing plant and likes moderate to bright indirect light but can tolerate artificial incandescent light. Pinch it back to keep it bushy. ofDieffenbachia
Also called dumb cane, this has dramatic green-and-white leaves and can grow to 6 feet or more. Be careful not to overwater. ofOrchids
These might not seem intuitive for beginners, but you can buy them relatively inexpensively in the supermarket, Jeanloz says, and experiment with them. Many like a bright windowsill and need to be watered only once a week or so. ofScindapsus
This trailing plant has a silvery leaf and is sometimes called satin pothos or silver philodendron, although it’s not in the same genus as pothos or philodendron, says Horst. It needs bright indirect light. Water when the top third of the soil is dry. ofPeperomia obtusifolia
This is also called the baby rubber plant. Not all peperomia are easy, says Horst, but this one needs water only when it’s totally dry because the leaves store water. “It’s a good choice for plant lovers who are either prone to forget or just don’t want to have to water every week,” Horst says. “They can definitely usually go about two weeks between watering.” How to Grow Herbs at Home
Susan Moeller is a contributing writer who covers lifestyle, health, finance and human-interest topics. A former newspaper reporter and editor, she also writes features and essays for the Boston Globe Magazine and her local NPR station, among other outlets.