My Favorite Low Maintenance Houseplants

Committing to a houseplant can be kind of a scary thing. This is a living, breathing thing that has to be cared for properly and killing one is so defeating. When you're successful though, it's so rewarding. I love being surrounded by my happy green family. I've had my fair share of fails, but have also found quite a few plants that don't require walking on eggshells to care for.

Various Cactus Plant

One of the first plants that I ever kept alive for a decent amount of time was a cactus- until my cat knocked it over and killed it. The trick I've found with these that rings true with many plants is to not overwater. I really only water my cacti once a month, and even that is a small amount of water distributed with a spray bottle. I love that these little guys all have so much personality. One of my personal favorites is that dick-shaped fellow on the bottom right. He makes me laugh every time. I've also been very into the prickly pear, which is the purple gal toward the top middle. Look at those beautiful new shoots popping off of her! One of the best feelings ever is watching a plant thrive and grow new leaves and limbs, a sure sign that they are happy and thriving.

Well draining soil is one of the most important things you can do for many plants. I use cactus soil for pretty much everything because of this. For good measure, I'll also throw some rocks or charcoal at the bottom of my planters. A good planter should really have a drainage hole, but it seems like none of the cute ones do for whatever reason. 

Calathea, AKA Prayer Plant

I picked this Calathea (aka Prayer Plant) up on my late father's birthday this year. If it dies I might have a mental breakdown so there is a lot of pressure to keep this one alive. So far so good though. It doesn't really seem to care if I water it a few times per week or only once. It has the most gorgeous, variegated leaves, and the texture on them almost seems fake. When the morning light shines through them, it has the most ethereal glow. Another cool feature of these plants is that they close at night and open during the day, thus the name Prayer Plant. The photograph above is what it looks like during the day, and then at night the leaves start reaching up like an umbrella that is closing.

Something that I've started doing for my plants is letting the tap water that I use to water them sit out at least overnight. This little Ikea watering can is the perfect size to tote from houseplant to houseplant since they don't require much water. This is supposed to let some of the chemicals found in tap water evaporate so that the plant's roots aren't damaged. 

Hoya Carnosa, AKA Wax Plant

I saw this planter at Target recently and picked it up without knowing what would go in it yet. After stopping by my local nursery, I found this Hoya Carnosa (aka Wax Plant) and thought it would be perfect. I love the way that its vines creep out in a very structured way. Eventually, this should produce lovely blooms that drip a waxy substance, hence the name. Apparently it can take a few years for this to happen, so this will be an exercise in patience for me. Even without blooms, I love the way that this plant looks.

I had purchased a different, smaller Wax Plant last year and made the unfortunate mistake of overwatering it. I tried to repot it to save it, but the damage was done. Symptoms started with leaves turning brown and mushy and falling off. This time around I've been much more careful to ensure that this guy dries out between waterings and he looks super happy so far.  I'd say I probably water this one once a week, if that. I test it with a moisture meter like this one about halfway down the pot to make sure that it's actually dry before watering. 

Crassula Jade Plant

My mom has the most amazing gigantic Jade plant that has been growing and growing for a few decades at this point. A while back I took some cuttings from it and they actually grew, much to my delight. And then I fucked it up. You guessed it- overwatered them! I'll probably try again in the future with cuttings from her plant purely for the sentimental value, but until then I've got this little cutie to stand in. Trader Joes is a great place to check for little plants. I picked this one up for around $5, and it's been great!

Jade is a type of succulent, which are supposed to be the easiest thing in the world to grow apparently, but I really struggle with them. You have to be careful not to overwater succulents, and that is clearly an issue for me. My first go at Jade was another experience with my plant turning brown and mushy after I gave it too much attention. Lesson learned, leave these guys alone for the most part. Watering sparingly about once a week seems to be working well. 

Satin Pothos

This Satin Pothos is a fairly new addition to the gang and I'm still trying to find a balance of how often to water, which I believe is what's contributing to the curling on its leaves. At first I think I was watering too often (every day), but now I'm wondering if I should water it a bit more (maybe twice a week). I'm not too worried since it has plenty of new little shoots growing off of its vines, but I'm hoping that once it gets more settled into its new home the leaves will relax. What makes a Satin Pothos unique is its velvety leaves; they aren't your typical waxy green, they are very soft to the touch. I'd love to put this in a hanging basket one day, but until then it lives in this fun little triangle patterned pot.

When I first brought this guy home, he needed a bit of pruning which made me very nervous. I properly butchered a Jasmine plant a few years ago (which is still alive and thriving! Just with a very bad haircut) and trimming this up gave me flashbacks. The cashier at the nursery told me that trimming actually promotes growth on these plants and she was right. At the ends of the vines that I trimmed there are all sorts of new little shoots making their way out. I might give it another trim here soon to make it a bit bushier now that I know it won't kill it.

Calathea Plant in the Morning Sun

These are just a few plants that have captured my heart, but I love the personality that they all have. I don't have ideal growing conditions, but all of these do pretty well given the lack of light that they have in my North and East facing windows, which was a big concern at first. If you're looking to start a plant family but don't know where to begin, I'd definitely check some of these out! Your local nursery is also a great resource. The folks there are likely a wealth of knowledge and can give you a ton of advice on your potential purchase. Happy growing to all my fellow plant enthusiasts!