ARE YOU A NEW PLANT PARENT? HERE ARE MY TOP 5 STARTER HOUSEPLANTS PERFECT FOR EASING YOUR WAY INTO BECOMING A PLANT PRO.
Not to say I am a plant pro. Believe me, there is still so much to learn. The way I found myself learning more about plants was of course, buying a range of them. In the past few years I have had a few simple succulents here and there, and after killing those I figured there was no hope. It was just about a year ago when Sina and I moved in to our new rental that I decided to add more plants into our home decor. It started off with a Snake Plant, a Pothos, a Dracaena, and then I just went for it and got my first Fiddle Leaf Fig. The toughest to care for was definitely the Ficus Lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig) and after trial and error and nearly killing it, I was able to bring it back to life and it is now thriving.
If you are trying to work your way up the plant chain, here are my Top 5 Starter Houseplants.
1. Epipremnum Aureum (Pothos)
You can find a range of pothos plants such as Golden Pothos, Marble Queen, Pearls, and JadePothos plants are in my opinion so easy to care for and make any room look amazing. You can grow long vines that can literally take over your home, and in my opinion, that is #goals.
Water: I wait to water my pothos when the top few inches of soil becomes dry. For my smaller pothos plants it can take longer than a week to need watering again, but be prepared to water more often once you have a bigger pothos with long beautiful vines.
Light: Pothos plants can get away with being in dark corners of a room and still thrive, which is why they are my top starter houseplant. I keep mine in different spots around the house but since I like to keep my house bright, they all get decent amount of light.
2. Draceanas
There are so many different types of Dracaena plants that you might not even realize it is one until you read the tag. I have about 3 different types in my house but they are all very low maintenance and look beautiful in my home.
Water: Like most plants, be sure to water when the top inches of soil are dry. Also, make sure you have good drainage so that they are not overwatered or develop root rot. I noticed that the ones I have purchased had extra perlite in their soil to help drainage.
Light: Dracaenas do not need a lot of sunlight, but they will thrive more of course if you have them closer to one. Neither of mine are directly by a window and they do just fine. All three stay in my living room where they receive filtered non direct lighting.
3. Sansevieria (Snake Plant)
Also known as snake plants, this species is very popular. I think it is nearly impossible to kill these plants because there have been times that I completely neglect it for weeks without watering and it still stays strong.
Water: Wait for the soil to completely dry out before watering. Sometimes it can take weeks for them to need watering because their thick leaves actually help store water.
Light: Snake Plants can tolerate low light environments, but if you want them to really thrive then placing them in south or west facing windows away from direct sunlight is best.
4. Philodendron
Some of the prettiest plants you can use to decorate your space. You can find these in a range of shapes and colors such as green, yellow, white, and pink.
Water: I wait to water my Philodendron when the top few inches are dry. I use a moister meter to make sure I don't overwater or underwater.
Light: Keep away from direct sunlight, best by a south or west facing window.
5. Chlorophytum Comosum (Spider Plant)
Popularly known as Spider Plants, these make beautiful hanging plants perfect for decorating your space.
Water: These plants need thorough watering, so once the soil begins to get dry , then it should be watered. Since it needs to be watered more frequently, make sure it has good drainage because it is easy to get root rot. I noticed mine was developing some brown tips but after research I was not concerned. Switching it up to distilled water will do the trick since that is best for this type of plant.
Light: Spider Plants can tolerate low light, but you will just need to make sure you don't water it as often as you would if it were in bright indirect sunlight. They will thrive best near a south or west facing window.