Five Easy-Growing Plants with Little Maintenance

Growing indoor plants just makes a house homier. Unfortunately, not all of us have a green thumb. I had been trying to grow a few indoor plants for some time and had had to start over several times as well. On a second (or seventh?) try, I was proud to have a new little table set out with a few new plants set out that I was determined to nourish and make survive. My son came home from school and, upon seeing my new stand, said “what’s this? Death row?” Yes, he thought he was hilarious. Sadly, he wasn’t far from being correct. I did have trouble keeping indoor plants alive. Finally, I found several that were easy to maintain and that even thrived on neglect at times. I would like to share these with my fellow-brown-thumbers who want to have lovely green indoor plants but just don’t have the talent. Here are five easy-growing plants with little maintenance.

1. Aloe

Aloe is a succulent, and it has long pointed leaves. It also has medicinal properties, as you probably already know. This plant’s leaves can grow up to the three feet high so that this plant can make one impressive house plant. There are smaller varieties available as well, such as aloe vera, which is also very popular. Aloe works great in small, sunny areas indoors. Aloe like fairly warm temperatures, around seventy – which is what most people keep there temps at anyway – and lots of sunlight. As mentioned before, this is a succulent, so it doesn’t need lots of water, preferring much dryer soil instead. This means you can avoid frequent watering if you want the best results. You absolutely do not want to over water this plant because it will make its leaves rot.

2. Pothos

Pothos is not only easy to maintain, but it also works to purify your air quality as well. It absorbs and strips toxins, such as formaldehyde, from the materials in your home, like the carpet. So not only is it a beautiful green indoor plant that is easy to care for, it basically takes care of you, too! This indoor plant has trailing stems, so it works really well in a hanging basket. You can also use it on a trellis as a climbing plant, too, or whatever you have that will support a climbing plant. This plant may produce stems as long as eight feet or longer, so either be sure to have room or just cut them back. It’s important to cut them back some to keep them looking healthy and full. Pothos can thrive in a variety of lighting conditions, making it even easier to care for since it doesn’t have to be in direct sunlight. However, low light will diminish its vegetation. As for watering, soil should become mostly dry before watering it again. In addition, this plant does well in a variety of normal temperatures as well.

3. Spider Plant

Spider plants are a bit unusual looking, but these indoor plants add visual interest to any room. This particular indoor plant has been popular for many years, and it hasn’t become any less popular. They come in some varieties and are awesome as hanging plants as well. Spider plants do best when they stay evenly moist in medium to bright lighting conditions. Room temperatures for these indoor plants are best between sixty and seventy-five.

4. Jade Plant

Here is another succulent that is super easy to take care of. It looks beautiful and green, offering thick, lush leaves with visually interesting branches. The jade plant grows slowly – don’t think it’s not growing if you can’t notice weekly growth. This plant could actually grow right along with your children; many have been known to live from the birth of a child until their graduation and sometimes beyond. These plants look great in any kind of pot and go well being paired with other succulents as well. Jade plants won’t need much water, so be careful not to overwater. This is another plant that may rot from too much water. Keep the soil somewhat dry. The jade plant likes bright light and regular temperatures.

5. Rubber Tree

The rubber tree is an easy-to-grow indoor plant that can grow as high as eight foot. This tree will most definitely add a pop of greenery to any room, and they look great. If you don’t want your rubber tree growing so tall, simply keep it cut back into a shrub shape instead by pruning long stems as needed. The beautifully dark green leaves have an attractive shiny finish, too, making them really stand out. This tree needs to stay fairly dry, so allow the surface soil to completely dry before watering again. It thrives in medium to bright light and temps between sixty and eighty. Whichever plant, or plants, you choose, good luck! Remember, you don’t have to start out with a green thumb to successfully grow beautiful indoor plants; just choose easy ones!