Plants are not just for aesthetics! These plants have been found to lift up moods, improve mental health and immune system, improve air quality, and boost productivity. Sounds fascinating, right?
We get it.
We’re all asked to stay home for an unspecified period of time and we’re just bound to run out of things to do during our leisure time. So, what else is there to do to avoid wasting precious seconds of our lives?
Take care of plants—precisely, indoor plants.
For the past few months, various social media platforms have been flooded with pictures of homes filled with indoor plants. Apparently, this seems to be the newest—and healthiest—indoor hobby right now.
And it’s not just for aesthetics! These plants have been found to lift up moods, improve mental health and immune system, improve air quality, and boost productivity. Sounds fascinating, right?
All these benefits for just a small amount of your time; well, unless you start getting serious with this hobby. Don’t worry if your green thumb always seems to go brown. There are still plants that manage to stay alive even if you barely know what you’re doing.
Here are 5 indoor plants you won’t kill as you try to figure out how to take care of them!
Pothos
Ah, yes, the crowd favorite—Pothos. This is also known as the “Devil’s Ivy”, as it can survive even the bleakest conditions. This is one of the top plants that would be pretty hard to kill, unless of course, you purposely kill it.
This plant doesn’t mind the over- or under-watering from time to time. Moreover, sunshine isn’t really a strict requirement. So, for those of you who live in dark homes, this is truly the plant for you.
This heart-shaped plant is a vine which can be grown on poles, trellises, or mantles. With specks of gold, cream or silver, this can be a classy addition to any home.
And oh—it’s also a natural air purifier.
Snake Plant
Snake Plants, also called Mother-in-Law’s Tongue or St. George’s Sword, are proven to be the hardiest of plants to keep in your home. They are very forgiving to the forgetful gardener, and do not require much.
Displaying long, slender, sword like leaves, Snake Plants produce clean oxygen for your home by removing air toxins. They also do not require much light or water in order to thrive. In fact, over-watering can easily kill a Snake plant – so you can just forget about it!
When you do water, use filtered water every 1-2 weeks – or when the top 2-3 in. of soil is dry. Reduce your watering during the winter months by letting the soil completely dry out. Providing well-draining, porous soil, can also help to minimize root rot – which can kill plants quickly.
Pink Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen—scientific name, Aglaonema—is notable for thriving in environments where light doesn’t seem to come through naturally, or when your gardening style is: “wait until all the soil is like the Sahara Desert”.
If you manage to be diligent, it actually thrives better when it’s watered once the top 2 in. of soil is dry. Exhibiting vibrant pink and green foliage, the Pink Chinese Evergreen brings a pop of much needed color to darker spaces within your home.
This plant will also reproduce clone plants right within the soil! Within time, you will experience tiny pups shooting through the topsoil. These can be separated from the mother plant during re-potting season (Spring & Summer) and potted into their own homes.
What starts out as a small plant that can be easily placed on desktops, slowly grows into a huge plant that can serve as centerpiece in your living room.
Aloe Vera
The world-famous Aloe Vera, no doubt, deserves a spot in your home.
It’s a natural wonder, with so many uses for your body and your health. Not only that, it’s absolutely fuss-free to grow indoors - unless you accidentally knock it over...like I may have done to ours. She is resilient though!
Aloe Vera is actually a type of succulent. For these types of plants, provide bright, direct light when possible and minimal watering. They like their soil to completely dry out and require a well-draining soil with Perlite, orchid bark or sand mixed in.
As time goes on, you may experience a leaf break and that’s okay! This plant has powerful medicinal properties that can be utilized. Simply skin the leaf, leaving the inner-gel. Use a juicer to extract all usable gel for use in salves for sunburns or put directly into your smoothies.
Monstera
When you think of the quintessential leaf of the plant world, you are probably envisioning what a Monstera Deliciosa leaf looks like. Sporting large fenestrations (holes) on its leaves as it matures, Monsteras prove to be a very trendy plant that can elevate your living space.
This plant may look like a lot of work, but it really only has a few things that need to be cared for. Typically, Monsteras need to be watered once a week or when the top 2 in. of soil has dried out. Additionally, it will not appreciate having its roots sit in water. Be sure to discard any remaining water in your pot’s drainage tray after watering.
As your Monstera plant matures, it will require a climbing structure to support its heavy, vine-like growth pattern. Don’t let this scare you! We all need a little support sometimes. Simply fasten the stems back with twist-ties to a trellis (bamboo sticks or a moss-pole) to encourage healthy, big leaves. Speaking of leaves, ingesting any part of a Monstera leaf, which contains calcium oxalates, is toxic to humans & pets. Keep these fast-growing plants away from curious critters.
Providing indirect sunlight will help your Monstera plant THRIVE. They do not require full sun which is why they are such an easy plant to own. Too much direct sunlight, and her leaves may begin to yellow/brown.
Monsteras also serve as an air-purifier, drawing out toxins within the air - making it a very beautiful, yet useful plant to grow inside your home.
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