8 Houseplants I Haven't Killed Yet
For years I tried to have plants… and for years I killed every single one of my plants within weeks of bringing them home. When little succulents and cacti became popular, I was like “Okay, this is it! Surely I can keep these alive.” Well, that was a big NOPE. I’ve even had people gift me plants and as they hand them to me they are like “These are super easy to keep alive.” Yea well, those plants have never met this black thumb of mine… and you guessed it, they died within weeks.
So far I have 2 plants I’ve been able to keep alive for almost 4 years now. 1 plant I actually healed back to life after taking a chance on a clearance plant at Home Depot that was dying, and 6 plants I haven’t killed yet after having them for 9 months.
I should also mention, I take care of my plants the same way I cook food. I just kind of eye-ball it and don’t have super specific recipes or instructions. So, if you’re just looking for some easy basics, you’ve found the right place.
1. Pink Angel: Fittonia Albivenis
This is the first plant I was able to keep alive!!! I think that is why it is my favorite plant-- and it is pink so that’s a plus. I am seriously so proud of having this plant. I keep it in low light and water twice a week. I’ve switched out its pot once because it was outgrowing the one I started it out with!
2. Spider Plant: Chlorophytum Comosum
This is the second plant I was able to keep alive! I absolutely love this plant. It is beautiful, brightens up a room, and GET THIS: Spider plants clean several toxins from the air. They can also help decrease carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels, as well as ethylbenzene and formaldehyde. These plants are cute and functional! I water it once a week and it has very low light.
3. Hawaiian Spider Plant
This is the plant I was able to revive back to life. I took a chance on it in the clearance isle at Home Depot, and almost 3 years later it is still going strong. I’ll be honest, I know it is a spider plant, but I am just guessing it is a Hawaiin Spider Plant from looking at pictures on Google. If anyone can correct me, please let me know! This one gets filtered light near a window and watered once a week… sometimes I go 2 weeks without watering it because it is hanging up higher and I get lazy. It still lives on!
4. Golden Pothos
This plant is quickly growing to become one of my favorite plants! I’ve also heard that if I clip off some stems and put them in water, they will start growing another plant. I love how long and “viney” the stems are getting. I can’t wait to see how big it gets! I’ve had this sitting in little-to-no-light and filtered light. It seems to thrive in both. I water it once a week.
5. Magenta: Dracaena Marginata
This one has been super easy to care for and the warm colors are so pretty! It gets filtered light and water once a week.
6. Janet Craig Compacta: Dracaena Deremensis (what a name!)
Janet has seen good and bad days in the McGlathery house. I am going to be honest and say I am not sure if it is going to make it. It has been 9 months and I haven’t killed it yet… but sometimes it looks a little wimpy. Other than that, it is a super cute plant. The green of this plant pops well with the terracotta pots.
7. Marble Pothos
Like I said earlier, the Pothos plants are quickly becoming one of my favorite. This one is a little different than my Golden Pothos, but beautiful nonetheless! They are low maintenance and I love the look they give off. Definitely my go to plant for wanting to bring a bohemian vibe into a room. It has thrived in filtered light and getting watered once a week.
8. Beautiful Home Decor: Houseplant (this is the actual name on the label of the plant)
This is a simple, low maintenance plant that goes well with my hanging macrame display. Once again, filtered light and water once a week!
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I will admit, it can be difficult to keep up with watering all 8 of these plants. SO, what I did for myself was create “Water Wednesday”! Every Wednesday I water all of my plants. It really helps me to remember! I only have 1 plant that needs water twice a week, and it usually reminds me itself by looking wilty (the Pink Angel plant).
“Water Wednesday”! Every Wednesday I water all of my plants.
I highly recommend the terracotta pots because they help absorb some of the extra water if you accidentally over water them. I also have little trays in all of my pots to help with filtering so they hopefully won’t drown!
I still claim that I have a black thumb-- I won’t be graduating myself to a green thumb anytime soon, but I have had success with these plants so far. Plants are an affordable way to decorate your home, purify your air (you would need 1 plant per 100 sq ft of your home), and can be fun to learn about. I hope this is helpful in your journey of being a houseplant owner!
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