Picking the Right Houseplant for You
It’s a new year and with the date change comes a tide of people turning a new leaf, looking to improve themselves and their lives in ways that are just chic enough to make an interesting Instagram post. One of the more popular categories for self improvement is home decor. Now this makes sense, as the very space you call home can seriously impact you mood or even mental health; however, not everything has to involve rounded rose gold mirrors and perfectly charcoal colored accent walls. People often overlook the easiest and most beneficial home decor item, houseplants. Maybe this is because they assume they have a black thumb, or they think plants are messy and require too much care. But a potted peace lily or whimsical succulent does too much for a home to be ignored. And because this planet ranges from blisteringly sunny desserts to permanently shaded rain forests, there is a plant ready to survive in almost any condition. The trick is finding the right one for you.
What do you want the plant to do?
Choosing a leafy companion for your home can seem daunting, there’s so many options and if you didn’t grow up in a family of semi professional gardeners you may feel like you have no idea where to start. But breaking it down into categories and care requirements it’s easier to navigate past the foliage that will shrivel and die and straight to the perfect plant for your home.
Flower and smell nice
Several common houseplants flower or have pleasing aromas. But in order for a plant to flower it needs to be in the right conditions. When this is your objective care and location become important.
Provide privacy
Large bushy plants or hanging vines can make an elegant privacy curtain in areas where the neighbors are too close for comfort. But keep in mind that in order to provide that service, the plant will need to be large and may take a few years to grow into a perfect living curtain.
Purify your air
This is an often overlooked benefit, but an important one. Several plants are incredibly efficient at cleaning indoor air and thus make a great addition when living with city air.
Provide a service
Plants can be medicinal or add to your kitchen creations. Picking a plant that grows for consumption is the oldest reason humans have helped propagate plant life. Just remember that this changes the fertilizers and pesticides you can use.
Look trendy in Instagram posts
I always warn against buying a living thing based on trends, plants have long life cycles and by the time your fig tree is the perfect size and shape for that Instagram post the world may be on to a new trendier plant. Instead, find one that matches your aesthetic and care levels.
Simply be a statement piece
A statement piece plant needs to be something special and unique for the same reasons as the trendy plant warning. For a true statement plant be prepared to either shell out a large amount of cash upfront, or put a considerable amount of time into growing the perfect accessory.
What kind of care can you provide?
Don’t think that plants can’t be interesting if they’re not colorful. This agave in Texas was tonal and textured, making it an excellent statement piece in downtown Austin.
Plants photosynthesize, and thus have very specific requirements about how much and what kind of sunlight they require. Some plants want full sun all day while others prefer to hide in the shade for most of their lives. Figure out how much light the spot where you plan to put the plant gets. Is it in direct sunlight (can make a strong shadow) all day? Or just in the morning or afternoon? Determining the light you get should be your first step to deciding on what kind of plants will work. Now this isn’t to say that plants can’t live in too much or too little light but they may not grow as quickly or flower as rapidly. And they may require more care than they would otherwise.
Hydrate or Die-drate. This shouldn’t just be your motto, water is the only other key ingredient to keeping happy and healthy greenery. And depending on the plant and where you have it placed it may need to be watered often with little room for error. If you can’t remember to get yourself enough water it may be best to consider the more arid plant life. But if you have trouble remembering if you already fed your pet that morning it may be best to look at the swampy varieties who won’t mind having their roots in wetter than normal soil.
Much like any other living creatures plants need basic general housekeeping. This may entail pruning, soil changes, moving to larger pots or hydration therapy. Some plants need lots of extra care to keep them looking spry, while others would rather you just leave them be and water them occasionally. Figure out how much effort you’re willing to put into a plant and then start looking for a species that matches that number.
Top Recommendations for New Plant Parents
Snake Plants
Snake plants are easy to care for and provide a wide range of benefits. From adding an interesting visual element to any room to being a filtering powerhouse the snake plant is an easy choice for beginning plant parents.
Sunlight: Prefers to hang in the shade, making them perfect for an interior corner of a room with windows.
Water: 1-2 a week depending on air humidity. Check the soil for moisture, and water until the soil has substantially darkened in color. Let the pot dry out (but not to the point of bone dry) between watering to prevent root rot.
Extra Love: Some occasional fertilizer won’t kill it but this plant likes to be left alone for the most part. Snake plants do grow big and strong though so prepare to give it a bigger home every once in a while.
WARNING: Poisonous to small children and pets
Orchids:
Orchids make for a beautiful addition to any room, big or small. While they require a little more care than some of these other starter plants they still make for a relatively easy plant to keep alive in any home.
Sunlight: Orchids prefer indirect light, or in layman terms not full shade, but can’t cast a strong shadow.
Water: Orchids are a tropical plant and so they like their humidity. But unlike most plants orchids roots sit in loose soil or completely exposed. So running them under water for a few minutes 2-3 times a week is the best hydration method.
Extra Love: Orchids are big fans of that rain forest glow. If your bathroom has a window and you like taking long showers that might be the perfect spot for your flowering friend. If you don’t have access to a semi sunny shower ledge most horticulturalists recommend misting your orchid daily if your home’s humidity is below 40%. Don’t be afraid to fertilize either, especially when they’re flowering. After the flowers have died you’ll need to trim off the stems so that the plant can recover and start the next flower shoot.
SAFE FOR PETS
Spider Plants
Spider plants are as durable as they are beautiful, making them one of the most recommended house plants for people who’ve never managed to successfully garden. Perfect for hanging in a window, these guys will not only take off quickly but soon provide you with babies to fill your house with. If you’re looking for an adaptable no worries plant, this is the seedling for you.
Sunlight: Spider plants will happily live in almost anything as long as its not full shade or a hot afternoon sun. They can sunburn and die so protect them from the full western exposure but anything other than that and they’re happy as clams.
Water: Most sites recommend watering 1-2 a week. Let them dry between rain showers but not to an arid dessert climate.
Extra Love: Most greenhouses recommend occasionally feeding these guys organic liquid fertilizers. They also prefer to stay in their pots so repotting often will not be necessary.
SAFE FOR PETS
Kitchen Herbs
One of the best benefits to decorating with plants? Some of them don’t just look good, they taste good too. For people looking to have plants that serve a function beyond being purely ornamental herbs like Basil, Rosemary, or Oregano make for a perfect solution. Not only do they add a bit of green to the room but offer fresh ingredients in an endless supply. And should you have a balcony or yard herbs love to take vacations to outside as long as there is no frost warning.
Sunlight: This is a wide category so keep in mind that every plant is different. But most edible herbs prefer a sunny windowsill over a tucked away back corner. Keep in mind that the afternoon sun can fry some of the more fragile plants so if you get hot afternoon sun give them a little space from the window.
Water: Herb containers tend to dry out more quickly, especially when you have more than one species of plant sharing the same pot. A good rule of thumb is to water every two to three days to keep the top few inches of soil evenly moist.
Extra Love: Producing is hard work, especially when someone’s eating the fruits of their labor. Fertilize every three weeks when they’re producing but limit the amount you use. Most greenhouses warn that too much fertilizer can result in poor flavor. Pruning the dead or leggy (lots of stalk, not much foliage) areas can help the plant concentrate its energy on the healthier areas.
MOST ARE SAFE FOR PETS
Bamboo (Or Lucky Bamboo)
If you have a truly Black Thumb, this is probably the plant for you. Anyone who’s ever accidentally had bamboo grow in their garden knows it’s almost impossible to kill and will live in pretty much any conditions. Due to their hardy nature bamboo can easily survive in more interesting containers, making them a great option for kitchens, dining room tables, and even bathrooms. They are a grass which means they grow quickly and cannot be easily trimmed down or bonsai’d like some of the other plants mentioned. The more commonly found “Lucky” Bamboo is a variety grown to be easy to care for and able to handle indoor life with little care.
Sunlight: Bamboo’s tender leaves scorch easily, so it prefers indirect light when possible. Now because it is a plant it needs some access to sunlight but would prefer to hang back from the window.
Water: Lucky Bamboo is often kept submerged in water with pebbles at the bottom. If this is how you choose to keep your plant make sure to change the water every few weeks to keep your plant healthy. Bamboo can grow in soil, just make sure it drains well and you water it often.
Extra Love: Due to Lucky Bamboo’s ability to grow semi submerged people often grow it in fish bowls with Bettas. While this can be done know that the fish needs more space and proper filtration and they may eat the fragile roots of the bamboo. No true pruning is required, but the plant may need to be re-potted as it grows. Should you need to throw away your plant after it has become too large, make sure to responsibly discard it; as bamboo is listed as an invasive species.
SAFE FOR PETS
Balloon Cactus
Cacti and succulents are the new go to for house plants, and its no wonder why. Often beautiful and flowering, these dessert plants have captured the imaginations of many and take up very little room in the early stages. However, don’t assume that they can live through anything just because they thrive in some of the most inhospitable parts of our planet. Cacti require specific care, even if it doesn’t take much time out of your day.
Sunlight: Unsurprisingly these guys like lots and lots of sun. A bright sunny window will be where they thrive. But they can burn so for the first few weeks after bringing them home from the greenhouse put them in partial shade to let them build a thicker skin to handle the climate.
Water: The most common problem people have with cacti and succulents is watering them. The best tip for new cacti owners is to place a wooden chopstick or dowel in the pot all the way to the bottom. When you pull it up if there is any moist soil clinging to the wood it doesn’t need water. But letting them go completely dry can kill them too. Also keep in mind that most cacti have growing seasons (usually winter) and more dormant seasons (usually summer). Their water needs will fluctuate throughout these seasons.
Extra Love: Cacti and succulents must be potted in cacti soil mix. Most garden stores will sell this premade, but if you live in a humid climate it is often recommended to put a drainage layer of gravel at the bottom of their pot. Cacti also like a good feeding schedule, with plant food to give them the nutrients they so desperately crave. Be aware that there are dessert cacti (Balloon Cactus, Agave, Saguaro) and there are Tropical Cacti (Christmas Cactus). These are very different types of plants and have very different needs.
WARNING: Can be poisonous to small children and pets, spiny varieties may harm those who touch them.