Gardening
11 Easy-Care Houseplants
Gardening
11 Easy-Care Houseplants
Dark space? Dry air? Not-so-green thumb? We’ve got you covered with these easy-care houseplants.
POTHOS
Forget to water these babies and guess what? Usually nothing bad will happen. Stick them in the middle of the room instead of at a window and guess what? Usually nothing bad will happen. Left to its own devices, pothos will cheerily just keep calm and carry on. One of the easiest plants to have in your home, part of the attraction of pothos is its trailing habit; it looks lovely paired with species with more upright silhouettes. Note: Pothos is toxic to pets.
Golden pothos
Split-leaf philodendron
Marble queen pothos
AGLAONEMA
At one time, these speckled plants, with their tidy habit, slow growth and sturdy constitution, were woefully overlooked. For many, they just didn’t provide enough interest to render them, well, interesting. But not long ago, these tropical perennials (commonly called Chinese evergreens) were bred to sport bright markings—silver, red and pink, in addition to the original white—and several new leaf shapes. Now, they’re hailed as a great choice for those who tend to kill more finicky plants.
Laurentii sansevieria
Moonshine sansevieria
Black coral sansevieria
SANSEVIERIA
You’ve probably seen these upright plants decorating anything from mall food courts to dentists’ offices to your local hair salon. They’ve spent many years largely ignored, but are making a comeback due to their graphic looks, dependability and chill vibe. They thrive in virtually any environment, but prefer indirect sunlight, average temperatures, a compact planter and dryish, well-drained soil. Don’t let them get waterlogged, and they’ll be happy.
Siam aglaonema
PHILODENDRON
Long revered by home gardeners who have little time on their hands and little urge to perform more maintenance on a plant than they do on themselves, philodendrons are complete low-maintenance indoor workhorses, adding verdant interest where nothing else seems to grow successfully. However, they do respond well to a little primping, such as winding their trailing stems neatly now and then.
‘Brasil’ Philodendron
CACTUS
If there’s a cuter plant than a mini cactus, we don’t know what it is. And given the surge of cactisporting stationery, clothing and accessories we’ve seen in recent years, we’re pretty sure we’re not alone in our passion for these diminutive enchanters. Available in a myriad of shapes and sizes, cacti require little management other than a well-lit space and a very occasional watering. If you’re lucky, your little gem will flower, revealing bright blooms sure to bring a smile to your face.
PEPEROMIA
In addition to the variety of shapes, sizes, textures and variegations peperomias offer, they’re all adept at filling out other plant arrangements. It’s the leaves that are the draw here; the flowers are negligible. Peperomias, or radiator plants as they’re also known, happily mingle with other species to form lovely vignettes in bright spaces—just avoid direct sunlight and keep the soil relatively moist.
Ginny peperomia
PACHIRA AQUATICA/PACHIRA GLABRA
If you live in the tropics, you’d likely see giant versions of these plants along the shores of rivers and lakes. In indoor environments, they top out at about 2.5 metres high. These unique easy-care houseplants, also known as money plants, are perfect for beginners. As they grow, you’ll need to judiciously remove any dead leaves and continue overlapping the wood to maintain the braid, but that’s about it. They don’t like drafts, but do thrive in moist environments, so water deeply, but not too often, and if you have a spot with high humidity and natural indirect light (like a bathroom), you’re in business.
Pachira glabra
GET THE LOOK
1. Bryce Hanging Maize PLANTER, $5, structube.com.
2. Bendable Moss Pole Plant TRELLIS, from $35, mossify.ca.
3. Oïa The Mini Terracotta IRRIGATION JAR, $25/200 ml, oiaandco.com.
4. Gold PLANTER with Base, $109/50 cm, zarahome.com.
5. Charou Ceramic PLANTER in Black/White, $19, structube.com.
6. Rattan Style PLANTER on Wooden Stand, $43, bouclair.com.
7. Stoneware Plant POT in Powder Pink, $15, hm.com/ca. 8. Red Ceramic 8.6" POT COVER, $37, rona.ca.
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