'Crazy Plant Lady' is definitely a phrase I hear a lot, especially when people visit our home for the first time. I like to think I have just the right amount of houseplants, but it seems there are some who disagree! As a reformed plant killer, I'm pretty proud of my leafy brood, and when I mentioned on Instagram that I was thinking about doing a little plant tour, there was a resounding yes from you guys. So today I wanted to share my easy to care for houseplants, recommendations for any of you serial plant killers out there!
Euphorbia Acrurensis
AKA giant cactus baby. I cannot BELIEVE how much this has grown this year because honestly this thing absolutely thrives on neglect. The first six months I owned this plant, it lived in the dark hallway at my parents' house through the winter where it was barely touched.
Now, I water this lightly maybe once a month in the winter and once a week in the summer, keep it in the brightest spot in the house, and that's really it. It just won't stop growing, and if you're looking for a big cactus to fill some space, this is a great one! I got mine for just under £50 in IKEA and it's been great.
DISOCACTUS FLAGELLIFORMIS (Hanging rat tail cactus)
I got this cactus last year as a tiny little newly propagated bud from my favourite coffee shop, and it's just grown and grown ever since! I keep him on a windowsill because they just adore sunlight, water him generously every two weeks or so, and occasionally I'll mist his 'tentacles' in the evenings. The Disocactus Flagelliformis grows naturally in hot climates like Mexico, and it likes a little humidity, so it's a great one for growing indoors, particularly in direct sunlight and near radiators.
HEDERA HELIX (ENGLISH IVY)
A very low maintenance plant indeed, it's harder to keep English Ivy contained than it is to grow it. It's not particularly fussy about how much direct light it gets, and it only needs watering sparingly (I give it a little drop once a week in the summer and every other week in the winter). It looks particularly good on shelves, as it hangs and climbs!
Dracaena Massangeana (Corn plant)
Now this is a relatively low maintenance plant, it likes lots of light and the occasional misting (it grows in hot South American climates naturally), and it's a great plant for adding a little more oxygen into the room. It can be a little fiddly though, in that it really doesn't like fluoride, even the amounts found in tap water. Because of that, I try to water it with rain water where possible (I keep an empty plant pot on the balcony to collect it), or with filtered/spring water. A bit of a faff, but it's much happier that way!
KALANCHOE THYRSIFLORA (PADDLE PLANT)
My little Paddle Plant is a relatively new addition to my plant family, but I'm already obsessed. I love how big it's leaves are, and the reddish tinge on the tips. It's super easy to keep happy, I only water it when the soil is dry, and I'm keeping it in a bright room out of the direct summer sunlight. In the winter months, I'll pop it in direct sunlight, but it can get scorched in the summer sun. They're super affordable plants to start with, with ones this size starting at around £4.
CEROPEGIA WOODII (STRING OF HEARTS) AND SENECIO ROWLEYANUS (STRING OF PEARLS)
Possibly the most beautiful hanging plant combination, I have a mixed pot of both String of Hearts and Pearls that I found in my garden centre. We had a bit of a rocky start, but we understand each other now! I keep this in bright, but not direct light, and water fairly infrequently, usually when the soil completely dries out. Mine's due a little pruning now, to remove a few dried up pearls, and straggly hearts, but for the most part it requires very little care.
SANSEVIERIA TRIFASCIATA (SNAKE PLANT)
If you really struggle to keep anything alive - get a Snake Plant! They're basically unkillable, they like all sorts of light scenarios (I keep mine in the bedroom, where we get lots of light in the morning and very little in the afternoon). I water it maybe once a week in the summer and much less in the winter, and it's gorgeous.
MARANTA LEUCONEURA (PRAYER PLANT)
One of my favourite leafy greens, I love how vibrant my Prayer Plant is! I keep this one near the kitchen as it likes to be kept moist, and I water it lightly every few days. Keep this one out of direct light, or it's beautiful leaves will be scorched!
DAVALLIA FEJEENSIS (RABBITS FOOT FERN)
When I first got this fern, I struggled with it. Then I found out my boyfriend had been watering it everyday (once a week will do) and the poor thing was drowning! It's looking much healthier now, and I'm so fond of it, it's a lovely, bushy, plant that adds a lot of greenery to a space whilst being relatively low maintenance!
MONSTERA DELICIOSA (SWISS CHEESE PLANT)
An Instagram favourite, Monsteras are easy to keep alive, and hard to contain! Their big green leaves take up a lot of space, and I'm sure I'm spotting new leaves on this one almost daily at the moment. They like lots of indirect light, regular watering, and I sponge the leaves clean of dust once a month or so. I mist this one occasionally and it seems to like it!
So there we have it, a by no means extensive plant tour, but my favourite, easy-to-care-for plant babies!
Are you a houseplant hoarder like me?