7 EASY HOUSEPLANTS TO KEEP ALIVE

Happy Monday! Today, I am sharing with you 7 easy houseplants to keep alive under your care. These are plants that I’ve myself tried to cultivate (successfully) and that I managed to keep alive. Unlike popular beliefs, I don’t think there’s such thing as a green thumb. I think anyone can take care of plants if you have the right information and with trial and error. For instance, I know that succulents are not meant to be under my care because I keep killing them. RIP to my beautiful string of pearls. You will be missed.

Now, if you want to know what are the 7 easy houseplants to keep alive then keep on reading. Don’t forget to check out my previous post: NIGHTTIME SELF-CARE ROUTINE.

You can also check out my 7 GOOD REASONS TO HAVE INDOOR PLANTS post, I share with you the benefits of having houseplants!

Snake Plant

easy houseplants — Photo by Jake Goossen on Unsplash

On top of my list is the Snake plant or Sansevieria Trifasciata. It is one of those plants that are literally impossible to kill. She’s perfect for beginners and makes your space look very jungle-y! This plant is originally from Africa, she tolerates most types of lighting and can hold without water for a long time. She can also handle strong air currents, dry air and is known to purify the space. She’s like the perfect plant. She is also quick to grow and can reach up to 1,50m in height.

For watering, it’s best to wait for the soil to fully dry before watering her again. Like cactuses, she’s sensitive to overwatering.

Pothos

Also known as Epipremnum Aureum, the pothos originates from the Islands of French Polynesia. It’s a classic, colorful plant that brings a beautiful tropical vibe to your space while being extremely easy to maintain and propagate. It’s known as a falling or climbing plant and can go up to 90cm in length.

This plant can really tolerate most environments like dry air and low lighting. But, her ideal space would be moderate lighting so bright indirect light, and the perfect way to water her is by waiting for the soil to half dry.

Philodendron

The next plant on my list is the Philodendron. This plant originates from Central America and is one of the easiest plants in the market. She is easy to cultivate and even more easy to propagate. I actually have three philodendrons propagation which I am so proud of. She grows fairly quickly and can handle a low lighting setting.

Concerning the watering habit, it’s advisable to wait for 3cm of soil to dry before watering her again. Personally, I don’t follow that rule, I wait for her soil to half dry before watering her again. It’s always best to under-water your philodendron rather than over-water her. She can handle it.

My favorite type of philodendron is the Brazilian one because each leaf has a different pattern and color so it makes any room look so joyful and fun.

ZZ Plant

The fourth plant on my list is the ZZ plant. It is also known as the Zamioculcas zamiifolia and, originates from Africa. She is probably one of the easiest plants to have if you have no light in your apartment. It’s also one of the hardest plants to kill and one of the most resilient plants on the market. She can be cultivated in any type of lighting and is extremely flexible.

In order to water her, it’s preferable to keep the soil half dry before watering her again. But keep in mind that the ZZ plant would rather be under-watered than over-watered.

Tradescantia

Whenever I research easy houseplants to keep alive, this one NEVER comes up and I don’t understand why. I think this is the one plant that thrives the most under ANY condition. She is literally known to handle anything. She is also one of the most fun plants I own. She’s easy to cultivate and grows very quickly. She is a falling plant and her stems can go up to 50cm in length. Her leaves have a unique pink and purple color which adds a beautiful tone of color to your apartment.

For this plant, you need to make sure the soil is not too dry, nor too wet before watering. If you’re not sure, just leave it and water it two days after. That’s what I do. But to be honest, I let the soil dry many times and nothing ever happened to her. She’s extremely resilient. Her ideal lighting is bright indirect light. Personally, mine receives direct sunlight every morning and she’s doing amazing. Again, she’s pretty resilient.

One thing to remember though is that her leaves are fragile and can easily break so make sure to place her in a spot where she won’t be touched.

Monstera Deliciosa

The next plant on my list of “easy houseplants to keep alive” is the monstera. The monstera is a climbing plant that can reach up to 2m in height. It’s a beautiful plant to have if you want your apartment to look like a jungle. She originates from Central America and is quite popular on social media for her wide leaves and tropical look. Her ideal environment is moderate lighting so bright indirect light. She can handle low light but in the long term, the plant will wither. She is also sensitive to over-watering so make sure you let the soil fully dry before watering her again.

Cactus

The last easy plant on my list is the cactus. Obviously, there are different types of cactuses but most of them are pretty low maintenance and require the same type of care. So, I am just grouping them under one plant.

To survive, a cactus only needs a strong direct light and water once every month. What I love about cactuses is that they hate water and can go without it for MONTHS! Like the snake plant, you have to wait for the soil to fully dry before watering them again. I do think that cactuses are more sensitive to over-watering (I know because I killed one) so I’d suggest not to water it too much or too often. For my small cactus, I just give her 4 tablespoons of water and that’s it (her pot doesn’t have drainage holes). Another thing I love about cactuses is that you don’t have to worry about cleaning their leaves or the humidity level. They are meant to handle dry environments which makes them low maintenance.

On a side note, in maturity, some types of cactuses can bloom beautiful scented flowers. I am still waiting for one to do that.