Easy Peasy Plant Care
Here's a handy guide for purchasing and caring for easy plants (plus some more hefty herbage suggestions for the green thumbs).
Large leaf house plant Monstera deliciosa. Getty Images.
Key:
* = Low Water/Low Light
***** = High Water / Bright Light
Pothos | Epipremnum aureum
Light: **
Medium to bright filtered light, eastern or western window. Can tolerate low light from northern windows
Water: *
Water when top inch of the soil feels dry
Soil: All-purpose potting soil
Size: More than ten feet long, as it is a trailing/ vining plant
Spider plant | Chlorophytum comosum
Light: ***
Bright, indirect light, eastern or western window
Water: **
Water when top half inch of the soil feels dry, occasional misting
Soil: All-purpose potting soil
Size: Around twelve inches tall
Snake plant | Sansevieria
Light: ***
Bright, indirect light, but can tolerate low light
Water: *
Water when the top inch or two of the soil feels dry
Soil: Well-draining potting mix
Size: Between one and three feet tall
Aloe vera | Aloe vera
Light: ***
Bright light, southern or western window
Water: *
Water when top inch of the soil feels dry, let dry
out between waterings
Soil: Well-draining cactus and succulent mix
Size: Between one to three feet tall
ZZ plant | Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Light: *
Low light
Water: *
Water when top inch of soil feels dry, let dry out
between waterings
Soil: Peat- or bark-based potting mix
Size: Between one to three feet tall
Philodendron | Philodendron
Light: ***
Bright, indirect light
Water: *
Water when top inch of soil feels dry
Soil: Well-draining potting mix
Size: Up to twenty feet long, six feet wide
Don’t miss these other easy-peasy plants:
Rubber plant, Peace lily, Dumb cane, Chinese evergreen and Majesty palm
Go Big or Go Home
To help fill up empty space and add some life to your home, bring out the big guns with this hefty herbage.
Fiddle-leaf fig | Ficus lyrata
Light: ***
Bright, indirect eastern light
Water: *
Water when top inch of soil feels dry
Soil: All-purpose potting soil
Size: Can grow to six to ten feet tall
Monstera | Monstera deliciosa
Light: ***
Bright, indirect eastern light, but can also grow in
lower light conditions
Water: *
Water when top inch of soil feels dry.
Monsteras love humidity
Soil: All-purpose potting soil
Size: Can grow to six to eight feet tall
Parlor palm | Chamaedorea elegans, Syn. Neanthe bella
Light: *
Low, northern light. Avoid direct sun
Water: *
Water when top inch feels dry
Soil: All-purpose potting soil or
cactus/succulent mix
Size: Can grow to three
to four feet tall
