Plants add fragrance and colour to the home and can yield a number of health benefits, including air-purifying properties. However, people are sometimes put off investing in our green friends, as they’re worried about how to care for them. This is when easy houseplants for beginners come in handy. Even if you have little to no experience with plants, there are plenty of options to pick from.
Below we’ve listed a few of our favourite low-maintenance shrubs and blooms – houseplants that are the best ones to invest in if you wish to start your collection. They are all extremely easy to grow and can tolerate various elements, including overwatering, uneven or poor light, and high temperatures. These shrubs will thrive in both homes and offices, with certain blooms even able to thrive in shady corners.
Golden Pothos Vine
There is a reason the golden pothos (botanical name: Epipremnum pinnatum Aureum) is one of the most prevalent hanging plants in existence. In its native habitat, this shrub is a tree-swallowing monster with oversized green and yellow leaves. As a houseplant, however, it is able to thrive in pots or can grow in trailing baskets with little care.
The golden pothos can be easily rooted in a glass of water, and with the correct care, huge leaves that appear mottled may develop adding interest to various areas of your home.
The Spider Plant
The Spider Plant (botanical name: Chlorophytum) is an impressive shrub, to say the least. This plant easily grows in baskets or in pots on top of columns and boasts beautiful arching leaves. The variegated species is by far the most popular of all Spider Plant variants. Over time, a fully grown plant will showcase plantlets or offsets, which sit on top of long stems that boast an impressive hanging display.
These plantlets can be easily repotted to create new plants. Spider plants are a great option for those looking for low maintenance, easy houseplant for beginners as they are not fussy when it comes to water, light, or temperature.
Dracaena
There are many species of Dracaena to choose from, all of which are suited to the home and office environment, but best of all they’re easy houseplants for beginners. The D. draco and D. Marginata are two of the most popular low-maintenance variants available. This is mainly down to the fact they tolerate a huge number of conditions.
These plants boast elegant arching leaves that sprout from a woody stem. The leaves come in a variety of shades, comprising green, yellow, and green, or may even be tricolored. They originate from the agave family, and enjoy regular watering in the summer months, however, they prefer to be left almost dry throughout the winter months.
Succulents or cacti
There are a huge number of succulents and cacti that you can choose from, with a size and hue to suit all. In general, succulents come in the shape of desert plants that boast rich, thick, fleshy leaves, although some feature spines and some have none. Agave is one of the most popular succulents available, along with aloe and the prevalent echeveria rosettes.
Cacti tend to boast spines and detailed leaf structures, including columns, barrels, and paddles. As a family, succulents, and cacti are slow-growing shrubs that are able to tolerate tremendous neglect, which makes them an easy houseplant for beginners.
To ensure that your cacti are able to thrive, place them in bright light, in a well-drained pot, and give them only a little water. In the right environment, these plants make perfect companions for the beginner gardener.
Bromeliads
These shrubs have gained an unjust reputation, which is mainly down to the fact they seldom boast blooms. Although this is true, making these jungle plants flower in the home is a tricky task, but it isn’t impossible. They require a great deal of warmth and water, along with intense humidity and filtered light, in order to produce one of the showy flower spikes that they’re renowned for.
However, many variants of bromeliads feature stunning leaves that are attractive even without the flowers, which makes them a great option for the home and office, and also an option for amateur gardeners (especially if they fancy a challenge). Bromeliad plants are normally watered by filling the central cup. They require little fertilizer, and when pups appear around the bottom of the plant, these can be repotted to enhance your collection.
Lucky Bamboo
The Lucky Bamboo comes from the dracaena family (botanical name: Dracaena sanderiana). It is often described as the perennial office plant. These shrubs are able to thrive in awful conditions with little care, including sporadic waterings, bad lighting, and poor air quality. These are great plants to give as gifts, as many people believe they bring the recipient good luck and enhance the chi or energy of their surroundings.
Snake Plant or Mother in Laws Tongue
These plants come from the same family as the dracaena and liriope shrub. There are an array of varieties to choose from, including S. trifasciata or S. trifasciata laurentii, and both are exceptionally hardy shrubs which means they’re seen as easy houseplants for beginners. They enjoy plenty of light, but they can withstand low lighting too.
They’re also not too fussy when it comes to watering, provided that you don’t give them too much. In fact, they’d prefer to be underwatered than overwatered, as too much water can cause root rot which may ultimately kill your plant. Given these preferences, these plants can thrive in most home and office environments.
When repotting is necessary, the main clump of the plant can be easily divided. These plants are striking additions to a collection of other plants you may already own.
The snake plant boasts green bands on sword-like leaves, while the mother-in-law’s tongue features yellow leaf margins. Both are equally as striking and can be purchased in a range of sizes – ideal for a first gardener looking to add greenery to a shady corner of their home.
Source: thespruce.com
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