Houseplant Hobbyist TOP FIVE FOOLPROOF INDOOR PLANTS
AMBER WITH PHILODENDRON BRASIL
CHINESE EVERGREEN
GOLDEN POTHOS
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ooking for a new hobby to do at home? Give houseplants a try. These top five foolproof houseplants will add greenery to any home or office and survive near-neglect. One of the most common houseplants is the Golden Pothos. This plant can handle low light and little water. A Pothos can be watered every two weeks or once a month. The more sun the leaves get, the more variegated they are, but don’t put this plant in direct sun. If you want to fertilize, doing so every six months won’t hurt. Another easy houseplant in the same family as the Golden Pothos is the Heartleaf Philodendron. This vining plant does well in a hanging basket or with something it can climb, like a trellis or moss pole. The Heartleaf can survive low or medium, bright light. Forget to water? No problem; this plant is drought tolerant, meaning it can survive a missed watering. There is a variegated version of the Heartleaf known as the Philodendron Brasil. Need a plant for your windowless office? A Chinese Evergreen would be a great choice. The Evergreen can tolerate fluorescent lights with water every three weeks. This plant is slow and easy to grow with long, narrow leaves that feature silver patterns. The Evergreen is versatile and can survive many conditions: sunlight, fluorescent light, moist soil, dry soil and no fertilizer. The Zamioculcas zamiifolia, or ZZ, is a good option for a low-lit area where you can set it and forget it. 8 | THECONNECTION | July/August 2021
SNAKE PLANT
RAVEN ZZ
This plant is drought tolerant and can handle low light (fluorescent light works here, too.) This plant is a slow grower that won’t mature for years but when it grows, it really grows, showing off waxy-leaf-filled shoots that get tall and lanky. The Raven ZZ is another variegation of this plant. After the Golden Pothos, the Snake Plant is the most common and easy-to-grow houseplant. With dark green, sword-like leaves, this plant can survive being watered every two months. The Snake Plant will grow faster in bright light, but can handle a low-lit area of your home or office. A fascinating aspect of this plant is it grows “pups,” smaller snake plants that grow from the root ball. Once the “pups” mature, they can be transferred from the mother plant and potted on their own. A few final tips for beginners: before watering your plants, do the “finger test.” Check the soil of your plant by sticking half of your finger in the soil and if your finger comes out completely clean with no soil on it, then your plant most likely needs water. Also make sure your pots have bottom drain holes and that your plant has some sort of light, whether it’s sunlight or fluorescent. Last parting advice: don’t forget to check your plants for pests, daily if you can. There are many home remedies for pests that include dish soap, warm water, rubbing alcohol and pesticides. Don’t be intimidated by houseplants – let them spark passion. Happy planting! • w
Photos by Amber Hamilton
by Amber Hamilton
