14 “EASY” Plants + How To Keep Them Alive

I will not kill these plants. I will not kill these plants. I will not kill these plants. So determined this time around. And after our move, when our giant fiddle leaf fig tree passed to the other side, I decided I just can’t take it anymore! Breaks my heart! (And also my wallet.) But won’t give up on having green life in our home. Just won’t. Yes, they KIND OF stress me out… and sometimes I look the other way when I know they need my attention and I just CAN’T at the moment… BUT the joys outweigh the stresses. For sure. (And hopefully, as my black thumb becomes a lot more green… it won’t be hard at all to keep these beauties around.)

SO. This time will be different. And here is how:

I went to a really great grower this time. The plants here were more mature, fuller and very healthy. They hadn’t been transported all over creation and I liked that. Also like that it was local and we were able to talk with some VERY knowledgable people! (One guy in particular… loved him. He knew the scientific name for each plant by heart… when to water, what type of sunlight it needed, when to repot etc.) And that’s what I have been missing.

I do love those big box stores for their “one year guarantee”, yes. I may miss that. BUT most of the time I was too embarrassed to bring in my sad droopy/totally dead plants anyway.

I picked out all my favorites and at the end, got specific instructions from the grower about how to take care of them! How come I have never done this before?! ha! I wrote down the names of each, how much light they will need and set out a watering schedule to make things a whole lot easier.

All the plants I chose are pretty resilient indoor plants… so if you are looking to jungle up your place, this info may be useful! Here are their names and how to take care of them according to the best plant guy around:

Pothos – ideally, hang next to window. Check soil every 2 weeks or water when leaves begin to droop. Let drain before hanging again.

(This plant has been one of my long time favorites. It can be on the brink of death, leaves drooping to the ground and when you water it, it comes back to life. HAHA! It’s a great “starter” plant. )

Croton Petra – bright light, water once a week on the same day, well drained soil

Syngonium Podophyllum (White Butterfly) – Medium light, well drained watering, check every two weeks for dry soil. This plant will begin to fall when growing, can be a hanging plant or will grow up a stake.

Giant Bird of Paradise-  bright light but not directly in front of the window. Water twice a week or when soil is dry. May need less water in the winter months.

Hanging Ivy – Ivy prefers to be kept slightly dry. Let dry completely before watering again. Top soil completely dry. Hang in indirect light.

Maranta Leuconeura (Prayer Plant) – tolerant of low light conditions, well drained soil, check soil every 2 weeks

Philodendron Monstera Deliciosa (Split Leaf) – tolerant of low light, check every two weeks.

Sanseveria (Snake Plant) – tolerant of low light, check every 2 weeks for light brown soil.

Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily) – tolerant of lower light, water twice per week.

Philodendron Queen Ebony – bright light, water once a week on the same day.

Dieffenbachia (Snow Tropics) – bright light, water once a week on the same day.

Dracaena Warneckii – lower to medium light. wait until dry about halfway through the pot before watering again.

Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta – tolerant of low light conditions, well drained soil, check soil every 2 weeks. KEEP OUT OF REACH OF DOGS AND CATS.

Ficus Elastica (Rubber Tree Plant) – bright light, let soil dry to light brown before watering. check every 2 weeks.

Few other tips. Underwater is actually better for most plants because it causes their roots to grow stronger and deeper. (Great metaphor for adversity in life… no? ) HA! Make sure the soil is light brown and pretty dry before watering again.

Re-potting is usually necessary with store/nursery bought plants. He said to wait about 2 weeks for the plants to acclimate before repotting in soil. When doing this, take the soil they are already in and transfer into its pot. Add additional soil around the bottom and edges. Make sure your pot has enough drainage holes!

My home is slowly but surely becoming a forest of greenery! I’ll let you know how things go! I would also love to hear your favorite resilient plants that withstand it all! haha… (succulents and cactuses are also a great go-to for “draught” waterers.) We have those in abundance as well. But I wanted to move to more friendly, larger plants.

Big huge thanks to @casaplantas for all your help! He was so knowledgeable and nice. He’s just what we all need!

Hope this helps! Best of luck with that green thumb!