9 Low Maintenance Plants for Your Apartment
If you’re a notorious plant killer and you live in an apartment, you’ll be happy to know there are low maintenance plants out there that will survive your neglect. Don’t feel bad if plants haven’t survived on your watch – we’ve all been there. Just be grateful knowing that after reading this post, you’ll be able to buy at least 9 plants that are likely to stay alive for years to come.
If your apartment doesn’t get much direct sunlight throughout the day, chances are those beautiful, exotic plants you just bought won’t make it. Bring them back to the store (do they even take back plants?) and exchange them for these awesome, low maintenance plants.
9 low maintenance plants you can’t easily kill
1. Pothos plant (Epipremnum aureum)
About: Pothos plants are very low maintenance plants. You don’t need to freak out when you realize you haven’t watered them in 2 weeks. They’re great for beginners and don’t require much care. They reduce toxins in the air, especially ones that reside in carpets and area rugs.
Basic care: Let the soil dry out completely before watering it again. Do not over-water, otherwise the plant will rot. You can keep it in a low-light area. You can use regular soil when planting.
2. Snake plant (Sansevieria)
About: The snake plant, which is also known as the “mother-in-law’s tongue” (offensive much?), is one of the easiest plants to take care of. You can neglect it for weeks at a time and it will still keep its upright shape and will look fresh. The snake plant will purify the air in your apartment and will get rid of toxins such as formaldehyde and benzene.
Basic care: Do not over-water it. In fact, let it dry completely before watering it again. Put it in indirect sunlight. That’s about it.
3. Indoor succulents
About: Succulents are made to retain water for long periods of time, so you don’t need to water them often. They’re nearly indestructible, so if you manage to kill one, you should probably just stick to fake plants.
Basic care: Place them near a window or wherever you get the most sunlight in your apartment. Water them infrequently, but when you do, make sure to soak them. You also need to make sure there’s proper drainage in your pot (rocks/pebbles will do).
4. Jade plant (Crassula ovata)
About: Jade plants are fairly low maintenance plants. They don’t need a lot of sunlight during the day, and you don’t need to water them often. You also don’t need to use a lot of soil when planting.
Basic care: Make sure it gets at least 3 hours of sunlight per day. Let the soil dry completely between waterings. Soak it when watering.
5. Lucky bamboo
About: If you’re a beginner, this plant is a great choice. You can place the lucky bamboo in a container of water – you don’t even need to plant it in soil. You can even buy them ready-made so all you need to do is refill the container with water every now and then.
Basic care: Position it in indirect sunlight. Fill up the container with water whenever it gets too low (2-3 inches of water to cover the roots). You’ll have to water the lucky bamboo plant once every week or so.
6. Cactus
About: Since cacti are desert dwellers, it should come to no surprise that they like direct sunlight and they do not require a lot of water.
Basic care: Place your cactus in direct sunlight for at least 4 hours a day if possible. Only water it once the soil is completely dry, otherwise the roots can rot. Use potting soil that is made for cacti. Check out this guide for more info on how to care for cacti.
7. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
About: The spider plant is one of the most adaptable plants and they’re very easy to grow indoors. You just need to plant them in well-drained soil and water them once in a while to keep them alive.
Basic care: You can water the spider plant once every 2-3 weeks. Do not over-water it because the roots can rot. Place it in indirect sunlight.
8. Heartleaf philodendron
About: The heartleaf philodendron is ridiculously low maintenance. It doesn’t need much care, and it needs moderate lighting.
Basic care: It needs indirect sunlight and some water every now and again. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Put pebbles at the bottom of the pot so the roots don’t rot.
9. Artificial plants
About: If all else fails, get an artificial plant. There are some awesome ones out there that are relatively cheap (Ikea, Homesense, Marshalls). You can place fake ones in harder-to-reach places because you never have to water them.
Basic care: None.
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