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My Favourite Easy to Care For House Plants

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By Lee Anne Stark (threegardeners)
April 25, 2008 Mail this article
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Views: 1,884

We all love to have plants in the house. The reality is that we all don't always have the time to properly care for fussy green things. Here are a few that I have found are the most forgiving.

Gardening picture

I currently have over a hundred house plants. I have learned over the years that some are easier to care for than others. In this article I will go over the ones I believe to be the easiest of them all. Pictured at the right is a Schefflera. Easy, low maintenance. I keep it in a South facing window in the winter. That isn't very bright here in Canada. It is very forgiving if watering is not consistent. I've never seen a bug bother it.

	This is known as Oak Leaf Ivy(Cissus rhombifolia). Unlike many ivies I have known, this one is not prone to the dreaded spider mite. It does not need extra humidity in the winter when the house is dry. Its new leaves are a beautiful copper colour when grown in a bit of sun. They actually like to be dried out between waterings!!!
Episcia are one of my passions. Their leaves come in almost every colour imaginable. They do not require sun, just bright light. The one pictured to the right(E. Showtime) is grown in a north facing window. The pink leaved ones are fussier, but the rest are very low maintenance.
	One of my favourites, Hoya Carnosa, wax plant. Quite happy in bright light and forgiving if under-watered occasionally. Prefers to be root-bound so we don't have to worry about re-potting it every year. Again, the plant pictured here I grow in a north facing window.
Heart Leaf Philodendron. One of the easiest vines. Medium light requirements, the one pictured is in a north window BEHIND the Hoya. Poisonous, so care is needed around children and pets.
	Any of the holiday cactus are nice, easy plants. They only become difficult if you worry about making them bloom. Mine thrive on neglect, and bloom as well. The one pictured is to the side of a north window.
This is known a Ric Rac cactus. It is a jungle cactus, just as the holiday cactus are. This one gets south and west light exposure. Not particularly fussy about watering.

All of the above plants will thrive if their individual needs are met. All house plants will. My main point here is that when our jobs, life or family occasionally stand between us and the care of our plants, which happens, these plants will understand. They won't die or pout or sulk, they will survive, and when the time comes that we can continue the proper care they will bounce back. Sure, the odd leaf might yellow, or brown at the edges and drop, but they will not outright die on you. They are dependable.

You must also keep in mind that I live in Canada. Where I live our summer temperatures rarely go above 90F. Our nights are always cool. What survives for me through a period of neglect may not do as well for a person living in Texas.

All of the photos are my own. These are some of the most dependable house plants I have, they survive anything I throw at them and bounce back with joy. Please consider them when next you are plant shopping.

About Lee Anne Stark

I am an avid gardener who shares my gardens with 2 other equally avid gardeners. I garden for fun and relaxation, never paying attention to the rules!! During the long, cold winter months I occupy my time playing with over a hundred house plants, my six cats and two dogs.

Subject: Campenula's

Posted by Jorgen (from Oshawa, Ontario
(Canada)) on May 11, 2008 at 9:02 PM:
Any info regarding planting and care of in the garden would be appreciated. My wife got a container with a variety of plants, one of them be a campenula. I would like to transfer it into the garden in the fall if in fact it is a perenial. Any help!!
...
Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on May 11, 2008 at 9:08 PM:
Hi Jorgen, I was born and raised in Oshawa, welcome to Dave's garden!!

If you have a Campanula(Bellflower) it can go in the garden any time now. Set it out gradually for a few hours a day for a couple weeks to harden it off and then you can put it in the garden. They will grow in sun or shade.
...

Subject: Thanks

Posted by zdigging1 (from Mountain City, TN) on April 30, 2008 at 4:30 AM:
I am into plants but have none of these; I will have to give them a try. I like shamrock plants which I just cut back when they get ugly! Cactus do real well for me too.
...

Subject: Thanks for the great suggestions!

Posted by CapeCodGardener (from Mid-Cape, MA) on April 25, 2008 at 8:44 AM:
Another great article, Lee Anne. I especially appreciated the details on the light exposure your pictured house plants get. I have several less-than-ideal north facing windows that could use a plant to perk them up!
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 25, 2008 at 10:40 AM:
Somehow, Lee Anne, I worry that my neglect is deeper than yours. . . but there's always next fall, after their summer parole is over and they're back in jail again and beg me for some cell-mates, I mean new plants. xx, Carrie
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on April 25, 2008 at 6:37 PM:
Lee Anne, does your hoya bloom? I had some when I was a kid, and I was so excited to see it bloom.
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on April 25, 2008 at 6:44 PM:
It does bloom!! I can smell it through the whole house when it does. Didn't bloom this year though, the cats knocked a bunch of peduncles off while chasing snow flakes through the window this winter.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 25, 2008 at 6:48 PM:
LOL - did they catch any snow flakes, though?
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Posted by threegardeners (from North Augusta, ON) on April 25, 2008 at 7:00 PM:
nope...
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Posted by Pagancat (from Gainesboro, TN) on April 25, 2008 at 9:31 PM:
Do you have any other Hoyas? I've found the 'Shooting Star' and the one with the really small leaves and cinnamon-y scent to be very easy and almost constantly in bloom (okay, no comments about the names, I haven't had a chance to research them yet!).
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Posted by gessiegail (from Taft, TX) on April 26, 2008 at 12:31 AM:
Lee Anne, it is such a different world where I live. The plants you mentioned above as houseplants stay outside on the front porch year around. I do put poly during the colder months but the plants are actually happier outside than inside my house.

I love your articles and it is fun to see what grows where geographically........I do grow episcias though in the house and love them.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 26, 2008 at 2:16 PM:
My plants are almost always happier outside, it's just that they wouldn't survive much of the year there! x, Carrie
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Posted by valzone5 (from Mountain Top, PA) on April 28, 2008 at 11:49 AM:
I have the beautiful variegated Hoya and it's really getting long tendrils now. Would I need to fertilize it to make it bloom? It's in a large pot and I never done it through the 4 yrs. I've had it. Thanks!
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