Avoid common pitfalls in indoor gardening by learning about the 12 worst indoor plants to have and how to care for them properly. This blog post sheds light on plants that might be challenging to grow and maintain indoors, along with valuable care tips to help you succeed in cultivating even the most demanding varieties.
Supplement your indoor plant knowledge with plants you didn’t know you could grow indoors and great indoor plants for beginners.
| Takeaways |
|---|
| When choosing indoor plants, it’s important to consider factors such as lighting, humidity, and temperature. |
| Some indoor plants are more challenging to care for than others, and it’s important to do your research before bringing them home. |
| Indoor plants offer numerous health benefits, including improving air quality and reducing stress. |
| Common problems with indoor plants include overwatering, underwatering, and pest infestations. |
| To keep your indoor plants healthy, make sure to provide them with proper care and monitor for any signs of stress or disease. |
Are you ready to take on the challenges of indoor gardening and conquer even the most difficult plants? Delve into this blog post and discover the secrets to caring for these demanding indoor plants.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo, or Dracaena sanderiana, is a beautiful houseplant that can be grown in water or soil. It’s an easy-to-care-for plant that will thrive with minimal attention.
Here are some tips for caring for lucky bamboo:
Planting lucky bamboo in a pot filled with gravel and water will help keep the roots damp and allow them to breathe.
You can also place your lucky bamboo in a vase of water with rocks at the bottom (as long as there’s still room for oxygen). If you prefer to leave your plant in soil, use a light potting mix that drains well but retains moisture for best results.
To propagate new plants from an existing one, simply cut off its branches after they’ve grown to 6 inches long and placed them in fresh water until they root on their own—it should only take two weeks!
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Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is a succulent plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall. These plants need to be kept in a sunny spot, with good air circulation and soil that drains well.
It also needs to be watered regularly, but not too much. If you are using an artificial light source such as a fluorescent bulb or LED lamp, you’ll need to increase the amount of water your Aloe Vera receives since these bulbs do not emit enough heat for the plant to thrive.
Philodendron
Philodendron is a popular houseplant that many people like to keep and grow in their homes. However, it’s one of the worst indoor plants to have, as it can be toxic to both cats and dogs.
Philodendrons are large plants with thick leaves (the plant itself is so big that it can be mistaken for a small tree). It also produces aerial roots that look like vines or snakes, which grow up from its base.
The leaves of Philodendrons range from green to variegated colors of green and yellow on top of being smooth or shiny in texture.
As an indoor plant, Philodendron requires special care because they don’t do well when exposed to bright light or direct sun exposure for extended periods of time; therefore, keeping them indoors isn’t recommended unless you know how much sunlight your area gets every day which may not be enough for this type of plant!
Cast-Iron Plant
One of the most common houseplants that people buy, the Cast-Iron Plant is actually a tropical plant. While it can be found in other regions, it will not thrive in them.
The Cast-Iron Plant is a slow growing plant that needs bright light but not direct sunlight. It also needs moist soil, but well drained soil where the roots aren’t sitting in water all day long.
If you have a tendency to overwater your plants (or forget to water them), this one may be best left on the shelf at your local plant store until you get better at keeping up with maintenance chores like watering indoor plants and repotting indoor plants every few years.
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Jade Plant
A jade plant is a succulent that’s toxic to cats, dogs and humans. It’s also toxic to birds, fish and bees.
The jade plant’s leaves are poisonous when ingested by cats or dogs in large quantities, which means they should never be kept in the same room as your pets even if they seem like they want to play with them.
This is especially true if you have young children who might accidentally put their hands on the plants and rub their eyes afterward.
Begonia Rex
If you want to grow Begonia Rex and keep it indoors, good luck. You’ll need a lot of it Begonia Rex is a tender plant and should not be kept indoors.
These plants need full sun and high humidity, so they’re not ideal for an indoor environment. They also need soil that drains well (so avoid clay pots) and should be watered regularly; if they dry out, they’ll die quickly.
Rubber Plant
Rubber plants are also known as Ficus elastica, and they’re a pretty common indoor plant. They’re easy to care for, but they can be tricky and require regular attention.
To make sure your rubber plant thrives, give it plenty of light (about eight hours a day) and water it whenever the soil is dry.
While most people think that rubber plants need to be watered once every week or so, you should really only do this if you see that the soil is completely dry otherwise, over-watering can cause root rot.
As far as fertilizer goes, don’t fertilize too often because it’s not necessary once every two months is more than enough for most houseplants (including rubber plants).
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Peace Lily
The peace lily is a beautiful, low maintenance plant that can be grown indoors or outdoors. It needs little light to thrive and thrives in water or soil. It’s also easy to grow in hanging baskets or pots.
The peace lily is one of the few perennials that even novice gardeners can easily grow with minimal care. You don’t need much light (as long as you don’t live in an area with extremely bright sunlight), they like moist but not wet soil and they thrive on neglect!
This plant can tolerate temperatures from 60-80°F (15-27°C) so it will do well in a variety of climates.
They are great for indoor spaces because their dark green leaves create a lush atmosphere wherever they’re placed – especially when combined with other plants that have lighter foliage colors like white or yellow flowers.
Dragon Tree
If you’re looking for an easy-care plant, the dragon tree is your new best friend. This tropical plant has a long stem, which makes it ideal for growing indoors. It can be grown in the ground or in a pot, and it requires little maintenance once established.
However, if you want yours to grow larger than one foot tall (which is pretty small), then you might need to prune it occasionally and make sure not to get cut by the thorns on the ends of its branches!
The dragon tree is poisonous if eaten, so keep that in mind when deciding where your dragon tree will go. As with any other houseplant: don’t let curious kids near it!
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Calathea Ornata
Calathea ornata, commonly known as the lady palm, is a beautiful tropical plant with leaves that look like flowers. This makes it a great option for beginners trying their hand at indoor gardening.
Lady palms can be grown in pots or in the ground and can survive in any climate. They grow best in full sun but will also tolerate shade and indirect light.
They don’t need much water to thrive, so you’ll only have to water them occasionally (around once every ten days).
When you’re ready to transplant your lady palm into your garden or move it indoors for winter, just make sure that it’s planted on top of some pebbles so that excess moisture drains away from its roots so they don’t rot or get too wet during heavy rainstorms or humid summer months!
Areca Palm
If you have a cat or dog, the areca palm is not the plant for you. If ingested by your pet, it can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Even if they just chew on the leaves, they can get mouth irritation and excessive drooling due to the oils in their sap.
In short: if you have small children or pets that like to put things in their mouths (like my kids do), then an areca palm is probably best avoided altogether!
Red-Edged Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
How to care for it: This plant needs soil that drains well, so add some gravel or sand to the bottom of your pot. Water only when the top of the soil is dry and reduce watering in winter, allowing the soil to become almost completely dry at this time.
In summer, increase water to keep it moist but not soggy; if you have consistently high temperatures in your home during this time of year, provide some shading.
Propagate by taking cuttings from tip growth when they are 6-12 inches long; use a rooting hormone on each end of the cutting before planting them in moistened peat moss or perlite. Propagate from seed as well just let them sit out until they germinate; this may take up to two months! Add fertilizer sparingly (maybe once every six months).
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Conclusion
While it’s important to be aware of the toxic effects of some plants, don’t let this list scare you! There are still plenty of options for indoor plants that are beautiful and safe.
Remember, many of the toxic chemicals found in these plants also occur naturally in our bodies.
So as long as you keep an eye out for symptoms like nausea or vomiting which could indicate an allergic reaction, then your home should be fine with any one of these wonderful indoor plants.
Further Reading
For more information on indoor plants and plant care, check out these helpful resources:
The Worst Houseplants and How to Keep Them Alive: This article provides a list of the most challenging houseplants to care for, along with tips on how to keep them healthy.
The Best and Worst Indoor Plants According to Vastu Shastra: This article explores the relationship between indoor plants and Vastu Shastra, a traditional Indian system of architecture and design.
The Hardest Plant to Grow Indoors: This article discusses some of the most challenging indoor plants to grow and offers tips for overcoming common obstacles.
FAQs
What are the easiest indoor plants to care for?
Some of the easiest indoor plants to care for include snake plants, pothos, ZZ plants, and spider plants. These plants require minimal watering and can tolerate a wide range of lighting conditions.
What are the benefits of having indoor plants?
Indoor plants have numerous health benefits, including improving air quality, reducing stress, and boosting mood and productivity.
How often should I water my indoor plants?
The frequency of watering depends on the type of plant, the size of the container, and the environmental conditions. As a general rule, most indoor plants require watering once a week, but it’s important to monitor the soil moisture and adjust accordingly.
What are some common problems with indoor plants?
Some common problems with indoor plants include overwatering, underwatering, pest infestations, and environmental stressors such as temperature fluctuations or low humidity.
How can I improve the health of my indoor plants?
To improve the health of your indoor plants, make sure to provide them with proper lighting, watering, and humidity. It’s also important to monitor for pests and diseases and to fertilize regularly with a balanced fertilizer.
For 15 years, Hellen James has worked in the gardening industry as an expert and landscape designer. During her career, she has worked for a variety of businesses that specialize in landscaping and gardening from small firms to large corporations.