3 Low Maintenance Houseplants to Fill Your Living Space With

If you resonated with any of those sentiments, this article is for you. The truth is, you can have the best of both worlds and fill your living space with beautiful plants without the hassle of watering them daily. Keep reading for the best low maintenance house plant recommendations that don’t require a lot of watering. 

Spider Plant 

The Spider Plant is one of the easiest plants to grow and maintain. It gets its name because of the spider-like plants that grow off of the mother plant. Its leaves grow to 12-15 inches long and have green and white stripes coloring the leaves. The Spider Plant grows best in bright, indirect sunlight, and should be kept in a hanging basket or tall pot to let the dangling baby plants grow. 

One of the coolest things about the Spider Plant is that it’s easy to propagate and share with others. To propagate, cut the plantlets from the mother plant when they are about 1-2 inches long – be sure to keep the roots intact. Place the plantlets in a well-draining pot and fill it with slightly moist soil. Allow the roots to develop, and then replant the new Spider Plant when the roots grow too big for the container.  

Spider Plant Care: 

• Water it once a week. Check the soil to see if it’s dry. If the soil is moist, wait another day to water it. You don’t want the soil to get too wet because that can lead to root rot. The plant likes to be dried out from time to time. 
• Place the Spider Plant on a shelf or surface that allows the plant’s leaves to hang down. You don’t want them to get crushed. 
• Place the plant in front of a bright window that gets a lot of indirect sunlight. Too much direct sunlight can dry out the leaves.
• Re-pot the plant whenever the roots grow too big. 

Pothos 

The Pothos is known for its dark green leaves splashed with white spots. It’s also known as devil’s ivy because it’s so difficult to kill – which is perfect for those who can’t keep plants alive for long. 

Propagating the Pothos is simple. Whenever the mother plant gets too leafy or full, simply snip off the excess stem with about 4-6 inches of stem available. Make sure there’s 4-5 leaves on the stem that you cut off. Then, there are two methods for growing the new plant. The first way is to place the new plant stems in a jar of water where it gets plenty of indirect sunlight. About a month after the roots begin to show, transport the plant to a pot with soil. The second way is to dip the cut stem in rooting hormones, and then plant it in a mixture of peat moss and sand. The roots should grow within 2-3 months and you can transfer the plant to a larger pot whenever the roots outgrow their existing container. 

Pothos Care: 

• Water it every 1-2 weeks. Allow the soil to slightly dry out before watering it again. If the plant gets a large amount of sunlight, you might have to water it more often, so check the soil to be sure when to water it. 
• Keep the plant in bright, indirect sunlight. It can handle low levels of indirect sunlight, but it doesn’t do well under intense, direct sunlight.
• If the Pothos leaves are yellowing or if the stems turn black, this is a sign you’re watering it too often. Cut back on watering to allow it to regain its vibrant color. 
• Plant it in a well-draining pot to allow excess water to leave the soil and roots. 

ZZ Plant

ZZ Plants have shiny leaves that grow upward. The leaves have a waxy appearance with deep green tones that can sometimes appear artificial. It’s a slow growing plant and only grows to about 2-3 feet at most. Be careful to keep the plant away from pets and young children because it is poisonous if ingested. 

To propagate the ZZ Plant, cut a stem at the base and place it in water. Change the water every 3-4 weeks. Place the new plant in a windowsill near indirect sunlight. When at least one inch of new roots have grown, re-pot the plant. Make sure the pot has plenty of drainage to allow the roots to grow without too much water. 

ZZ Plant Care: 

• Water it every 2-3 weeks. Allow the soil to dry out in between waterings. 
• If the leaves are wilting or curling, you probably haven’t watered the plant enough. If the leaves are yellowing, you probably overwatered it. 
• Keep the plant in indirect sunlight. It can tolerate low amounts of sunlight, but don’t let it get too much direct sunlight. 

Here you have 3 low-maintenance plants to keep in your house to liven the living area up. Once you’ve mastered these plants, you can move onto more time consuming plant care, but these are good beginner options.