Tried and True Indoor Plants

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I have always loved plants, and despite what some of my friends might believe, I haven’t always kept them all miraculously alive. After years of trial and error (and lots of dead plants) I have narrowed down to a few that are winners for me. These tried and true indoor plants should work for you too! But before we dive into the greenery, some additional info so that you get as much mileage as possible from my tips.

A Note to Start

First, I live in southern Arizona, which means we have about 330 days a year of (hot) sunshine. (Check out my front yard here!) It’s more common for me to roast a plant than for it to suffer from too little light. In addition, things dry out pretty quickly hear, so I may water a little more often due to lack of humidity. While these tips have worked for me, remember every home, plant, and person is different! You’ll likely still need to go through some trial and error of your own until you find what works best for you. Lastly, in my experience, a lot of indoor plants can be toxic or poisonous. Make sure you have yours out of reach of any kids or pets who might be tempted.

Read on to see my recommendations, tips on caring for them and some photos of my personal favorites!

#1 – Snake Plant

My favorite variety of Sansevieria trifasciata has attractive yellow edges and mottled green centers. They have gotten quite popular over the last few years and with good reason: striking leaves, fast growing, and equally happy with both natural and artificial light. I have mine set next to a west-facing sliding glass door, so it gets bright indirect light that reflects off the wall opposite. That being said, it doesn’t require much light. In a previous home, it was next to a north-facing french door under a deep patio, so relatively little light.

Tips for your snake plant:

• Water deeply once a week as snake plants like a relatively moist soil.
• A tall sided planter will help to keep the leaves upright, but like me, you might have to stand the planter in a corner for additional support.
• Snake plants like their roots cozy, so you don’t need a huge pot or planter.
• It’s wildly easy to propagate snake plants. Pull or cut a blade off the main plant and then cut into 4-6 inch sections, remembering which end was originally pointing up. Stick them in some soil (right side up) and you’ll have roots and new leaves before you know it.
• Don’t be afraid to cut off or pull leaves that have yellowed or gone limp.

#2 – Crown of Thorns

Crown of Thorns or Euphorbia milii is actually a succulent of sorts. While it might seem like a strange pick for my list of tried and true indoor plants, it’s one of the few I’ve found that will consistently and easily flower indoors. This prickly little guy grows well in a bright sunny window or hallway. Though it comes in a variety of types and colors, I like mine with pretty coral colored flowers (or bracts, actually). Mine sits in a colorful planter with it’s own saucer on my entryway table. It gets bright diffused light through glass blocks in the first half of the day, and then dimmer afternoon light from the other direction for the remainder. It has been blooming non-stop since I picked it up about 6 months ago.

Tips for your Crown of Thorns:

• Water this one once a week – or every 10 days if leaves start to yellow.
• Plant in a sandy type soil in a pot/planter that has good drainage.
• Regularly rotate if the light is coming from one side, otherwise it will grow unevenly.
• Caution! This plant is poisonous and has thorns so keep out of reach of kids or pets, or anyone else who might think about taking a swipe at it.

#3 – Golden Pothos

I’m willing to bet that you may already have a golden or neon pothos in your house. These are so popular and have been since the 70’s, so I hardly need to make the recommendation. Botanically known as Epipremnum aureum, the golden pothos is a great option that thrives the more light you give it. They grow very quickly and make it easy to bring in a lot of green to a place that may not have a ton of light. It is a trailing vine, so it will head toward light, but it does not have tendrils, and so will not damage walls or become hopelessly entangled in any of your belongings. I have one that belonged to my grandmother that has been around for years and years and it still looks great. I actually keep that one outside and have a cutting from it growing inside.

Tips for your Golden Pothos:

• Water once a week or every 10 days. You should wait to water until the soil feels dry.
• Turn your pothos regularly (or rearrange the vines) as they will travel toward light.
• Let it be dramatic! Vines can be trained on a small trellis or set it at the top of a bookcase and let the vines trail down.

Hoya

This is a new one in my repertoire. I inherited a mature Hoya carnosa from a family member, so mine is probably 15 years old, at least. It hung in a north-facing kitchen window for about 12 years where it did relatively well. However, in the 3-4 years I’ve had it, it’s bloomed at least once a year – a total surprise to the previous owner! Hoyas have gorgeous glossy leaves and wild twining vines that will wrap around anything they can reach – mine grows into the clothes on the coat rack next to it. Their flowers are very unique and striking. You may also have seen a variety of this plant with pink or white variegation on the leaves.

Tips for your Hoya carnosa:

• Water once a week, more often if you see flower buds.
• Flowers will return in the same place, so don’t cut off spent “spurs”.
• Don’t cut vines that appear dead, they may revive (learned that one the hard way!)
• You may want to wipe down the leaves occasionally – mine get a little dusty and lose their shine.

Begonia ‘Looking Glass’

Now, if you had asked me if I liked begonias a couple years ago, the answer would have been a resounding no. I always thought of the glossy dark green leaves and pink and yellow flowers of wax begonias – not my thing. Then I chanced upon this ‘Looking Glass’ hybrid and I very cautiously brought it home from the grocery store, hoping I could keep it alive. I’ve had great luck with it and will likely try some other similar hybrids to see if they do as well.

Tips for your ‘Looking Glass’ begonia:

• Water deeply once a week but be sure is fully dry before watering.
• Turn regularly to get even growth.
• Place near a source of bright diffused light – near a window with curtains or window with reflected light.
• Be careful – it’s a pretty delicate plant so if you bump it, a branch or leaf may fall.

Lacy Tree Philodendron

Oh, the mysterious bunch of plants that may or may not be split-leaf philodendron, or Monstera deliciosa, or swiss-cheese plant… Honestly, the internet is a mess when it comes to identifying plants that have become popular, but I’ve done my best to make sure the information I provide to you is accurate. After lots of reading and sourcing (and double checking), I’m confident in saying that I’m the proud owner of a lacy tree philodendron or Philodendron bipinnatifidum. This is another amazing plant that I inherited. It’s probably about 15 years old as well, which accounts for the crowded situation in the planter. This plant is wonderfully lush and green, and produces new leaves regularly. I’ve found this to be very easy to care for, the only caveat being that it is sensitive to hot direct sunlight.

Tips for your Lacy Tree Philodendron:

• Water deeply once every couple of weeks. If the leaves start to yellow, you’ve waited too long.
• Plant in a well draining planter (you’ll likely want a saucer underneath)
• These do well outdoors too – great for a shady patio (in Arizona, anyway)
• Turn often – leaves grow toward the light and it will look uneven quickly.

I love a good houseplant, and I’m looking for new favorites to try all the time – much too often for my husband’s taste! It’s so nice to have a little bit of the outdoors inside. Not to mention so many houseplants have air cleaning benefits that can help you to breathe a little easier. What is your favorite indoor plant? Share your faves in the comments below so I can find something new to try.