Houseplants That Are Hard to Kill

I’ve killed enough houseplants in my time.  So I decided a couple of years ago to stop buying pretty plants on impulse and start researching plants that would actually survive in my house!  In this blog post, I’ve put together a list of personally-tested low-maintenance indoor plants.   These are great for beginners in that are easy to care for or perfect for someone who is just tired of their plant babies ending up in the compost.  Read on to find a list of 8 houseplants that are hard to kill!

Indoor Plants that are Easy to Care for

The first thing I want to be clear about is that I do not have a green thumb.  I’ve killed DOZENS of houseplants throughout the years and wasted so much money on replacing them, only to have them die again.  This is why I wanted to put this list together for people like myself who don’t know much about houseplants but want to add easy-care plants to their homes.

The plants that I’ve included on this list have been alive in my home for 2-10+ years.  If you are able to keep a plant alive for a full year, then I call that a success!

Living in Calgary, Alberta I usually lean towards purchasing succulent houseplants due to our extremely dry climate. Succulents grow well with minimal water and good direct and indirect sunlight. You can also research how to separate succulent “babies” as they grow and pot new plants, saving you additional money! I have done this many times and had much success!

Houseplants That Are Hard to Kill

Here is my list of houseplants that are hard to kill! They grow easily indoors with minimal watering in the summer AND winter months.  See a few of my houseplant care tips at the bottom of this post.

Aloe Vera

Aloe barbadensis miller

One of the most common houseplants is Aloe Vera as there are over 500 different species.  This attractive, spikey plant is very low maintenance and grows well anywhere in your home.   Aloe Vera plants are useful, too, as the gel from their leaves can be used to relieve pain from scrapes and burns when applied topically.

Monstera 

Monstera deliciosa

This tropical plant is also known as the Swiss cheese plant because of the holes in its broad green leaves. I love its palm leaf vibes for indoor decorating!  I transport mine outside to my covered patio during the summer and back into my office in the winter.  Monstera is a vining plant and they like to trail over the side of the pot.

Snake Plant

Sansevieria

You’ll want to buy it because of its alias: mother-in-law’s tongue. The Snake plant is so low-maintenance that you may even forget you have it. It even does well in darker areas so use it in north or east-facing rooms in your house without lots of sunlight. The Snake Plant also removes toxins from the air in your home. We own four in our home and I love this one in the corner of our stairway as shown here.

Jade

Crassula ovata

The most low-maintenance succulent that I’ve ever owned and never killed. They can grow quite large if you continue to re-pot as needed. Grow new Jade plants from well-established ones. They are beautiful on their own or as part of a succulent bowl.

Cactus

Cacti need very minimal care and love to just be left alone for the most part. There are so many varieties to choose from! On the flip side, cactus plants grow very slowly so you’ll need to be patient. Purchasing a bigger cactus can be expensive and hard to find but groupings of small ones in individual pots can be a great way to decorate.

Prayer Plant

Maranta leuconeura

I purchased this plant over ten years ago and it is still going strong! The Prayer Plant gets its name from the fact that its leaves stay flat during the day and then fold up like praying hands at night. It’s pretty cool!  It is somewhat tolerant of low light conditions but it does best in bright, indirect sunlight.

Yucca

Y. elephantipes

This yucca! We purchased it for $20 from Ikea over ten years ago and it’s grown to over 8 feet tall! I swear we cannot kill this plant. We have repotted it twice over the years but we had to break each pot to remove the plant. The roots coil so tightly around the inner space. If you want an indoor plant that will grow quickly to fill up space, then this is it! Trim back yellow or brown leaves as new leaves grow.

Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Ficus lyrata

Perhaps one of the more difficult plants to care for on this list but mine has done so well that I wanted to include it.  The Fiddle-Leaf Fig plant grows quickly with large green leaves making it an eye-catcher in any room.  These plants can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors.  See my tips below for how to care for this plant and to avoid root rot or losing leaves along the trunk.

 Houseplant Care Tips for Success

Here are a few houseplant care tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way.

1. Keep your plant in its original plastic nursery container from the plant store until it’s established in your home or longer if possible. This allows for good drainage when watering. Place it into a slightly bigger decorative pot to hide the original.
2. Water your plant when the top 2″ of soil becomes dry.  Usually Do this by placing it into the sink, bathtub or shower.  Water thoroughly and allow the potted plant to sit and drain for 4-6 hours.  This will prevent “root rot” (that Fiddle-leaf Figs and Snake Plants are especially susceptible too).  This occurs when a plant is overwatered and too much moisture stays in the bottom of the plant.
3. Fertilize once a month, spring through fall, with plant fertilizer.
4. Most of these plants do best in bright, sunny rooms in your home, especially during the winter.

Where to Shop for Houseplants

I love to shop locally for a lot of my houseplants.  You will find a MUCH better selection and a wealth of knowledge with these small businesses.

If you are local to Calgary or Cochrane, check out:

The Plant Place in Cochrane

Plant Plant in Inglewood