Growing up, I honestly thought indoor plants were just for aesthetic purposes. I had no idea of the amazing benefits they have for your physical AND mental health.
Various studies have proven that indoor plants do the following PLUS more:
- Humidify the air and decrease dust to help fight viruses that cause colds and coughs
- Filter indoor air pollutants
- Boost mood, productivity, and concentration (by up to 15%!)
- Helps lower heart rate and blood pressure
- Reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue
- Improves sleep
#DidYouKnow
We spend about 90 percent of our time indoors, according to the Environmental Protection Agency- and that time spent inside exposes us to indoor air pollution.
That’s why it’s so important to purify the inside of our homes.
In fact, a NASA study suggests one plant every 100 sq feet of your home for optimum health benefits!
We all know developing a green thumb takes a lot of knowledge and experience, but since I don’t want you to miss out on all the plant benefits – I created a list of the best, low-maintenance indoor plants that are hard to kill.
Spider Plant
Water: Moderately or once per week during 1st year, after that you can water sporadically
Sunlight needed: Prefers a bright location but not in direct sunlight
Humidity: Maintain average room temperature and humidity (55 and 80°F (13–27°C)), which makes them a great indoor houseplant
Fertilizer: Every 2 weeks during growing season (spring and summer)
Cleans air from: Formaldehyde, xylene, toluene
[Buy a Set of 3 Here]
Devil’s Ivy
Water: highly drought-tolerant (so it’ll be fine if you forget to water it for weeks!), water approximately once per week
Sunlight needed: Prefers a bright location but not in direct sunlight
Humidity: Prefers normal household humidity during the summer months. Should be given additional misting every other day during the winter if your home air humidity is exceptionally dry.
Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with houseplant fertilizer, once a month in winter
Cleans air from: Benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, toluene
[Buy a Set of 3 Here]
Dracaena marginata
Water: Every 5- 7 days is largely sufficient
Sunlight needed: bright, filtered light (example: sheer curtains)
Humidity: Basic household humidity is fine
Fertilizer: Feed once a month in the spring and summer
Cleans air from: benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene
[Buy One Here]
Chinese evergreen
Water: Water every 7-9 days in the warmer months & every 2-3 weeks when winter comes around
Sunlight needed: medium to low light conditions or indirect sunlight (even office fluorescent lighting is fine!)
Humidity: Prefer regular household humidity or higher if possible
Fertilizer: Do not need much fertilizer. Feed every other month with a basic houseplant food diluted to 1/4 the recommended strength when the plant is actively growing.
Cleans air from: benzene, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene
[Buy One Here]
Barrel Cactus
Water: Every 2-3 months throughout the year
Sunlight needed: bright room and/or direct sunlight
Humidity: Fine in a regular household environment.
Fertilizer: Once a year in spring when it leaves dormancy and begins growing again.
Cleans air from: Bacteria and even reduces radiation
[Buy A Set Here]
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Water: Once a week!
Sunlight needed: grow best with consistent, bright, filtered light
Humidity: Between 30 and 65 percent. If you live in a very dry climate, you may need to supplement your plant with extra humidity by misting it or providing a humidifier
Fertilizer: Best to fertilize during growth season. Then once a month (or every 4 weeks) take it outside to fertilize as you water it
Cleans air from: allergens and provides high levels of oxygen
[Buy One Here]
Dracaena “Janet Craig” (Dracaena Deremensis)
Water: Once a week! In the winter, light misting 2-3 times per week
Sunlight needed: No direct sunlight, just indirect
Humidity: Set the pot in a location that is 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and about 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit at night
Fertilizer: Needs very little plant food. Feed once or twice a year in the spring and summer with a basic houseplant food at half the recommended strength
Toxins removed: xylene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde
[Buy one Here]
Peace Lily
Water needed: In general, water at least once a week and keep the soil moist, more often in the summer
Sunlight needed: Bright, indirect light from a nearby window
Humidity: Misting their leaves or placing their pot atop a moistened tray of gravel can help to increase humidity
Fertilizer: Not heavy feeders, so fertilize only occasionally. To encourage spring and summer growth, fertilize every 6 weeks or so with a balanced houseplant fertilizer starting in late winter
Cleans air from: Benzene, Formaldehyde, Trichloroethylene, and Ammonia
[Buy One Here]
That wraps up my list of low-maintenance indoor plants- now we can all be plant mamas!
If you enjoyed this post, you’d probably love my [10 Easy Ways to Do Your Part to Save the Planet] post!
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2 Comments
thatdamnhoney
January 23, 2020 at 4:12 pmAll of these plants are soooo beautiful! I’ve been wanting to spark up my home with some greenery for a while. Initially, I was afraid of killing everything, but I managed to keep a money tree alive for 5 years (then I inadvertently murdered it). However, it helped me develop some mode of confidence.
Currently, my struggles are finding both cat and dog safe plants, which almost seems to be a very slim choice that boggles my mind considering how much my boys are safely out in nature.
But thanks for this! I think I might pick some up that I can hang.
islahoney
January 24, 2020 at 12:11 pmOmg 5 years! That’s an accomplishment girl 👏🏻👏🏻 Maybe try putting plants higher where they can’t reach? 🙂 I’ve noticed a ton that are low maintenance are poisonous 🙈