Houseplants are an inexpensive and easy way to add personal style to your indoor living space. If you’re a beginning gardener, then you should start with plants that are hard to kill. The biggest mistake with houseplants is the tendency to overwater.
Houseplants do more than look good, they also help purify the air. They absorb indoor air pollution and odors to make the air healthier and smell better. Many houseplants also release oxygen at night and are great for growing in the bedroom of a person with allergies.
One last thing about the best houseplants for beginners – grow some with fun names. The plant will be interesting to talk about and can be used as a conversation starter.
Devil’s Ivy
This is a trailing vine that can be grown in a hanging basket or desktop container. Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum) grows best in bright, indirect sunlight and it loves moist (not soggy) soil.
The vine will reach 3-4 feet when mature.
Mother-In-Law’s-Tongue
The leaves of this succulent are long, narrow, with a pointy end. Mother-In-Law’s-Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata) thrives on neglect and a little sunlight.
Place the plant in bright, indirect light and water lightly every 8-10 days. The plant will send up tall bloom stalks in summer that produce one bloom on the end of each stalk. The bloom resembles a white hood covering a small ear of corn.
Moth Orchid
Elegant and easy to grow, orchids will remain in bloom throughout most of the winter. Moth orchids (Phalaenopsis) produce colorful blooms with the face of a moth on the petals.
Place the orchid in a bright location, water only when the soil is dry, and avoid getting the foliage wet.
Squirrel’s Foot Fern
This houseplant has green lacey fronds with soft, furry, creeping stems that grow along the soil. Squirrel’s Foot Fern (Davallia trichomanoides) is a low-maintenance plant and is great for a beginner.
Place the fern in a bright location but not in direct sunlight. Keep it away from drafts and water lightly when top of soil is dry.
