There’s a million benefits to having plants around. From the fresh, clean air they add to the atmosphere, to the sublime beauty they bring to environments. Or even just the fact that they make the area cooler during hot seasons and weathers. It’s no coincidence that plants are one of nature’s preferred organisms, with a staggering 80% of living things being plants.
Now, imagine bringing all the goodness of nature’s favourite into your living area. In addition to the fact that you’d likely have better bodily health due to taking in purified air, your mental health would be at its peak as well.
For plants to survive, especially indoors, there’s a level of care they need. Much like children, most plants need to be looked after. Busy, aren’t you? Don’t fret. There are a lot of low maintenance indoor plants that can do the job for you.
Best Low maintenance indoor plants for your living spaces
You have decided to get plants, and have probably searched through the internet or stores for the best choices; the one that speaks to you. But you haven’t quite had any luck. Take a deep sigh of relief as your search is over! Here are the best low maintenance indoor plants to add some pizzazz to your life.
Snake Plants
Snake plants or Sansevieria, one of the more popular low maintenance indoor plants, are native to the West African region. Their slow growing but extremely tough sword-like leaves are usually green with white stripes along its body. The edges of the leaves are coated in white and it would look amazing in a pot set at the corner or on a window sill. Snake plants can survive in a range of unfavorable conditions. They need almost zero sunlight and would keep producing oxygen even in very dark rooms. They are very drought tolerant, meaning you don’t need to water them often. Once a week during the spring and summer is fine, and during colder seasons, you can even take it down many notches. As far as watering just once a month.
Snake plants prefer a hardiness zone of 10 -12. They are warmth friendly but can thrive in temperatures down to 10C. Anything below that is potentially dangerous, and could lead to the death of the largely indestructible low maintenance indoor plant.
Cuddly Cactus
Cactuses are known to survive in the harshest of conditions. They can grow without any care or help from an external force, and the cuddly cactus is no different. Another thing cactuses are known for though is their life-threatening spikes, but before you discard this species, you should know that unlike its siblings, it has zero spikes making it indoor friendly. These low maintenance indoor plants are highly drought resistant. You can water them just once in three to four weeks. They love bright sunlight, making them amazing on porches, and they look extremely beautiful. In their natural habitat, they can grow up to an enormous 30 feet, but when cultivated indoors, they reach a length of 8 feet or smaller.
String of hearts
These plants are an embodiment of low maintenance. It could feel like all you need to do is plant them and watch them grow. The string of hearts are extremely beautiful plants with a falling stem. They have small heart-shaped leaves along the stem which are usually a shade of gray with touches of pink on the underside. The plant would thrive in most temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius. Anything below could be detrimental. The strings of hearts can grow up to six and half feet long, and would look amazing on a shelf, with its leaves resting along the wall. The stems of this plant store good amounts of water, meaning you wouldn’t have to water it often. Once a week in the spring and summer and once a month in the fall or winter is great. Or you could water it when the top of the soil feels or looks dry.
Spider Plants
One look at this beauty in a pot tells you most of what you need to know about the name. They are green plants with their edges coated with lighter shades of green. And they have many leaves that dangle, giving it the shape of a spider. These low maintenance indoor plants are native to the tropical regions of South and West Africa and were first planted on European soil by Swedish gardener, Carl Peter Thunberg.
The plant grows up to two and half feet in width and three feet in length. It thrives in hardiness zones of 9-11, and prefers partial shade. Its soil needs to be moist most of the time, so watering maybe once a week is advised. Another thing to note when working with the spider plant is that the roots take up large spaces, and in no time, it could fill the entire pot. It’s good to repot your spider plant every year or biannually to ensure healthy growth.
ZZ Plant
You have probably heard of this one before. The Zamioculcas Zamiifolia is a force to be reckoned with amongst low maintenance indoor plants. It is one of the more popular plants due to its easy accessibility and near indestructibility. The plant, native to East Africa, is known for its shiny and slim green leaves with unique zig-zag edges.
As far as care goes, it needs almost nothing. ZZ plants can survive in a range of sunlight conditions. From the blazing heat of direct sunlight to the cool touch of shades. It is one of the most drought resistant plants out there, giving it the nickname, the ‘unkillable plant’. Its leaves grow up to 3 feet in height and 1 foot in width, and in a bunch, they are perfectly suited as decorative pieces on center or bedside tables.
In addition to these, the ZZ plants have amazing air purification capabilities, leaving your living area with fresh air all day long.
Kentia Palm
An equally hard plant to kill and a favourite for people who love the palatial vibe. These tall plants have fronds that look majestic when arranged in pots along a corridor or at the edges of an entrance or exit. The kentia palms grow up to 10 feet in height and their narrow leaves grow to just about 2 feet. Just like the ZZ plant, they can survive in a number of light conditions, ranging from full sun to partial shade.
The main thing to look out for when caring for this low maintenance indoor plant is the water content of the soil. They prefer a moist soil and don’t appreciate sogginess, so watering once or twice a week (depending on the light conditions) or when the soil feels dry at the top is more than enough. Besides that, the Kentia palms mostly take care of themselves. You can have all the elegance and splendor of a king with almost no maintenance.
Jade Plant
If you are looking for beauty in a plant, then look in the direction of the Jade plant. Its green, glossy and short leaves are a marvel to look at making them stunning centerpieces. It’s little wonder that they are very popular in public places like restaurants and coffee stores. The jade plants are native to South Africa and Mozambique. They look like smaller versions of trees, and can grow up to 7 feet if left untouched, literally; they hate to be moved. These low maintenance indoor plants don’t need to be watered often as their foliage has the ability to store good amounts of water, so you should only water when you notice dryness.
The jade plant isn’t just a decorative piece that can last a lifetime, and even become an heirloom, it also has medicinal value. If you’re familiar with Chinese culture, you would have heard of the Jade tea. It is an extract from the jade plant and is known for lowering diabetic symptoms, and it is also used for curing skin warts.
Kalanchoe Flapjack
The Kalanchoe flapjacks are low maintenance indoor plants that are native to South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Eswatini. They are drought resistant plants that grow up to 30 inches tall in the outdoors. Their leaves are oval-shaped, green with pink tops. This particular plant loves direct sunlight and only needs to be fed every 4 months with rich fertilizers. They are perfect as center pieces as well due to their small and compact look.
Aloe Vera Plant
You simply cannot talk about low maintenance indoor plants without the Aloe vera plant making a grand entry. It is one of the most popular and most used/useful plants out there. The gel from the plant is used in the treatment of cuts and bruises. It’s used as a moisturizer for great and healthy skin and also for hair growth and maintenance. In addition to these, it is perfect for decorating porches or window sills.
The looks of the plant are unique and can be easily recognized. You most likely already know what it looks like. The plant has a thick foliage. It grows out of the root in a spread form upwards and its green body is adorned with lighter green spots.
In terms of care, the aloe vera plant does most of the work for you. It is succulent, meaning it holds water in its foliage, which in turn means you don’t have to worry about watering your plant as much. It is a lover of filtered sunlight, but has the ability to thrive even in direct sunlight. It thrives in a hardiness range of 8 – 11 and can grow for many years in the same pot which takes away the stress of repotting.
Air Plants
Air plants are special kinds of low maintenance plants. They have the most unique feature of needing soil to grow. Doesn’t that leave your mouth agape? How do air plants get their nutrients? Just like the name suggests, they absorb their nutrients and moisture from the air through structures on their leaves. They can be grown in many places including on flat surfaces like trays and their roots are only for attaching themselves to spots.
They grow best in filtered sunlight and when they do blossom, they produce elegant and eye-catching blooms. There’s almost nothing else you can do to help the plant grow, although spraying the area around the plant will help it absorb moisture better. It thrives in a hardiness zone of 9 – 11.
Benefits of low maintenance indoor plants.
Decorating your living space with plants comes with a number of benefits. But using low maintenance indoor plants means you get all these benefits without the extra time or skill it might require to care for the plants.
It reduces anxiety
Research by scholars of the university of technology, Sydney, have shown that living with plants reduces anxiety and improves mood by about 37%. It promotes a feeling of good overall wellness and life satisfaction.
Indoor plants increase your productivity
Another study by the University of Exeter shows that there is 15% increased productivity in employees that work in green environments compared to their counterparts. This is due to the fact that plants increase focus and reduce depressive moods by 48%.
Purification of the air
Plants are nature’s purifiers. They take out waste carbon dioxide from the air, and replenish it with oxygen which you need. NASA has also revealed that plants take out 87% of toxins present in the air everyday. Living in green spaces could mean that you’d be breathing fresher and clean air all day. In fact, you’d feel the difference in the air quality when you take a step outside your space.
Finally…
In addition to all the other benefits, many researchers agree that plants are amazing stress relievers. They lower the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, in humans. They are amazing for your mental health. They help memory retention, reducing the risk of illnesses like dementia amongst many other benefits. So get you a low maintenance indoor plant today!