If you are nervous about wasting money on a houseplant only to kill it right away, don’t worry, there are houseplants you cannot kill! Pinky promise, these houseplants are hardy, love to be neglected, and will be happy in most locations of your home.
5 Houseplants You Cannot Kill
- Succulent (Asphodelaceae)
- Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
- Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
- Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnuum aureum)
- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Succulent Quick Survival Guide
The first easiest plants to keep alive are succulents. These are great “starter” plants. Here are some of my quick survival tips to help you keep them happy! Houseplants with thick and fleshy foliage store water in their leaves and are likely to be self-sustaining and won’t mind being neglected.
- Succulents prefer bright, natural light.
- Succulents need to be watered generously during the summer months. Their plump, fleshy leaves will be noticeable and are so beautiful. If they become dry and wrinkly, that is a sure sign that they need to be watered.
- Allow the soil to dry out completely in between waterings so that your succulent does not get root-rot or waterlogged.
- Succulents are more tolerant of winter’s cold weather than you might think. When we think of succulents, we often envision the warm and dry desert climates of Arizona. But! because succulents originate from desert regions, they are used to cold weather because they often drop very low at night.
- Watering Tip! Getting water on the leaves of succulents or cacti can damage them, so be careful when watering the traditional way, or you can put your planter in a saucer full of water and allow the roots to absorb the water through the drainage holes.
Chinese Evergreen Quick Survival Guide
The Chinese Evergreen is an easy plant to keep alive, but here are some quick survival tips to help you.
- There are 21 Chinese Evergreen species, and they all have distinctive solid-colored or variegated oval-shaped leaves.
- All species need adequate watering – remember to allow the soil to dry out slightly before watering again.
- The solid green varieties can thrive in low-light environments. The variegated varieties do well in brighter light but never direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will cause the leaves to burn.
- Chinese Evergreens are slow-growing and prefer temperatures no lower than 60° F. Remember to keep your plants away from drafts, which can cause browning and burning. You can read more Houseplant Winter Care Tips: HERE.
Corn Plant Quick Survival Guide
- Corn plants love light, but not direct light.
- They do not need to be watered often and even less so in the winter months when they are not growing.
- These beautiful plants can grow up to 6 1/2 feet tall, but their foliage remains fairly close to the stalk. These plants are perfect for corners, tight spaces, and/or small apartments.
Devil’s Ivy
Here are some quick survival tips to help you care for your Devil’s Ivy houseplant.
- Devil’s Ivy is also called Golden Pothos or Pothos and is a tropical, evergreen vine native to the Solomon Islands.
- Devil’s Ivy is resilient and can handle low-light or indirect bright light.
- I love their beautiful leaves and how they look in hanging planters.
- The Pothos vine produces waxy, heart-shaped foliage variegated with bright yellow and green. We have Devil’s Ivy in our sunroom and our foyer.
- It is important to prune your Devil’s Ivy a few times a year to keep them from getting too leggy.
- Devil’s Ivy grows rather quickly and is easy to propagate, so do not worry if you need to trim it now and then.
Peace Lily
One of my most favorite plants, here are some quick survival tips to help you care for your Peace Lily.
- The Peace Lily is a flowering houseplant that keeps on giving! I love how frequently my Peace Lily blooms!
- Peace Lilies are a beautiful low maintenance plant that will brighten up any room. These plants have an open white flower with a yellow spike-sprig sticking out of the middle and bright green leaves. Peace Lilies can reach up to 4 feet tall and can be the best houseplant.
- Peace Lilies need a good watering about once a week – if you live in a dryer climate, you may need to water more frequently. These plants will tell you they are thirsty when they start to droop a little. Squirting the leaves and flowers with a little water will help them stay wet and growing beautifully in the summer.
- Peace Lillies will produce beautiful blooms! At times, the leaves on the Peace Lily can collect dust. Wipe the leaves with a wet sponge or cloth. As flowers and leaves start to yellow and die, just cut them at the base. There is white pollen that can fall on the leaves. If you want, when these spikes appear, you can cut them off to avoid this pollen from covering the leaves. This will allow the beautiful spathes to show, the flowers to flourish, and add charm to your home.
