“Nah, I can’t have this. I’d kill it” - sound familiar? At Memento there’s plenty of times that we’ve heard customers say this whenever they pick up a dreamy plant that’s caught their attention. If you’re working on your Green Thumb skills or maybe you’re just a busy person, here’s 5 plants that are famous for their low maintenance and laid back attitude.
Also known as a Snake Plant or Mother-in-Laws Tongue due to its long pointed leaves
and sharp edges (we’ll let you decide on what you want to nickname it 😉). These modern, sharp looking gals come in 70 different varieties and with plenty of time and care they can grow from 8 inches to 5 feet tall!
Sansevieria are not picky with their lighting conditions. Bright, Shady, Semi-Indirect Light - just wherever they look fab and cosy in your home. These desert plants need their soil bone dry before having a wee soak. They’re also one of the top air purifiers according to NASA research, so definitely invest in one for a breath of fresh air at home.
When it comes to the easiest of plants to care, THIS is the one. The very humble ZZ is that plant that you can (accidentally) ignore for 3 weeks and you’ll be joyfully surprised to see it still thriving.
These green lovelies need their soil to be nearly dried out before having a drink again. The ZZ Plant stems grow from Rhizomes, which are similar shape to bulbs and potatoes with external roots sprouting from these and into the soil. Each Rhizome is packed full water, providing a lil’ source of nutrients for your plant. As well as keeping it dry, your ZZ plants prefer a shady spot in your home.
“Thank-you for being a friend...” is exactly what you’ll be singing to this loyal plant. Famously know as “Golden Pothos” or “Devils Ivy” the Epipremnum Aureum will bring wonderful jungle vibes into any lil’ spot in your home. Either cradle her in a gorgeous handmade macrame hanger, perched on a high shelf - or you can get a bit creative and train your pothos vines to wrap themselves around a moss stick, these long legged ladies can grow up to 6-10 feet indoors. In the wild, they’re known to grow up to 40 feet!
The Pothos is can adapt to bright indirect or shady spots in your home. Allow the first 2 inches of soil to dry out before watering again. As well as looking gorgeous and easy to care for, Epipremnum Aureum are ridiculously easy to propagate. Just refill a clear jar with fresh water every 2 weeks, and you’ll watch your baby cutting grow new shoots in no time! Once the roots reach 2 inches long, repot them into a fab new pot.
If you’re someone who keeps forgetting to water their plants, then the Cacti and Succulent family is for you! Don’t let these prickly fellas put you off, with over 500 varieties in the world there’s one for everyone!
With Cacti and Succulents, you’ll need to play a little “hard to get” - if they need attention, boy will they let you know.
Each thick leaf on these plants are packed full of water and nutrients (remember, these are Desert plants so they’re used to not seeing water for months on end.) If the leaves are looking a bit on the crispy side, then their soil is too dry. If the leaves are yellow and mushy, then they’re
overwatered and/or too cold. The best rule of thumb is to water you plant once the soil is bone-dry, and feeding enough water to keep the first 2 inches moist. It’s good to know that the bigger and thicker the leaves of your Cactus/Succulent are, the less watering it’ll need. Ideally, give these plants the perfect bright sunbathing spot in your home near your window or in at least a bright indirect spot. For the easiest of them all, we recommend taking home either an Aloe or Jade Plant.
Classy. Elegant. Modern. Although it has lily in the name, the Peace Lily isn’t actually part of the Lilium family. It has its own green clan called the Spathiphyllums. These beautiful air-purifying plants are one of the few houseplants that bloom flowers all year round. The trick to keeping them happy and blooming is to keep it in a well-lit, indirect spot at home.
The first sign of trouble with your Peace Lily can always be shown in the flowers:
- Brown + Crispy = Too Dry + Not Enough Humidity
- Yellow + Limp = Too Dark + Overwatered
- Bright Green Flowers instead of White = Over-photosynthesis.
The last point about your Peace Lily over-photosynthesising isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It means that while your plant has been sitting in a very bright area, you’ve been maintaining its healthy water, humidity and feeding needs to keep up with the amount of sun it’s getting.
All of this encourages the green chlorophyll in the plant to develop green flowers rather than plain white. To stop this, just move your Peace Lily slightly shadier and reduce its watering routine.
So don’t be defeated, literally ANYONE can be a budding Plant Parent with the right set of plants. If you’d love to learn more, come and have a chat with the Memento Team in store or why not check you and your green pals into a Plant Clinic Workshop!
Don’t stop beleafing!
Till next time, Georgia x
Comments