I have a brown thumb. So why should I write a post about plants, you ask? Because these are the ones I have managed to keep alive! And believe me, that’s saying something. I am not a good plant mom. These would make great Mother’s Day gifts too!

This is not a post where I pretend to be a plant expert or have full, shiny leaves on every plant. If you come over to my house, you very well might see a neglected plant in the corner or one with brown leaves.

But I love seeing live plants all over the house — the more the merrier. And they also purify the air! The snake plant is one of the best air purifying plants and super easy to care for.

Here are five plants that I actually have and are very low maintenance. I bought most of them locally, but included Amazon links for convenience. We’ll also talk about how to propagate them!

Pothos

I have a couple of these and they are resilient. They grow quickly and I love their long, dramatic vines. They are also easy to propagate.

Light: Indirect sunlight

Care: Water when leaves start to droop.

How to propagate: I’ve done this twice now. I learned it from my friend Lydia at Thrift and Thimble. It’s so simple!

1. Cut just above the leaf growth.
2. Place in water until a root grows.
3. Plant!

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Snake plant

This plant is a home decor crowd favorite because it grows big and requires little attention. I bought this 9 months ago at a local nursery and it has grown quite a bit, showing no signs of struggle in this low-light spot.

Light: Low to medium light

Care: Water every couple weeks.

How to propagate: Cut off a leaf. Put it in water and wait for a root to grow. Plant it.

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Lipstick plant

Remember that part when I said I’m not trying to be a plant poser? Well, here’s the proof. I bought this plant online and it was doing great. I was quite happy with it until I realized that the soil I used to pot it had bugs!

So I sprayed with dish soap water like Google told me to, but I really needed insecticide. If I could have run to the store, I would have got this insecticidal soap that has worked well for me before.

Word to the wise: Keep potting soil bags closed tight so bugs can’t get in. Next time I’ll probably even keep the bag of soil in a plastic bin with a lid as well. So here we go, this is my plant that has survived too much sun, bugs and soapy water! I’d say that makes the list!

Here’s what it’s supposed to look like:

Light: Medium, but will tolerate low light

Care: Allow top two inches of soil to dry before watering

How to propagate: Cut a 4″ stem and plant it.

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Succulents

Light: In my experience any light will do

Care: Succulents need a lot of drainage and little water

How to propagate: Cut off a leaf and stick it in soil.

Here is a post I wrote on how to make your own succulent box that lasts years!

Here’s a little succulent I got at a dinner party. I planted it in this ceramic shell. While not an ideal environment, it’s doing well months later.

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Hoya wax plant

I am 90 percent I labeled this plant correctly. I bought it at Home Depot six years ago or so and have never seen one there again since! It grows more slowly, but it’s my favorite! The leaves are similar to those of a succulent.

This plant has been neglected, moved from different houses, placed in different spots, and she has never complained. I love how after years she is filling out and growing longer. She always looks this pretty too. I would have 10.

Light: Indirect sunlight

Care: Water a small amount once week, but this plant is so forgiving

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Fig tree

Now the fig tree isn’t as “no-kill” as the others, but I’m tacking it on at the end because it makes such a statement.

I have two of these that are doing great. The one in the living room is in front of a north-facing window. It’s probably seven years old and loads of people tell me I should prune it, but I don’t want to, ha! And the one in the dining room is in an east-facing window. (I don’t actually know, of course, if that makes a difference, but people ask me on Instagram.)

Here is why I think my figs are doing so well:

• I don’t overwater them. In fact I often forget about them!
• They get floods of indirect sunlight.
• Our house is not cold. Usually around 76 degrees (we live in FL).
• I rotate the tree every few months so it grows evenly.

Light: Bright, indirect sunlight

Care: Water when soil is dry at a finger’s length. Water 1 cup for each in of pot height. Don’t overwater. Spray leaves with water occasionally. Dust when needed.

How to propagate: Trim a new growth branch (several inches) where it splits off from the main branch at a 45 degree angle. Take all the leaves off except the top two. Stick the branch in soil.

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Plants I’d like to try next

Here are some more hearty plants that will do well in any home. I can’t wait to try these too!

• Monstera
• Spider plant
• ZZ plant
• Peace lily
• String of pearls

I found this great beginner plant kit on Amazon ($28). It has all air purifying plants.

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Tips

Disclaimer: This is what I do and I’m not a professional. (In case you hadn’t figured that part out yet ;)

Water: I water my plants usually once a week. It’s great if you can pick one day and have water Wednesday or something. I just water a small amount, especially for the succulents and snake plant.

Spray: It makes plants happy if you can mist them with water in a spray bottle on occasion, like in the WiLd.

Fertilize your plants. I use these fertilizing sticks. In the spring you can find them at the Dollar Tree.

I bought a set of self-watering plant bulbs to extend time between me forgetting waterings. Isn’t it cute?

Maybe I should experiment propagating each of these and do a post.

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How about you? What are your favorite indoor plants? Do you have any unusual ones?

I have lots of faux plants too in those spaces with no natural light. See, I told you I wasn’t a true plant lady! I’ll share those next Thursday!

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