Please recommend house plants even I can't kill off?

[YourObedientServant]

Hi all

Just looking for some advice. I'd love to have some house plants, maybe something large sitting on the floor, and a few small ones in little pots around.

I haven't a clue where to start. Are there any house plants more hardy/less maintenance than others? Any recommendations? I don't think I've ever bought a plant before and any I've ever been given (ie flowers in pots) have died sharpish. I'm not blessed with green fingers!

Thanks!

I love the orchids you can buy everywhere as gifts. They always survive in my house which is why I have three of them 🤭. Also the house plants that are called ‘flamingos’. They are very happy on a sunny windowsill and are equally hard to kill.

Spider plants, succulents, cacti

Yukka

Aloe Vera ? I have a lovely spiky one from B&m, it only cost me £5, just don't over water it and it will be happy.

Oh mine always die too ☹️ I love them as well

So watching for suggestions

Cacti are quite indestructible if a little antisocial, or aloe vera grown on a bathroom window seem to do well (plus it has medicinal usages).

I have Orchids as that is what is normally given as presents. I also have the orchids that my work colleagues were given as presents and they are extremely hard to kill. They flourish on little care and just need repotting a couple of times. I also have a yucca and have just bought a spider plant as they prefer being kept dry.

I have some cacti and succulents that, again, are flourishing with some neglect.

I love my sanseveria aka mother in laws tongue/snake plant.

2nd yuccas

I think aloe vera are pretty indestructible. You can forget to feed and water for a few weeks at a time and they are still happy. Spider plants and peace lilly also seem pretty hardy and fine with a once a week water and feed.

Some plants prefer sun,some shade spots so maybe work out where you want to put the plant and we can help more.

Sanseveria is probably the most likely candidate for an almost indestructible houseplant OP. Then there are weeping figs which are pretty easy and get big, but can suffer from leaf drop if they’re not entirely happy. Certainly worth a go. Those are both foliage plants. First pic is sanseveria, then w fig, then variegated w fig.

On the other hand, if you want flowers I'd recommend giving stretocarpuses a go. Huge variety of them and they flower for ages and some of them have amazing massive leaves, too.

Oh thanks so much everyone!

Orchids die on crossing the threshold into my house, how on earth do people keep them alive? Aloe Vera I have had once and to be fair it lasted a year or so but I killed that too.

Thinking of a large floor plant in the sitting room which is a really bright sunny room, but the plant wouldn't be in direct sunlight. Then some little ones dotted around but preferably to cheer up the study which is quite dark.

I'll check out all the kinds suggested. I possibly need to take a bit more responsibility for the plants too in order to keep them alive

Orchids only did a light watering every now and again. You can tell if they’re unhappy if the most recent lead starts going soft. Then give it a smidge if water or stand it’s roots in a saucer so they can slurp it upwards. I think most people kill orchids by overwatering them.

need leaf

Aspidistra
Mine is older than I am (it’s a ‘family heirloom’ ) and it’s indestructible

There have been times where I have not watered it for weeks. And weeks. It gets covered in dust. It’s been in a hot window. It’s been in a dark corner. And yet it goes on and on.

I do give it a shower once a year or so, to get rid of some of the dust n stuff. And I’ve moved it off the hot windowsill , promised myself I’ll water it once a month, because, y’know, it’s coming up to 60.

Indestructible

Spider plants, succulents, cacti Not cacti, please! They always look utterly miserable when grown by someone who doesn't have knowledge or enough interest to want to learn.

Peace lily

@MereDintofPandiculation

Spider plants, succulents, cacti Not cacti, please! They always look utterly miserable when grown by someone who doesn't have knowledge or enough interest to want to learn.

Mine are looking quite happy after three years, I have cacti food but otherwise don't spend much time thinking about them.

There’s a really good list of what they call ‘unkillables’ on Patch Plants - you don’t have to buy from them of course! I’m in the same boat... My BIL, who is now a proud plant parent, started with this list so I have hope!

Peace lily's (spathiphyllum )have survived in my non-plant home for over a decade.

They're hard to make flourish with the delicate white flower that sometimes appear, but are very green and lush looking plus they grow to accommodate their space so you can have all sorts of sizes dotted around.

Basically don't leave them in direct sunlight for too long and keep them happy with water...the leaves droop if you're not watering enough but they happily come back to life as soon as you notice.

I've killed literally every other plant I've attempted to keep but my peace lily's are still here showing I'm not a complete failure at plant care

Peace lily and Swiss cheese plant have done well here.

My mum had something she called a dragon tree that was impossible to kill.

Another vote for cacti or succulents. The more you neglect them the more they thrive.

I've managed to kill a yucca. 😞 I've recently acquired a Swiss cheese plant which seems to be thriving, Ive even managed to repot it without it wilting. This has thus boosted my confidence in my green ability and I have bought a snake plant. Let's see how they are in a few weeks 😁

The best tip I can give is that you need to do your research.

Once you know the name of the plant, find out what sort of conditions it likes. Some like cool damp shade, some like the middle ground but hate draughts, some like to sunbathe on a windowsill. Get it wrong and you have an ex-houseplant in a very short space of time