Some indoor plants have died on me...please help choose some new ones that might survive!

[Newtoitall2]

So, we have a north facing bathroom, but there's only a small skylight and a frosted light window to the side of the house - so not much light. Every plant I put in the window dies! Can you suggest something that won't?

In my bedroom, east facing, we have plenty of light. But again, another plant died.

I'd love some suggestions for some lovely leafy plants that might suit these rooms.

Orchid, streptocarpella, peace lily for the bathroom?

Plants will get leggy growing towards the light, I’d try aloe vera, see how that works and buy some really nice artificial specimens to look nice xx

Peace lily. Bomb proof in my opinion. Can cope with light or shade. Cannot really over water it. Keeps producing the lily stems.

Aloe vera requires bright conditions. But having fleshy leaves it will give the appearance of growth for longer.

What plants died?

What happened to the plants that died and what kind were they? If there was lots of light in the bedroom then it might be something else - over or underwatering is often a culprit.

I'd recommend a Boston Fern for a bathroom, they love the humidity, don't need a huge amount of light and can cope with being neglected a fair bit too! I have one in our north facing bathroom and it's very happy.

I am an expert plant killer op, I feel your pain!

I've become adept at NOT killing mother-in-law's tongue family of plants, and they thrive in my house now. There are lots of different types and I have only lost one baby one. A number of mine came from IKEA for £1.50 and have gone mental.I also have an aspidistra which are well known for thriving in dark, draughty places - they dislike sunlight and mine has a few crispy-edged leaves but again, bomb proof.

I have a few succulents too that seem to be doing well. Never got on with Boston Fern, spider plants or anything else that is marketed as thriving in poor conditions.

Spider plants are virtually indestructible. They thrived in my classroom in spite of overwatering combined with long periods of neglect.

Thanks all! Shamefully, I don't know what the name of the plant in the bedroom is - it had a fungus about a year ago, I revived it and was SO proud of myself when it started really growing beautifully. Next thing: a year later, all the leaves had fallen off...

I tried a spider plant in the bathroom, by the frosted window. It looks lame and limp and brown ended.

I’ve found my people. Those who look twice at a plant and it withers.

There is usually a reason why houseplants die, and generally it is due to being one or more of: too wet, too dry, too warm, too cold, not enough light, too much light, draughts, atmosphere too dry, you name it.

But the conditions that don't suit one plant will suit another, so it is a case of doing your research and finding out what sort of plant will like the conditions you have - before you go and buy the thing!

The answer to plants in really difficult places is to rotate them. Spider plants in particular perk up beautifully if you put them somewhere a bit brighter for a few months (not direct sunlight, they'll burn).

I'm supposed to be really green fingered and have many, beautiful houseplants. The truth is that I've killed as many as I have kept, and that the ones that are doing spectacularly well just happen to like it where they have landed, and are getting on with it by themselves.

So my solution is to keep trying different plants and move them around until you find the place they are happy.

I was given a Christmas cactus about 8 years ago and it is still alive! I usually kill plants, too. It sits on a shelf in a N facing kitchen and I water it when I remember. Every so often it bursts into flower, lovely pink blossom.

I agree with pp about Peace Lily. I've had one about 3 months and it has been easy to care for. During the heatwave it would droop every so often, but an hour after a dousing in the kitchen sink it would stand up happily.

I did kill a Boston Fern though.

I killed a Christmas cactus. It never flowered again, and it kept going dry even though it was a cactus.