5 Plants That Thrive on Neglect
Are you guilty of killing every plant you've ever owned? Or maybe looking for a plant that doesn't require much attention? This is the article for you.
Snake Plant
Snake plants (Sansevieria sp.) are great for plant killers and beginners. They are virtually indestructible plants that can be neglected for weeks at a time and still look healthy. Additionally, they can survive low light levels, drought and have few pest problems. And since there's a wide variety of snake plants, with different colors, size and shape, you can mix and match to make your home look super green with little effort required of you.
Snake plants are native to tropical West Africa. They are part of the asparagus family of plants.
Jade
Jade (Crassula ovata) is a plant for busy folks who want some green but no stress. Jade originates from South Africa, so it's accustomed to some pretty harsh environments, and can tolerate neglect well. There are many cultivars of jade; some have smaller, circular leaves, some have more oval ones (e.g., 'Obliqua'), some have a super funky Shrek vibe (e.g. 'Gollum'), some have white streaks (e.g., 'Tricolor') and some are pale or deep yellow and white variegated (e.g., 'Sunset'). Check out the many color and shape varieties here.
Jade plants will let you know when they need water. The leaves will become slightly withered and crumpled in appearance.
Fence Post Cactus
Fence post cactus (Pachycereus marginatus) is one of our favorite low maintenance plants to have. It requires so little attention; it can go for months without water. That's because these guys are masters at water conservation. If you were to dissect this plant, you would see that beyond the tough exterior and thorns, the plant itself is fleshy and full of moisture. Native to Mexico, this species of cactus thrives in a desert environment. So basically all you need to do is put it in a sunny spot and ignore it.
Fence post cacti add intriguing visual interest to any sunny space. They also have few thorns, which can be a plus for those with kids and pets.
Devil's Ivy
We love us some devil's ivy (Epipremnum aureum). This plant gets its name from the fact that it is almost impossible to kill and it stays green even when kept in the dark. That's a bad mamajama right there. Apart from being basically indestructible, devil's ivy is beautiful and comes in many different color varieties. It also grows quickly with little effort and is easy to propagate, if you're into that kind of thing.
Devil's ivy (right) looks great on bookcases and in office spaces that don't get much light.
Ponytail Palm
Last, but definitely not least on our list, is the ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata). They are gorgeous and easy to care for because they basically require nothing from you. This is another species from the arid regions of Mexico. Their bulbous trunk stores water from long periods of time, so all you need to do is give it a sunny spot and ignore, watering only once a month.
Some cats like to munch on ponytail palm leaves, which is a-ok because these guys are non-toxic.
What plants low-maintance plants do you enjoy not taking care of?