Seven plants for those who don’t have a green thumb

Mik at green house buying plants

Jul 13, 2022

written with love on

It’s happened to all of us. We buy the cutest plant and have every intention of watching it grow and flourish. Then, two weeks later you’re throwing it out because there’s no bringing it back to life. 

Some of us just aren’t born with a green thumb, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy being surrounded by greenery! My house is filled with plants that are so low maintenance that I’ll never go back to any other plants. 

Here are a few of them to try out your non-green, yet plant-loving, thumb on:

ZZ plant

I literally forgot about one of my ZZ plants for TWO MONTHS and it grew so big that I had to separate and repot them! I was so amazed that I gifted the other one because everyone should enjoy this adorable plant.

Although I don’t recommend not watering your ZZ plant for two months, they are drought tolerant and don’t require direct and constant sunlight. This is probably the lowest maintenance plant on this list and that’s why it’s one of my favorites.

Any variation of Pothos

These plants grow according to their environment. I had my pothos in my living room near the wall opposite of my windows and it grew, but really slowly. 

It was healthy and looked great, but I decided to put it near the window to see what would happen if it got more sunlight and let me tell you that baby grew! It was full and lush so I always recommend putting them near at least some sunlight, but you don’t technically have to.

The best part of this one is that it doesn’t like to be watered all the time. It’s easy to overwater it so about once every other week is perfect!

Snake plant

I love a good standing plant and snake plants are one of my favorites. These can grow to be really tall and full and they’re so easy to take care of. 

It’s super adaptable and is fine with any lighting you put it in. If you can’t fit any more plants on your windowsill, snake plants enjoy corners just as well. Watering needs can vary; you can either water it every time the top of the potting soil is dry or wait a couple of weeks in between watering sessions. Like I said, it’s flexible!

Dracaena Marginata Open Weave

With very few growing needs, dracaena are great trees to have if you’re forgetful about watering. They’re pretty easy to maintain and thrive in low/indirect sunlight environments. This is one of the best indoor trees to have because you can control how big it grows and it barely requires any maintenance at all!

Misting is a great practice to adopt too. Just keep a spray bottle of water near the plant and mist it whenever the leaves get brown or more often if you remember.

Prickly pear cactus

Get some gardening gloves! It has cactus in its name for a reason. 

I love my prickly pear cactus because it barely needs any attention from me and it sprouts delicious fruit. There’s no need to water these cacti more than once a week and only a little water at that. Prickly pear cacti flourish in dry climates, so they’re very drought-tolerant and overwatering makes the roots soggy and basically drowns the plant. A little water goes a long way!

Ponytail palm

This is one of the plants that you need to make a spot for in the sunlight. The ponytail palm is a succulent, so low-maintenance is what it’s known for. It thrives in warm and dry environments, but when you water it, don’t overdo it. The stems hold water so just a little bit of water once every two weeks or so is perfect.

Ponytail palms are a great accent piece that brighten any room. I love mine especially since I don’t have to do much to maintain it. 

Money Tree

Everyone can use a little luck and the money tree is said to do it! They’re so easy to maintain and there’s barely any effort needed to make them look lush and healthy. 

Indirect sunlight is a money tree’s best friend. Too much sunlight can turn the leaves brown and too little sunlight can turn them yellow. A happy medium is the best way to help your money tree flourish. 

Pruning it often is another good way to keep money trees growing. Getting rid of the unwanted or dead leaves can give it room to grow even fuller. However, to keep the leaves from turning brown, mist your money plant often. The leaves of a money tree like to be wet, but the roots like to be dry. Just a little bit of water whenever the first couple of inches of soil is dry will help your money tree, and hopefully your fortune and positivity, to grow!


Tools that I use when tending to my plants

Watering can

You’ll need a good way to evenly water your plants, so get a watering can that doesn’t just pour water into one spot of the plant. Most of the plants on this list require little water every other week, so make sure it’s done with an even spread all over the top of the soil.

I love this watering can because of its sprinkler spot to get that even spread and I love the vintage copper aesthetic of it.

Plant mister

Like I said before, most plants like their leaves misted more than actually watered. I like this spray bottle because it continuously sprays instead of having to squeeze the trigger every time. And the fine mist is just enough water to keep my plants’ leaves green and lush.

Plant pruners

You need a good set of pruning tools if you have plants, especially ones that require pruning or trimming in order to grow. I like this set because it comes with a pair to prune thick branches on my dracaena while the smaller set can trim the dead pads on my prickly pear cactus.

Gloves

A good set of gloves is a must when dealing with cacti and really any plants. Even if they don’t have thorns or spikes, you should wear protective gloves while pruning to avoid any scrapes on your hands.

I don’t use thick gardening gloves because they’re too bulky to work with and not really necessary since all of the plants on this list are indoor plants. These are perfect because I can still move my hands freely in them and the thick, vegan leather protects me from any thorns or spikes.

Organic fertilizer

Adding a little bit of plant food to your watering can or mister will give your plants the nutrients it needs. I like this organic indoor plant food because it works with literally any plant, so there’s no need to buy any other liquid fertilizer or try to remember which fertilizer is for which plant. Not to mention, it isn’t full of chemicals that could burn your plants!


Plants should be relieving your stress, not causing it! For more information on caring for your plants, check out self-taught gardener, Ron Finley’s, MasterClass. Enjoy your indoor garden!

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