Keeping houseplants is one of the easiest ways to create a welcoming, calming and aesthetically pleasing environment in your home or office. However, not all houseplants are created equal. While some are extremely difficult to care for and require constant attention, others are hard to kill and thrive even with minimal care. In this article, we’ll tell you about a few hard-to-kill houseplants that you can add to your home or office to instantly improve your mood without breaking your back caring for them.
Why you should consider keeping houseplants
It’s scientifically proven that keeping houseplants can help boost your mood and improve the quality of your life. They can increase levels of serotonin (the happy hormone) in your body, so you feel happier, less stressed and generally more optimistic.
Houseplants also help cleanse the air indoors by converting the carbon dioxide we exhale into fresh oxygen.
Another aspect that makes houseplants great is that they can help to improve your home’s decor without breaking the bank.
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Seven houseplants that are hard to kill
1. Snake plant
Snake plants have long been popular houseplants because of their great tolerance to adverse conditions. Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, they have a long life span, are inexpensive and are relatively easy to care for.
Snake plants enjoy both direct and indirect sunlight and can go for up to a month without water.
Though they can tolerate neglect, they respond to good maintenance by growing long, sword-shaped leaves. If you’re looking for a super low-maintenance and cheap houseplant, then the snake plant is one of your best options.
2. Aloe vera
Sure, it grows slowly and would rarely win any beauty contests, but Aloe vera is a really awesome hard-to-kill houseplant.
Keeping an aloe vera plant in your home or office is a simple and effective way to remove harmful solvents from the air. It’s extremely easy to care for and doesn’t require much water due to its succulent nature.
3. Heartleaf philodendron
The philodendron has been used as a houseplant since the Victorian era. This hardy plant is well-known for its low-maintenance nature, as well as its attractive, glossy leaves.
It can survive under artificial light and can go for days without being watered. It takes some serious negligence to kill this houseplant.
4. Spider plant
This green and yellow striped houseplant thrives even in cold conditions and is almost impossible to kill. It will tolerate low light and sparse watering (in fact, overwatering can harm the plant).
The spider plant is a strong contender for the perfect plant to have in your home or office because it can be left for days and not suffer.
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5. Pothos
Pothos is a hard-to-kill plant that will thrive with almost no effort.
Also known as devil’s ivy, it’s an exotic houseplant that attracts attention due to its glossy, waxy, heart-shaped leaves. Its creeping vine-like appearance can improve the aesthetics and the mood of just about any space.
6. Cast iron plant
This plant actually earned its name from the fact that it’s capable of growing and surviving in the worst of conditions.
It’s a very pretty yet hard-to-kill houseplant. It can survive in low light conditions and is tolerant to long periods of time without water.
7. ZZ plant
The ZZ plant is practically indestructible. Known for its dense, waxy leaves, it can withstand just about any light level and humidity. The plant only needs to be watered once every two weeks.
If you consider yourself a serial plant killer, this is the plant for you.