Five of the Best Low Maintenance Houseplants that have Maximum Impact with Minimal Time, Guesswork and Effort
Easy-Care Plants for Your Home, Office, and Outdoor Spaces
Let's check out five of the top low maintenance houseplants that will thrive with minimal effort, so you have more time to sit and back and simply enjoy them. To make our list, absolute musts were a flexible lighting tolerance (extra points for low light), minimal watering frequency and no-nonsense feeding demands.
Plants can be quite an investment in money, time and effort, so it's worth making sure you can keep them alive without too much hassle and guesswork. Everyone from beginner green thumbs to seasoned plant lovers will benefit from having easy-care plants in their collection.
As a busy mum myself, I'm always on the lookout for plants that provide me with a bit more 'joy' and little less 'burden'. Otherwise, all the benefits of my beautiful green friends are simply countered by chores, stress and overwhelm.
Here is the PerkyPod guide to easy-care greenery.
1. Snake Plant aka Mother in Law Tongue (Sansevieria)
(Image credit: Vintage Revivals, vintagerevivals.com/snake-plant/)
Lighting: Snake plants are the ultimate low maintenance choice for pots around your home. They tolerate a variety of light conditions, from indirect light to low light. We have a large Snake Plant in the corner of our formal lounge room, which was previously the home to five plant funerals due to being quite dim. The Snake Plant has not only survived but punches out new leaves regularly!
Watering: Snake plants are forgiving, even when you forget to water them for weeks at a time. Like most plants, they prefer to dry out completely between waterings. Overwatering is the main risk, so if in doubt, wait another week before topping up.
Fertilising: As Snake Plants are so tough, they are pretty chilled when it comes to feeding. A plant fertiliser diluted to half strength once every couple of months during spring and summer is all they ask for. We love this one from our friends at Plant Runner.
2. ZZ Plant aka Zanzibar Gem (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)
If any plant was going to be able to compete with the Snake Plant in the low-care-factor stakes, it would be the ZZ Plant. This plant adds interest to any corner of your home and you'll never get a tantrum.
(Image Credit: PerkyPod.com.au)
Lighting: The epitome of easy care, ZZ Plants thrive in areas that get limited sunlight, be it your south-facing living room (noting we are in the Southern Hemisphere here!), unnaturally lit office, or shaded porch. They will also tolerate moderate light.
Watering: These drought tolerant beauties only need to have their thirst quenched every two to three weeks in summer, less in winter. Certainly not too frequently as their soil must be allowed to dry out in between. They have rhizomes at the base of each stem, which store water so that's how they can do so well even if neglected.
Fertilising: ZZ Plants are such slow growers that they don't need much when it comes to feeding. Similarly to the Snake Plant, a balanced fertiliser diluted to half-strength will do the trick several times throughout the growing season.
3. Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)
Here at PerkyPod HQ, Pothos are our favourite trailing plant. We have a Marble Queen in our kitchen (plus all her propagations gracing shelves in nearly every cabinet), a Brasil in our laundry, and an Njoy in our daughter's room. As they are a trailing plant, they soften a space like no other, and all varieties are very easy to propagate so you can have quite a jungle in no time!
(Image credit: PerkyPod.com.au)
Lighting: These versatile plants won't complain about any location as long as their leaves aren't getting scorched by direct afternoon light. You could even place them in a dim corner with minimal light as long as you rotate them into a sunnier spot from time to time.
Watering: Yet another plant that loves to dry out in between watering sessions: only give them a drink when the top part of their potting mix feels dry. If they get too dry, they'll droop their leaves as a gentle sign... and then they'll bounce back quickly!
Fertilising: We use slow-release fertiliser granules year-round with the occasional dousing with a diluted seaweed solution. They won't complain if you miss feeding them every so often.
4. Rubber Tree (Ficus Elastica)
Oh, how we love our Ficus' around here at PerkyPod HQ! This five-year old Burgundy always grows like a weed and our new Tineke has doubled in size within a few short months. A Ruby is high on our 'must get next' list.
(Image credit: PerkyPod.com.au)
Lighting: While Rubber Trees thrive in bright, indirect light, they will also tolerate low light conditions. Their main requirement is to avoid direct afternoon sunlight, otherwise their leaves may get burned.
Watering: These plants will thrive when kept slightly moist and watered when the top layer of their soil is dried out. At PerkyPod, we water weekly in summer and fortnightly in winter (more frequently though if kept outside).
Fertilising: Either feed with a liquid fertiliser monthly during spring and summer, or dose up on a slow-release granulated food. Don't worry about feeding them in autumn and winter.
5. Monstera Deliciosa
The ultimate option for high impact foliage without too much stress or effort! We have eight in PerkyPod HQ as they grow quite quickly and are very easy to propagate.
(Image credit: PerkyPod.com.au)
Lighting: These beauties, or their dwarf variety - the Monstera Taureii - love bright morning light or medium indirect light. The more light they receive, the more you'll see prized beautiful fenestrations (splits) appear in their leaves.
Watering: Much like our other low-maintenance plant suggestions, Monsteras prefer to dry out in between watering sessions and they require thorough drainage. Only water when the top quarter of your pot feels dry. We do it weekly in summer, fortnightly in winter.
Fertilising: While Monsteras are not heavy feeders, they will reward you with strong, lush growth if you fertilise monthly during spring and summer. Either slow-release granules or a balanced liquid feed will do!
In conclusion,
These low maintenance plants will convert your home, office and outdoor spaces into a jungle with minimal effort but maximum impact. Whether you're a beginner plant parent, an experienced green thumb or simply someone who has a lot of other obligations to fit into each day (don't we all!?), everyone can benefit from having some easy-care greenery in their lives.
Note that all these plants, plus most other potted plants, require similar things when it comes to watering: a thorough drink during each watering session and being allowed to fully drain afterwards. The best way to achieve this without messy puddles, stress and lifting is with the PerkyPod innovative plant pot!
(Read more reviews here.)