Indoor Plants for New Plant Lovers

I don’t know what happened, but one day something switched in my brain and all of a sudden I was a sucker for all things plant. Maybe it’s growing up: as I got older I wanted the cleaner room and the responsibility of caring for something. Or maybe I just realized how pretty they were and valued the healthy living benefits that come with them. Either way, my room is now overrun, like a little urban jungle, and I couldn’t be happier.

As much as I wanted to buy every pretty plant I saw when I first got interested, I realized it was important to do my research first. I​’m a university student, so I live a pretty busy life, and am living in a more constricted living space while trying to save money in the city, which means fewer windows in my room. You can’t just buy a plant without considering what type of light it needs, so which direction your window faces is important to consider. No matter the lack of greenness to your thumb, a tendency to forget to water, or a teeny tiny window, if you do your research, there’s a plant out there for you. So, here’s a list of some beginner friendly plants that will each thrive in your environment.

East or West facing Windows:

First off, if you have a small window that doesn’t get much sun, like an east or west facing window. They make for nice decorations on book shelves or desks. Here are some plants that I love, and that thrive without much light.

Pothos Plant

I recommend these boys to all my friends, they were one of the first plants that I got, and even as a newbie to the plant world, I was able to help these plants grow wonderfully. They make for beautiful hanging plants, and even when you’re not around to water them often, they aren’t picky. They don’t need to be kept to a schedule, and mainly just need to be watered when the soil is dry. Honestly, they’re beautiful and add such a fun splash of green to a window, and who doesn’t love hanging plants?

Spider Plant

Spider Plants are spilling, fern like plants, often variegated, and they offer a fun splash of texture and colour to any room. They don’t need much sun, but do appreciate getting some afternoon or morning light, making them perfect for an east or west facing window. These plants are hardy and pretty diffiuclt to kill. They don’t need much water either, just a nice soaking when the soil dries up.

Snake Plants

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, m​y snake plant is a personal favorite of mine, his name is Sylvester. He’s a hardy boy whose roots are huge. He does not like full sun all day long, but could probably be put in a window so long as he’s not bearing the full heat of a midday sun. Right now, I have him far from my window, where he occasionally gets some direct light as the sun sets, but generally he’s living in low light, and he’s having a great time. These plants are so cool looking, and there’s a wide variety of styles for them; mine is variegated, I’m in love with the yellow stripes. Snake plants need to be watered when their soil dries up, but their thick leaves are capable of retaining water, so they’re drought resistant, making them a good choice if you’re a plant owner who can sometimes forget to water.

North or South facing Windows:

N​ow, medium light plants are a choice for windows that don’t get all day sun, but they’ll have to stay closer to the glass and occasionally on sunny days be brought outside. I prefer to keep my medium light plants near my bright light windows, but I put them in the back, making sure they’re getting indirect light to prevent them from burning. Alternatively, medium light plants are perfect for placing in front of a north facing window, because while they still get nearly all day light, they also miss out on the brightest hours of noon. Two of my favorite medium light plants are these two indoor dwarf trees.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

T​his plant was one of the ones I was most excited to get after researching, they’re very popular in indoor decorating and all over Pinterest. The dwarf plants (as most stores sell them) grow into beautiful indoor trees with fantastic wiggling leaves. I bought mine at a local florist and named him Phineas, and I love how weird and fun he is. He’s starting out small, no more than a foot tall, but with some love and time he’ll grow between one and one and a half meters. These plants like bright but indirect sun, so not too close to a south facing window, but also happy enough with only rising or setting sun. This plant gets watered once the soil is slightly moist, and its leaves need to be dusted from time to time with a damp cloth.

Rubber Tree

Another favorite of mine is a rubber tree. They like medium indirect light, so a bit of distance from a south facing window keeps them happy year round. These plants also grow into beautiful trees, boasting thick rubbery leaves that have a pinkish underside. Just wait until you watch a new leaf growing and unfurling! The new leaf comes out of a bright pink casing! Rubber Plants get watered once their soil is dry, but if you notice that the leaves are getting slightly yellow and mushy, the plant is thirsty and needs a little more attention.

Both of these plants are often sold as large fully grown trees, but a cheaper choice is to look for them small at a local florist (If they aren’t there then there are plenty of online options). Growing them yourself from smaller plants is not only cheaper, but much more fulfilling. It feels good to see something you’ve nurtured grow big and tall!

South facing Windows:

I​f you have a south facing window you can host almost any plant around your room, either in shade or in full light. The world is wide open! Still, you have to do your research to make sure you don’t give any plants too much sun or they’ll dry out. Here are some easy beginner plants that you can start out with.

Succulents

These are often the plants that pull people into the plant world, I myself am a victim to their charm. These little buddies are known to be quite hardy; similar to cacti, they need very little water, often going weeks without complaint. When you do water, make sure to give them a few days dry period. This allows the succulent to prepare itself for it’s next watering, and simulates the dry climates that the plants originated in. While these plants do grow biggest when in bright, indirect sun, they can still do well at a slower pace in a less-brigth window with morning or afternoon sun. If you put these in a spot that isn’t constantly sunny though, make sure to only water when the soil is completely dry, as they can take longer to soak up the water then, and root rot should be avoided. Succulents are also fun plants to add to a collection because once you get a little more brave you can start propagating their leaves very easily! I place leaves that fall off flat in a tray with soil and mist them daily and they produce roots slowly that will turn into their own plant!

While these plants thrive in full-sun, be careful putting them right in front of a window. The glass magnifies the light and the poor little guys can get sun burnt! Their edges turn reddish and they might shrivel slightly. Don’t worry though, this is easy to recognize, and simply taking them out of the sun for a week and giving them a little extra water should have them back to normal in no time. If the problem continues occurring, try buying a sheer curtain that you can close at midday when the sun is at its brightest, your plants will appreciate it!

Umbrella Plant

A​n umbrella plant is a fun vine like plant, with a stalk and clusters of umbrella shaped leaves coming off, mines named RhiRhi (after Rhianna of course). It tends to grow tall, so buying it small provides fun in watching it grow over the years! This plant likes lots of sun, though it can also survive well with less in the winter, giving it bright light prevents the plant from growing leggy though, allowing it to keep its bushy appearance. Umbrella plants love humidity, so if you have a sunny bathroom then this plant would thrive there, which also helps the bathroom by preventing too much moisture absorbing into the walls and creating mold. In the summer this plant should be watered when the soil feels slightly moist to touch. In the winter though, umbrella plants prefer to only receive water when the soil is dry, as they’re more prone to over watering then. This plant is easy to please and keep, but I do recommend it for someone who is better at keeping to a consistent watering schedule.

Air Plants

I didn’t know about Air Plants until my plant obsession was already under way, but was I ever excited when I found out about these guys! They’re plants that grow without any roots, as the name suggests, and live in the air. Often, they’re seen in terrariums, but while those look pretty, they make caring for the air plant harder to manage. Instead, I’d recommend creating something like in the photo below. It’s important to make sure that air plants have full air circulation, or they could retain moisture from their watering and start to rot. On the note of watering, some say that all you need to keep these plants happy is a daily misting, but I and many others find that inefficient. Instead, air plants should be given a bath in water for 30 minutes to an hour about once a week. While these plants are a little more challenging and picky, they are quite inexpensive and worth trying! They love sun so they can sit directly on a window ledge and grow well.

Aloe

Everyone’s heard about Aloe, and with good reason. This was one of the first plants I got, meaning I was still lacking some knowledge and not as good a plant mother as my aloe deserved, but he’s still alive and kicking! One important thing about Aloe’s is that while they love the sun, they’re prone to sunburn (ironic, considering that’s what their inner-leaf gel helps us with). I’ve accidentally given my Aloe a sunburn twice! Once while I was away, I came back to find him nearly bright red. Moving him to a shaded place and watering brought him back to health quickly though, and I’ve now learnt from my mistakes. These plants are great for beginners because they require so little attention, while looking fantastic and attracting attention. They’re similar to cacti, so they don’t need much water at all, and can enter a dormant stage and survive for months without water. Still, if you want your aloe to grow then make sure to water it a few days after noticing the soil is dry since aloe prefer to have a slight dry period between waterings.

All of the plants listed above make for beautiful green additions to a space. Looking for more easy plants is as simple as going to the grocery store and picking up some herbs. I recently bought herbs and potted them in re-purposed glass jars, and they grow so well! My mint grows like a weed, and my basil that started as a little baby is now a bush. Herbs generally all prefer lots of sunlight, but I currently have them in an east facing window, and they’re doing great.

An important general rule to add about all plants (those listed above and any beyond that) is that if you’re unsure about your watering habits and abilities, you should make sure to get a pot with a draining hole so that any excess water can escape through the bottom. If the roots sit in consistent water then they’re in danger of rot, and you’ll have to undertake a whole rescue mission to bring them back. If you feel confident in your watering feel free to plant in that cute pot you found at Homesense, but I’d recommend putting some small rocks at the bottom, then, any excess water will sit in the rocks instead of among the roots, meaning the plant can take it only when it needs it. Additionally, make sure to pot in the right soil, they need to be well draining to prevent your plant from sitting in water for too long.

With the right care in purchasing, whatever plants you get will be happy to live in your space. Make sure to try to shop local, and g​ood luck with your growing!