House Plants For A Healthier You

"plants give us oxygen for the lungs and the soul"- Linda Solegato

As we all may know by now, developing a "green thumb" is nowhere near easy, but the feeling we get and connectedness we feel to Mother Earth comes naturally as our green thumb journey unfolds. I personally have found happiness is growing plants and have noticed how they respond to my energy (or sometimes lack thereof). For about 2 years now I've been developing my own "green thumb", no I'm not perfect but it has been a rewarding experience thus far.

Here are some plants that I personally own, want to own, or have previously killed and would like to try again 😊🌱. Planting, growing, and propagating my own little jungle has been one of my outlets... I hope you find joy in it too! FYI I am aware plants are either "male" or "female" or "both"; however, in this post I refer to all my plants by she/her for simplicity.

1. The Lucky Bamboo

mine's named: tres

This plant is probably one of the easiest plants to grow and has so much symbolic meaning.

This plant can either grow in water (spring water ONLY or the leaves will turn brown) or soil. I choose to grow mine in spring water only so that I can pay attention to the health of her roots. The water should stop about 1-2 inches above the roots, the higher up the water the higher up the roots will grow. If after a couple of months you find the water is getting cloudy, carefully change the water.
She doesn't need much sunlight and grows fine indoors. Though when it's sunny out I typically let her sit in the window sill all day! Yellowing stalks mean they are dying, you can cut the stalk under the part where its yellowing with a plant sheer, seal the cutting with red wax, and wait... new life will soon grow.

They are usually found in bundles of 3 wrapped in gold twine with red wax at the ends of the shoots. 
The amount of stalks and the color of the twine all mean something special and are often given as gifts. 2 stalks mean love, 3 stalks mean happiness, wealth, and long life, 4 stalks mean death, 5 stalks mean wealth, 6 stalks mean good luck and wealth, 7 stalks mean good health and 10 stalks mean perfection in life. This plant is known to attract positive energy, vitality, spiritual freedom and wisdom. A gold or red ribbon used to tie the stalks together symbolizes good fortune. They are said to live up to 4-5 years and can grow up to 8 feet tall!

2. Aloe Vera

So VERSATILE! I could probably count on both hands the amount of ways this plant can be used.

She's a cactus so she grows SUPER easy, needing VERY little water and some sunlight. probably every 1-2 months I place an ice cube or two on the top of the soil to melt. If the leaves seem skinny or not plump enough, I'll drizzle water in the pot for about 5 seconds. I give her cactus food about 2x a year or whenever I'm feeling she needs it. I simply pump 1 pump into the soil and drizzle a weeeee little bit of water over that pump.
Over watering will KILL this plant.

This plant can be used topically to treat sunburn, acne and other skin problems. The jelly can also be used in hair as a deep conditioner, the plant leaves can be cut into chunks and placed in water for an Aloe-water infused detox of the blood and digestive tract... the list really goes on and on. Definitely one to keep and grow in your home. 👍

3. Majestic Palm

If you live in Alaska or colder climates this may not be the plant for you. 
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Native to the tropics, this plant thrives from a warm climate and gallons and gallons of water. This plant requires daily watering and a lot of tender, love and care. Her leaves and soil must stay damp for optimal growth and she prefers damp/humid environments. If there's a cold draft from the air conditioner or window her leaves will turn brown and begin to die.

She LOVES sunlight and prefers if it is sunny all day. If you would like to grow this plant indoors, general household plant fertilizer about every 2-3 months in damp soil will do the trick
She can grow up to 10 feet tall and have massive roots!
​Though dainty and high maintenance, her damp soil can attract a lot of pests including fungus gnats and spider mites. To get rid of pests, I purchased mosquito bits and sprinkled it on top of the soil. You can also use neem oil or mosquito bits to get rid of pests. This plant is guaranteed to light up any room and everyone will bask in her glory. ✨🌿

4. Croton

A BEAUTY for sure! 😍 This colorful plant is probably everyone's favorite house plant due to its ease of care and aesthetics.

Croton plants are also native to tropical environments but do thrive at room temperature. I water my croton about once a week typically mist my croton leaves between watering to maintain adequate leaf growth. Every 1-2 months I also pump 1 pump of indoor plant fertilizer in order to maintain her growth.

She also loves sunlight and a little fresh air from time to time, although I would not leave her outside overnight, a nice window should suffice.

mine's named: cora 

Crotons are also known to be fussy and do not like to be relocated often. The plant may go into shock and lose a few leaves. To prevent too many shocking experiences for your plant, ensure that you re-pot her in a large enough pot so that she can grow and thrive for years to come...in the same pot...in the same spot. 🥰

5. Devil's Ivy ( aka Creeper)

​mine's named: juniper

Nicely named for its resilience, strength and ability to apparently withstand even the harshest of environments.

She has a mirage of disguises but can literally grow to the length of your house if you allow her to. She propagates well and still thrives if you forget to water her. This plant actually prefers if the soil is completely dry between waterings.

One of the easiest, beginner plants I know of!

Any type or amount of light, she will do just fine but she prefers bright, indirect light. I bought a stand to place mine in the corner next to a window. She is a vine which means she will weave and wrap around anything in her way. One pump of indoor plant fertilizer every 2-3 months will do her justice. Water every 2 weeks or so and she's good!

6. Snake Plant (aka Mother-In-Law's Tongue)

mine's named: medusa

Not sure where this nickname came from but this plant is one I love ! Known as an awesome air purifier and a dainty addition to anyone's home.

She's super popular and hardy. She won't die easy but will burn (like most foliage) if left in direct sunlight. This plant does best indoors and prefers a window view with some light but will do just fine in a dark corner.

Watering twice a month during warmer months and once a month during the colder months is perfect. She also prefers dry soil between waterings.

When repotting, choose a nice sturdy pot as strong roots may crack most plastic pots. This plant is one of the top air purifying plants identified by NASA because they absorb great amounts of carbon monoxide, formaldehyde and other toxins from the air. Put a snake plant in your room, and you are guaranteed a great night's sleep and decreased stress ! 😌🌿

7. Echeveria 'Perle von Nurnberg'

The 'Perle von Nurnberg' can grow to about 6.0" wide if given plenty of sunlight and great drainage.

It is a part of the succulent/cactus family so it requires little to no water to flourish. I would recommend waiting until the roots really dry out to water her.

With that being said, pick pots with drainage holes and fill them with a gritty soil like cactus / succulent potting mix. It does need protection from frost but will grow well indoors if kept near a sunny window. 

Be careful when repotting this plant, she can be fussy. It's recommended to repot this plant

only when it has become either too big or root bound to its original pot. Also, be sure the soil that you are repotting this plant into is dry. They, like most other succulents are notorious for root rot. Succulent food 2x a year, a window sill, water hardly ever and this plant will flourish!

8. Nerve Plant (Fittonia albivenis)

They are low growing, about 3-6 inches but can spread about 12-18 inches. They love humidity so are especially great for terrariums or in humid spaces.

mine's named: eevee

If you can't tell, I'm definitely a foliage girl. Not that I don't love flowers, but it's just something about fluffy, vivacious foliage!

Commonly known as the "nerve" plant for its strongly contrasting white or red veins. However, it is native to the rainforests of Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and northern Brazil.

I hope to get more nerve plants as they are fairly low maintenance and require low light (very susceptible to leaf burn)

9. 'Raven' ZZ Plant

Black Raven ZZ plant known for its bright green new growth and deep purple adult foliage. This plant actually prefers the shade and grows well under dim light.

This plant is one of the easiest and hardiest plants to grow indoors.  It is also drought tolerant, meaning it can survive a few weeks without water. It is best to wait until the top layer of soil completely dries out between waterings. 

The 'Raven' ZZ plant is a slow-growing plant, but expected to grow 30 inches tall and wide over a few years.

mine's named: Chérie the ZZ

Endnotes/Tips

Plants can be toxic to house pets so be sure to check out the ASPCA's website for a list of toxic house plants. If you would still like to grow one of these plants and not have to make an ER visit with your pup/kitty, simply store the plant out of their reach. ​

Ensure all of your plant pots have adequate drainage holes so that excess water can flow through and not cause the roots to rot.

Ensure the soil is specified as an "indoor plant" or "cactus" for each specific plant. I use the Miracle Gro brand of soil. For my cactus plants, I add small pebbles and sand at the bottom of the pot when repotting to even further prevent water from settling in the pot.

If your plant becomes pot or glass bound (e.g. you see roots at the top of the soil or the soil is starting to seperate from the pot) repotting into a larger pot is necessary. When repotting, loosen up the dirt around the roots so that the roots can grab hold of their new environment. Also, this helps you see if there are any dead roots that need trimming or even worse...mites.

This handy device by Sonkir will help you check the moisture levels of your plant's soil so as to avoid overwatering or underwatering your precious baby. As we know, plants can be expensive so to avoid killing our plants, this device will save their lives and you some money. 

The "Planta" App is also a useful resource to help you manage your plants and keep up with when to water your plants. It notifies you, based on plant type, when to care for/water your plants.

Understand that growing plants is a process and each phase of growth is different. Make sure to name your plants, love your plants, speak love and light into your plants. Your plants are a reflection of you... an extension of you. The energy you give off literally feeds your plants and the energy they give off feeds you!
🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱🌱✨✨✨✨✨🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿✨✨✨✨✨🎍🎍🎍🎍🎍🎍🎍🎍

Happy Gardening! What are your gardening tips? Comment below your favorite house plants, tips or your own “green thumb” journey. Also, everything that is underlined is hyperlinked to the exact product I use. I will update this list as my jungle/garden grows denser 💚

Take Care,

Chérie Jade
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