My Rewards
Nothing in life comes for free, ey?
If you want low-maintenance plants, you’re going to have to sacrifice elsewhere, whether that’s on looks, availability or affordability - right?
Wrong! Well … mostly wrong. The great news is that low-maintenance houseplants tend to be both more affordable and more widely available than other plants because they’re easy to grow! Whether or not you need to sacrifice on ‘looks,’ however, is another matter.
It’s no secret that rare, delicate indoor plants can be a little bit more fussy. Take Calathea maui queen, for example. This plant is a real crowd-pleaser: it’s air-purifying and totally unique in appearance, with beautifully patterned leaves in greens and purples.
Plants like Calatheas can still thrive in most UK homes, but if they’re left in a drafty room or not given sufficient humidity, they might lose some of their vibrancy.
Check out - A Guide to Calathea Roseopictas: Care & Benefits
If you're new to plants, and just want something you can rely on that they can rely on. Hence one of the questions we get asked most frequently is: What’s the most low maintenance houseplant?
If we had to pick one plant that was truly the most low maintenance, we’d probably say a Snake Plant (also known as the Mother in Law’s tongue, don’t ask us why!).
Mother-in-Law’s Tongues are low maintenance because:
- They can cope with lower light levels (though these desert-dwellers do like it bright).
- They thrive on neglect (this is a plant you shouldn’t water much, think once a fortnight).
- They’re almost living sculpture, and need little in the way of pruning.
Now, don’t get us wrong, we have a lot of time for Snake Plants at Bloombox Club. They’re easy to look after, proven by NASA to purify the air, and they pair really well with our more vibrant pots. But do Snake Plants have ‘wow factor’? That something we’re less sure of.
You can’t have everything in life, but sometimes you can have everything in plants! The plants listed below are pretty much guaranteed to grow with minimal fuss, but maximum joy.
Our Most Impressive Easy Care Plants
1. The Pineaple Plant
Can you believe that this unique, tropical plant is also really easy to look after? This Pineapple Plant is native to Central and South America, and closely related to the pineapples you can find in supermarkets. The fruits which grow on the Ananas pacifico are technically edible, but we wouldn't recommend it! The fruit is incredibly bitter, and may cause an upset stomach. Plus it looks a lot better with the Pineapple attached!
It's low-maintenance because it:
- Can withstand a variety of light conditions.
- Is drought tolerant (water when the top inch or two of soil has dried out).
2. Zebra Basket Vine
Zebra Basket Vine
Think unkillable plant = cactus? The Zebra Basket Vine will change your mind! This exotic looking houseplant will easily sprout long, strong tendrils and lush patterned leaves.
It's low-maintenance because it:
- Stores water in its vines, and draws in moisture from the atmosphere. That means you only need to water your Zebra Basket Vine when the top two inches of soil dries out (c.7-14 days).
3. Clusia Rosea 'Princess'
This is the first true succulent on our list, but it certainly doesn't look like the little Echeverias you find on market stalls. No, this Clusia (also known as 'Autograph Tree') is a fast-growing plant, ready to take pride of place in your kitchen or living room.
It's low-maintenance because it:
- Is unusually fast-growing (especially for a succulent).
- Needs very little watering (once every 10 days should be sufficient).
4. Marble Queen Pothos
Last, but certainly not least is one of our long term favorites: the Marble Queen Pothos. Pothos plants (aka Devil's Ivy) are stunning trailing plants, that can trained to climb, drape or hang as you wish. They're super versatile, always provoke a reaction from guests, and they're wonderfully easy to look after!
It's low-maintenance because it:
- Is fast growing.
- Isn't too fussy about light (just no direct sun!).
- Is hard to kill.
