It’s almost time to head back to school and with that comes shopping for decor to make your dorm room as comfortable as possible! One thing that is sure to add a pop of life to any room is a houseplant (or ten if you’re anything like me), but all plants were not created equally when it comes to surviving in a college room environment. I’m definitely guilty of killing a plant or two my freshman year due to a busy lifestyle and a tendency to overwater everything, so I present to you a list of five low maintenance houseplants that even I’ll have trouble killing (hopefully).
- Pothos
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This is almost always on the top of the list for best plants for beginners for multiple reasons. It requires very little care to grow and it will be very obvious if it needs to be watered. Pothos is also easy to propagate (a fancy way of saying it’s easy to make a ton of new baby plants) so it’s worth the price. This plant can survive in soil or a simple glass of water which makes it resilient enough for a dorm room!
- Succulents and Cacti
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These plants are well known for being easy to take care of because they can withstand a ton of abuse. The only things these plants need to thrive are enough natural light and very little water, so they’re perfect to place right next to a window. It’s actually worse to overwater succulents and cacti than it is to underwater them which is a common mistake beginner plant owners make.
- Snake Plant
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These plants aren’t only gorgeous to look at but also don’t need direct sunlight or an excessive amount of watering! Snake plants are pretty adaptable and can survive being moved all around the house until you find the perfect spot for them. It’s actually preferred that you wait for the soil to completely dry out before watering them.
- Spider Plants
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Don’t worry, taking care of these plants is not as scary as finding an actual spider inside your house! Despite the name, these are one of the more popular house plants because they’re super easy to take care of. Spider plants do best in direct sunlight but can survive in a variety of light. All you need to do is keep the soil a little damp and they will grow happily!
- Lucky Bamboo
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If you’re someone who usually overwaters plants like me this one might be perfect for you! If you provide this plant with an abundance of water it will grow even in indirect light. These plants are also thought to bring happiness and prosperity which is perfect for students adapting to college.
Obviously there are so many different houseplants to choose from and each plant comes with its own personality and maintenance needs, but these plants should be harder to kill than most! I know I’m excited to turn my room into a mini jungle, and hopefully I’ll be able to keep more of them alive this year!
~Oriel Voegele