Plant Care Check

The basics of keeping houseplants alive

Most houseplant deaths come down to a few fixable mistakes, and the biggest is overwatering. Far more plants are killed by soggy roots than by drought, because constantly wet soil starves the roots of oxygen and causes rot. The reliable rule for most plants is to water thoroughly, then wait until the top few centimetres of soil are dry before watering again, rather than a little on a fixed schedule. The tool above gives care guidance for specific plants.

Match the plant to the light. Light is the other big factor. A plant that wants bright, indirect light will slowly decline in a dim corner, while a shade-lover will scorch on a hot windowsill. Before buying, be honest about the light a spot actually gets through the day, and choose a plant suited to it rather than trying to force an unsuitable one to cope.

Read the plant. Yellowing lower leaves often mean overwatering; crispy brown edges usually mean too little water or dry air; leggy, stretched growth means not enough light. Learning to read these signals lets you adjust before a plant is lost. Most common houseplants are forgiving once you get watering and light roughly right.

Care details for every plant we cover

All 53 entries in full. The search box above filters this same list.

Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)

Light: Low to bright indirect · Water: When top 2-3cm of soil is dry (~weekly) · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: toxic

Snake Plant (Sansevieria)

Light: Low to bright, tolerates anything · Water: Sparingly, every 2-3 weeks, let it dry out · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: toxic

Monstera Deliciosa

Light: Bright indirect (no harsh sun) · Water: When top few cm dry (~weekly) · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Peace Lily

Light: Low to medium indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist, it dramatically droops when thirsty then perks back up · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

ZZ Plant

Light: Low to bright indirect · Water: Every 2-3 weeks, stores water in its rhizomes · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: toxic

Spider Plant

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist in summer, drier in winter · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Light: Bright indirect, lots of it · Water: When top 3-4cm dry, hates both drought and soggy roots · Difficulty: Hard (fussy) · Pets: toxic

Aloe Vera

Light: Bright, some direct sun · Water: Deeply but rarely, every 2-3 weeks, full dry-out · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: caution

Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Calathea

Light: Medium indirect, no direct sun · Water: Keep evenly moist with filtered water; loves humidity · Difficulty: Hard · Pets: safe

Heartleaf Philodendron

Light: Medium to bright indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: toxic

Succulents (assorted)

Light: Bright, direct sun ideal · Water: Soak then fully dry, every 2-3 weeks · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: caution

Boston Fern

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep consistently moist; high humidity · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Light: Bright indirect · Water: ~3 ice cubes or a splash weekly; never let roots sit in water · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

English Ivy

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: toxic

Chinese Money Plant (Pilea)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top 2-3cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

String of Hearts

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Every 1-2 weeks, let it dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

String of Pearls

Light: Bright, some direct sun · Water: Every 2 weeks, full dry-out · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: toxic

Jade Plant

Light: Bright, direct sun ok · Water: Soak then dry fully, every 2-3 weeks · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Christmas Cactus

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top 2cm dry, a little more in bud · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Prayer Plant (Maranta)

Light: Medium indirect · Water: Keep evenly moist, filtered water · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Bird's Nest Fern

Light: Medium indirect · Water: Keep moist, water the soil not the crown · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Staghorn Fern

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Soak the root ball weekly, let drain · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Air Plant (Tillandsia)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Soak 20-30 min weekly, shake dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Money Tree (Pachira)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)

Light: Bright indirect, tolerates low · Water: When top half of soil is dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Croton

Light: Bright, some direct sun for colour · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Hard · Pets: toxic

Anthurium (Flamingo Flower)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top 2-3cm dry · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: toxic

Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)

Light: Medium indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium)

Light: Medium to bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Light: Low to medium indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: toxic

Lucky Bamboo

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Grows in water, change it every 2 weeks · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Nerve Plant (Fittonia)

Light: Medium indirect · Water: Keep consistently moist · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Parlor Palm

Light: Low to medium indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Areca Palm

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist, never soggy · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Ponytail Palm

Light: Bright, some direct sun · Water: Every 2-3 weeks, it stores water in the bulb · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: safe

Majesty Palm

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep consistently moist · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Cast Iron Plant

Light: Low to medium, no direct sun · Water: When top half dry · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: safe

Hoya (Wax Plant)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When soil is dry, likes to dry out · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Haworthia (Zebra Plant)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Every 2-3 weeks, full dry-out · Difficulty: Very easy · Pets: safe

African Violet

Light: Bright indirect · Water: From below, tepid water, keep leaves dry · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: safe

Norfolk Island Pine

Light: Bright indirect, some sun · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: caution

Begonia (Rex / Wax)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top 2cm dry, avoid wet leaves · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: toxic

Kalanchoe

Light: Bright, some direct sun · Water: Soak then dry, every 2 weeks · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Umbrella Plant (Schefflera)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: toxic

Oxalis (False Shamrock)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: When top 2cm dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia)

Light: Bright, direct sun · Water: When top few cm dry · Difficulty: Medium · Pets: caution

Inch Plant (Tradescantia)

Light: Bright indirect · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: caution

Echeveria (Rosette Succulent)

Light: Bright, direct sun · Water: Soak then fully dry · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: safe

Coleus

Light: Bright indirect to some sun · Water: Keep lightly moist · Difficulty: Easy · Pets: toxic

Venus Flytrap

Light: Bright, direct sun · Water: Distilled or rain water only, keep tray topped · Difficulty: Hard · Pets: safe