Best Houseplants for First Time Plant Parents

Sometimes in life, we might feel a little down about ourselves, but remember when we breathe out, we breath out carbon dioxide for our plants. Today’s post is all about the best beginner plants to get and how to take care of plants for the first time. We have gathered a lot of useful information about everything you need to know about what plants are good “starter” plants, and how to take good care of them. However, we also created this list based on The ME team's personal collections ;)

We believe that gardening and taking care of plants is very therapeutic and good for your mental and physical health. We have also gone through the struggles of trying to figure out what in the world your plants need because your plants can't exactly tell you what they need! (babies am i right?) So we hope that you find our post useful and we wish you the best of luck for your gardening and planting journey.

Here's a list of plants that are easy to find and easy to take care of (trust us, they're hard to kill) if you're a first time plant parent:

1. Succulents & Cacti

First on our list, succulents, these little guys are one of the most popular plants to get, and for good reasons; they're drought resistant, relatively easy to care for, and come a range of unique shapes, sizes and colours. If you're anything like me, keeping up with a watering schedule for your plants may be too burdensome, but these little guys will show you how easy it is to maintain them. If succulents don't cut it for you, a cactus will be your best friend. Cacti are actually succulents because they store water in their leaves, butttt are even easier to take care of. If treated right, your cactus can live anywhere from 5 years to 300 years. So, make sure to choose your prickle baby wisely.

2. Snake Plant

Snake plants are best known to be air purifiers, so it's a perfect plant for indoors especially in the bedroom! Not only is it an amazing purifier, but it is also adds some aesthetic value to your space. Snake plants have different varieties so you're sure to find one (or two!) that's perfect for your space. This cute plant can add structure to any space, and it can add some dimension to any boring part of your house.

3. Pothos

OH. MY. GOODNESS. POTHOS. Where do I even start? I am absolutely obsessed with pothos plants and I'm slowly filling my house with them. These are probably the most popular houseplants on the market right now. You can find them in building lobbies, coffee shops, and in every single plant parent's home. And there is a reason— these are certainly very, very, very easy to take care of. They can grow in both bright and low-light conditions. However, if you want them to grow like crazy, bright indirect light is definitely the best option. Like most plants, it thrives when soil is left to dry out a little bit before watering. Pothos is a trailing plant, so you can either let it hang on a hanging basket or let it trail on your wall or on a stake! (Watch out for Thursday's post) These are also very easy to propagate. Just snip off a cutting, place it in water and wait a few days for roots to grow.

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is one of those multi-functional plants. It does not only look cute on your living room table, but you can use it in a multitude of ways. Since these guys pretty much store water in their leaves, it's best to keep the soil on the dry side. Aloe is basically a succulent, so treat these guys like you would a succulent or cacti. For different uses of aloe, check out our Aloe Vera post!

5. Spider Plant

Spider plants are one of the most common houseplants I see in every person's home. They're interesting-looking plants, especially when they start growing spiderettes (spider plant babies). These are really easy to grow and will give you A WHOLE TON of baby sprouts when they're taken care of properly. Like the previous plants, spider plants thrive in bright indirect light and well-draining soil. These look really pretty in a hanging pot as the leaves and new growth dangle.

6. ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas Zamiifolia is the scientific name, which is a mouthful. The name might sound intimidating, but if you're one of those people who just forgets that they have plants; then, this one's for you (these babies thrive on neglect). They have bulbs that keep the water in, so you don't have to worry about watering ZZs all the time. They originated from Africa, which has a dry and drought-prone climate, so you can leave these babies alone (that also goes for you, Karen). They also don't mind being in low-light conditions. However, these are one of the slowest-growing plants in my opinion, but if you don't mind that and are just happy with keeping it alive, this one is definitely for you!

7. Monstera

Monsteras are all the hype right now. It's no wonder everyone wants these babies. They grow HUUUUUGE in the wild, and their fenestrations are pretty amazing. This was my dream plant for the longest time. However, 3 years ago, a monstera would cost around 70 CAD and up and there's no way in hell I had that much money to spend on a plant! Fast forward to 2020, you can basically find a Monstera Deliciosa in your local box stores for as low as 20 CAD for an established plant. How crazy is that?! If you're looking for a plant that would elevate your home aesthetic, while not worrying about it dying, you will absolutely love this baby! Just a side note: these guys grow really big even if they're kept as houseplants, so just keep that in mind if you do decide to grab one. Monsteras usually hang on to trees in the wild, so sticking a moss/coco pole or some kind of stake in the pot can help to keep them together and not spread out as much. Watch out for Thursday's post for stake tips!

8. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese Evergreens are known to be hardy plants and are usually one of the best starter plants for newbie plant parents. These babies can survive even if your forget to water them! They grow best when soil is left to dry out before another watering. Aglaonemas (genus name) also come in different varieties. If you want to add a splash of colour to your home, there's aglaonemas with pink, brown, white, red, and orange variegations.

If there's anything you should take from this post, it's that most of these plants prefer to dry out before watering. NEVER overwater your plants. It's better to make them a lil bit thirsty than to drown them! Try your hand at these hardy plants and once you get used to it, maybe you can move on to more diva plants!

Well there you go! We hope you enjoyed today's plant post. We also hope that you guys enjoy taking care of your little green friends. These are just some of our top picks when it comes to starter plants but of course there are still several more to choose from. We can’t wait to write more about our plant journey and share them with you. So please share some of your favourite starter plants and let us know some of your tips and tricks on how to take care of them.

Good luck and see you next thyme!