In your experience what are the hardest houseplants to keep alive for you? Or ones you would consider for more advanced or experienced plant people? All answers appreciated:)
Name: Sally central Maryland (Zone 7b) See you in the funny papers!
Spider plants are hard for me, I think I overwater/overpot them?
Maranta prayer plants are hard.
False aralia, I've bought two small ones that croaked soon False Aralia (Plerandra elegantissima)
Begonias can be unpredictable for me. Rex begonia I haven't kept well. Cane types can be gorgeous or bad for seemingly unknown reasons, for me.
I've always wanted Pilea peperomioides and a watermelon pepperomia, who you guys rank those as being harder to take care of plants as well? Lots of people say they're finicky for beginners.
Hypoestes, it just gets stringy and loses it's spots so fast, no matter the lighting
Elephant Ears, gets spindly and rots so easily , except in very bright light
Fabian Aralia, picky, picky with watering
'Martha' plants, the ones grown for an event that aren't really houseplants- roses, mums, azaleas, like that.
And Rex begonias, they hate me.
“That which is, is.That which happens, happens.” Douglas Adams
Agree with the maranta group in that I can never get them to look their best. Always seem to have brown tips on their leaves. I can't give up on a living thing, so am doing my best with pruning and trimming off the brown parts, but they are not something I would buy again. I've had a potted watermelon pepperomia for many many years which does seem to sulk every so often, and lose some leaves and stems, but I pull those out and it seems to keep trucking along.
Gina, cyclamen are easy outside in partial shade. Inside they need bright light, maybe even a little sun and coolish temperatures.
Marantas are best left in greenhouses with their finicky friends the Rex begonias. Oh and Fittonias too.
“That which is, is.That which happens, happens.” Douglas Adams
Name: Gina Florida (Zone 9a) Tropical plant collector 40 years
LOL I have all those in my greenhouse. Some begonias are easier than others...I have a Rex against the back wall that can be gorgeous and totally leafed out, or get persnickety and drop all its leaves seemingly for no reason. Then it will re-leaf.
I have had a lot of success with those little colorful Costa Farms Exotic Angel cheap begonias from the box store, planted in-ground. But my biggest success remains my Begonia luxurians. Its going on 9 feet tall now.
They sell Cyclamen in the fall/winter here, by spring they have disappeared. Because I guess its already too hot for them here
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Would a pilea peperomiodies and a watermelon pepperomia be considered hard or easy to take care of plants. I would love to get both but I'm also scared of getting them and accidentally killing them.
Name: Gina Florida (Zone 9a) Tropical plant collector 40 years
I have never had the peperomiodies, I have seen them around for a long time but never bit because they are all green. I like my watermelon pep, I have 2 forms, one is the usual and one is a different species and considered a 'dwarf'. Both have been easy for me but I am not growing them as houseplants
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I personally like moth orchid, elephant ear, fiddle leaf fig and croton. I get this information from <a href="https://lotusmagus.com/tough-to-grow-houseplants/"> this site</a> they actually mentions 7 tough to grow houseplant you can check there.
Name: Sally central Maryland (Zone 7b) See you in the funny papers!
Old thread.
I got Pilea peperomioides last year, two very small , the giver said it is an easy plant. It was given in a clay pot but I often let clay dry out too much so it struggled thru summer. I moved the two little plants each to their own plastic at some point. Long story short, I think they are a higher light needs plant and maybe likes to stay moist. Mine are alive but still small and not that pretty. I'll add a pic later.
THis winer I was given a sad Cyclamen that was stuffed into a big round glass bowl- a florist job, where it's only expected to look good for a week or two. It was getting a lot of yellow leaves. I moved it to a good pot, it rebounded and bloomed like mad for a few more weeks with gorgeous leaves. THen it suddenly all went yellow, so I've stopped the water. Maybe it's dormant. I also got another cyclamen, a 3 inch pot, it has stopped blooming but still has nice leaves, on my cool east windowsill.
I have had a couple Calatheas and lost them, as much my fault as theirs, I'm going to admit now. Currently have a Calathea (maranta?) Musaica which has been happy since fall.
I think moth orchids are easy with some basic understanding of their likes. But that might be said for more (many?) of these plants.
Gina1960 said: Any of the calathea alliance (Maranta, Calathea, Ctenanthe)
Totally agree, the only ones I have still surviving are outside in the shady tropical garden, they hated the indoor, even in the porch.
Oh, just saw this was a really old post, but still stand by this. I've never tried Pilea peperomioides, honestly they look like a weed that grows around here in lawns.
