Some of us have green thumbs, and others... Well, killing a cactus isn't as hard as it should be.
It's always nice to have some green around. Houseplants can clean the air, give a room some "pop," and--if you're like me--they sort of become boring, really silent pets. If you want to add a few no-fuss friends to your life, here are the varieties for you.
Note: if you have pets or kids, make sure your houseplants are nontoxic!
1. Aloe Vera
This succulent is popular for the gel inside the leaves--it cools sunburn and soothes skin. Aloe needs high light and well-draining soil. It's used to the desert, so don't drench it when you water. To use the gel, cut off a leaf, slice it down the middle, and scoop out what's inside. Don't worry about your plant--as long as you don't take a lot of leaves in a short time, it'll do just fine.
2. Echeveria
Bright light and sandy soil keep this little succulent happy. If you take good care of it, you'll get mini echeverias--called "chicks"--popping up from the original plant. Another bonus: echeveria plants come in a variety of straight-up gorgeous colors. Topsy-turvy is a particularly fun variety--it looks like something you'd find at the bottom of a coral reef.
3. Pothos
This elegant plant is great at cleaning toxins out of the air. It grows in water or soil, and it's nearly impossible to kill--you can even take cuttings from the draping, vine-like stems and grow them into new plants. It adjusts to a variety of lighting, but the brighter the light, the more streaks of color you'll get in the leaves.
Pothos is toxic to pets and kids, so keep it 100% out of reach--or pick a different plant!
4. Shamrocks
A bit fussier than the other plants on this list, happy shamrocks will reward you with white flowers (and maybe a little luck). Keep them somewhere bright but relatively cool.
5. Potatoes (yeah, really!)
This one's kind of awesome, although it may take a few tries to get a plant out of the experiment.
Take a potato with lots of eyes, stick a few toothpicks in it, and suspend it over a jar of water so it dips just below the surface of the liquid. With luck and some bright sunlight, you'll get a few vines which, in time, sport surprisingly beautiful flowers. Try different kinds of potatoes for different colors of flowers.
6. Peace Lily
Yet another plant that's great at cleaning the air, peace lilies like shady, indirect light. If you're a forgetful waterer, peace lilies are a great choice--these divas droop super dramatically when they need a drink.
7. Basil
Start basil from seed, then put it somewhere warm and bright, like a south-facing window. It needs a lot of sun (4+ hours a day), but in return you'll get yummy leaves you can add to all kinds of food--spaghetti sauce, pesto, you name it.
