Which houseplant would you suggest?

elsien

Aspidistra! Never had one, but aren't they the things that survived all sort of doom and gloom in victorian times?
(All burst into a rousing chorus of "the biggest aspidistra in the world.")

surfsister

easiest i find that thrive on neglect are jade lant mentioned above as money plant also reputed to be lucky by the chinese! Also aloe vera is easy and you can use it on burns just pull or cut a chunk of and put the soothing sapy stem on the burn. If you can find a friend with one just pul a branch off and pot, very easy if it fails try again. I had a branch but now have a forest.

I put the food/extra water granules in with my compost 9from poundland or wilko)then occasonally stand in a bowl of water overnight then spray with a water bottle, easy and they thrive. Occasionally i stand them outside in a downpour they love it but not if hail or really heavy rain!

PaggleHam

Spider plants are really difficult to kill and can usually be had for free from anyone who already has one due to their tendency to produce little baby plants all over the place.

anudeglory

Dracaenas are pretty good. I have several (one of the Dragon Tree varieties and one of the Lucky Bamboo types). I often forget to water them and they go without water for months and so droop a little bit, but they seem fine after a good watering. You may have to be careful as some people can have mild allergic reactions to the sap but it's rare.

I also have a Jatropha, it isn't dead yet, although perhaps looks it. I think this is mainly due to the under-watering it gets but it keeps some leaves and when watered properly has nice small fluorescent red-orange flowers.

I also have a Nolina, which has similar leaves to the Dracaena but a big stumpy and cracked trunk (it's called an Elephant's Foot plant).

I have had most of the plants since 2004/5 and they have gone probably around 4 to 5 months at a time on seevral occasions without proper watering or care.

I did also have a sago palm but this really didn't like the under-watering and sadly passed away. lol.

newlywed

I like christmas cacti - not really cacti so not spikey - they are succlents.

You're only really meant to water them when they are flowering or growing and for several months you're not meant to water them at all

alanobrien

Chamaedorea elegans - The parlour palm, practically indestructable which is why they are used in office decor a lot. Its a very nice house plant.
Most of the bigger garden centres sell them, here is a link to one.

http://www.houseofplants.co.uk/Chamaedoreaelegans.htm

dawnsong

money plants and aloe vera would be fine in a cold porch, mine survive happily each winter on a windowsill in an unheated, cold room. If you get a moneyplant and any of the leaves get knocked off, just push the base of the leaf into the soil and it will root and make a new plant.

taskey

i love money plants, i have loads as i keep snipping them down and growing more (put the snipped bit in water and it will root).

i have heard it is lucky to receive a money plany too.

Tracy

jjjme

taskey wrote: »

i love money plants, i have loads as i keep snipping them down and growing more (put the snipped bit in water and it will root).

i have heard it is lucky to receive a money plany too.

Tracy

I found a rather big one dumped by the communial gate at the end of our road just over a year ago so I gave it a home as I couldn't bear to leave it there - Finances haven't increased one jot since to be honest hehe

asbokid

when we were selling the house, to make it look more welcoming, i bought loads of houseplants from b&q.. three for a fiver.. quite big plants as well.. 12-18" high in a 6" pot.. that was 8 years ago.. when we moved i had to give most of them away for lack of room. the remainder are still going strong!