I love plants. Indoors, outdoors, wherever they may be. I, however, am not a botanist or a very good gardener so I have resigned myself to owning/growing plants that can handle a bit of abuse and neglect. I can kill an African violet or a cyclamen in less than a week.
I am still amazed the big spider ivy monster at work is still alive. This thing appeared literally overnight about three years ago and I have not managed to kill it yet.
I've owned all the plants listed below at one point or another. If they can survive me, they will survive you.
LUCKY BAMBOO
I am currently murdering my lucky bamboo. I know, there is going to be karma to burn off. However, if you consider that its not really bamboo but a rain forest shrub indigenous to Cameroon, I should get karma points back, non? Mine was sold to me rooted in pebbles and full of water. You can plant these in soil but I am too afraid if I do that, the luck will be gone. If you chose to leave this plant in pebbles and water, the water should be changed about every two weeks. I am a dare devil and have not fully changed the water. Ever. But I do use standing water to water LB because LB doesn't like chlorine and if you let water stand for about 24 hours, the chlorine evaporates. LB likes filtered bright light and warm temperatures which is why he currently resides in my bathroom.
ARROWHEAD PLANT
The arrowhead plant is also called the American Evergreen. As it matures, it will start to vine so its best to plant it in a hanger or on a stand that you can train the vine to grow around. The arrowhead plant likes indirect sunlight and fairly humid conditions. This plant thrives in the bathroom but remember to water it often.
CAST IRON PLANT
This plant will tolerate a little neglect. Or a lot. The cast iron plant likes low light (keep out of sunlight or the leaves will become a bleached out yellow colour) and will tolerate irregular watering. That being said, with this plant, root rot is a concern so plant over some pebbles in a pot with a good drainage system.
CHINESE EVERGREEN
Like the cast iron plant, the Chinese evergreen will tolerate low light and a bit of neglect. The Chinese evergreen thrives in partial shade and moist soil but they hate hate hate the cold. Keep this plant away from drafts or open windows; once damage is done to it, it is irreversible. If you are uber lucky, your's will flower in the spring or summer. I have not had this kind of luck but have seen the Chinese evergreens in the planters at the mall bloom.
MOTHER IN LAW'S TONGUE
This plant is also known as the Snake Plant. It prefers low light and will rot if over watered. Seriously. During the winter, you water it once a month as it prefers very very dry soil. What I love most about this plant is that it absorbs nasty stuff in the air like nitrogen oxides and formaldehyde.
PEACE LILY
Like the mother in law's tongue plant, the peace lily cleans not only formaldehyde but benzene out of the air. This plant needs very little sunlight and will thrive if you water it just once a week. And the blooms can be damn sexy.
WANDERING JEW
The wandering Jew plant is lovely for a lot of reasons; it is easy to propagate and you can grow it to be different shades. The more sunlight this plant gets, the more intense the purple will be. This plant will tolerate low light but the purple will fade, leaving you with the white and green variegation only. Generally you can water this plant just once a week but check it a few times a week as it is prone to bugs and aphids. This plant grows like a weed and can get viney; this is when you give clippings to your friends and family or propagate them and replant in the bald spots in your planter.
