The Not-So-Constant Gardener

I kill plants. When I got my first apartment, I bought a cactus. It died within weeks. When a roommate left for a month and asked me to water her eight plants—including a five-foot tree—I had to schedule waterings into my PDA. It was the only way I would remember.

I had pretty much given up on keeping living things that don’t cry when you forget to feed them, when I met my fiancé, who loves plants. I acquiesced to the inevitable, and dug around trying to find information about which houseplants are the easiest to care for, and some tips for the brown-thumbed.

Ten Houseplants You Probably Won’t Kill

Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) A glutton for punishment, this plant can go a month or so without watering and survive in low light, though it prefers some direct sun. Its thick, pointed leaves are marbled or striped green and yellow. This plant can reach a height of eighteen inches.

Jade plant (Crassula argentea) A succulent (meaning it stores water in its stems and leaves) with stubby treelike stems and waxy, fleshy leaves, the jade plant has star-shaped white flowers that bloom in winter. Plants can be six inches to four feet tall. This plant tolerates low light, but thrives in full sun. It likes to dry out a bit, so you can be lax about watering.

Silver queen Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum) If you’re sunlight-deprived, this is the plant for you—it actually prefers the shade, and can handle some abuse: dry air, air-conditioning, and under-watering. Leaves are large (up to twelve inches), leathery, and usually variegated (patterned) in silver and dark green.

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) A tough cookie, the cast iron plant can handle cold temperatures and shade, but likes some filtered sun. Its long, leathery, outward-flopping leaves are either solid green or have cream striping or spotting. It can grow up to two feet tall, but grows very slowly in low light.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) Long, spindly leaves and dangling plantlets give the spider plant its name, and make it a popular hanging plant. It requires moderate indirect light and moderate watering. Snip one of its baby plants, repot, and