Ep. 11 - Indestructible Houseplants, part 1

We've all seen those top 5 best or easiest plant lists.

Matthew and Stephen attempt to wade through this clickbait morass, attempting to clarify (and unloading a bit on) some of the vague buzzwords and "guidance." Tune in to see how those lists fared!

Here are the plants we discussed in Episode 11 - Indestructible Houseplants, part 1

00:00:00 Introduction

00:03:35 - Plant News

• Philodendron (Specifically Pink Princess Philodendron and Pink Congo Philodendron)

• Phalaenopsis (Specifically the dyed florist varieties)

00:09:10 - Online Research of Indestructible Houseplants

Most Often Recommended (these plants received four or more mentions between 10 resources)

• Sansevieria (Snake Plant)

• Ficus elastica (India Rubber Plant)

• Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)

• Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ Plant)

• Hedera helix (English Ivy)

• Aglaeonema (Chinese Evergreen)

• Aloe vera

• Chlorophytum cosmosum (Spider Plant)

• Crassula ovata (Jade Plant)

• Epipremnum aureum (Pothos)

To Round of the List (the plants that appeared at least three times in 10 resources)

• Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)

• Beaucarnea recurvata (Ponytail Palm)

• Dieffenbachia

• Dracaena

• Peperomia

• Philodendron (Specifically P. hederaceum [Heartleaf Philodendron])

00:14:50 - Data Analysis (Plants are the Strangest People)

• Anthurium

• Bryophyllum daigremontianum (Mother of Thousands)

• Chlorophytum

• Philodendron hederaceum (Heartleaf Philodendron, Specifically P. hederaceum x Brasil)

• Begonia x Rex

• Gardenia jasminoides

• Euphorbia pulcherrima (Poinsettia)

• Nephrolepis exaltata (Boston Fern)

• Kalanchoe blossfeldiana (Florist Kalanchoe)

• Dypsis lutescens (Areca Palm)

• Sempervivum (Hens & Chicks)

00:21:10 - Benign Neglect, and what that means for Houseplants

• Adiantum (Maidenhair Fern)

00:28:48 - Humidity as a Houseplant Challenge

• Alocasia

• Begonia (Specifically, the fibrous Begonias, but excluding the rhizomatous Begonia x Rex)

• Calathea

• Ficus

• Tillandsia (Airplants)

• Bromeliaceae (Bromeliads)

• Echeveria

00:34:50 - What sources were used in this analysis

00:41:20 - Misleading information

• Hedera helix (English Ivy)

• Senecio macroglossus (Wax Ivy)

• Muehlenbeckia axillaris (Creeping Wire Vine)

00:44:05 - Did frequency of mention correlate to the hardiness of a plant? (Dave’s Garden)

• Aspidistra elatior (Cast Iron Plant)

• Euphorbia

• Asplenium nidus (Birds Nest Fern)

• Chamaedorea elegans (Parlor Palm)

• Hoya

• Pachira aquatica (Guiana Chestnut)

• Platycerium (Staghorn Fern)

• Begonia (Specifically the rhizomatous species, including Begonia x Rex, Begonia Red Robin)

• Ravenea rivularis (Majesty Palm)

01:01:10 - Easy Houseplants for specific aesthetics

Leafy Tropical for Jungle Vibes

• Ficus elastica (India Rubber Plant)

• Aglaeonema (Chinese Evergreen)

• Chlorophytum cosmosum (Spider Plant)

• Asplenium nidus (Birds Nest Fern)

• Philodendron hederaceum (Heartleaf Philodendron)

• Chamaedorea elegans (Parlor Palm)

Neglect Resistant Desert Plants

• Yucca gigantea (Spineless Yucca)

• Aloe vera

• Crassula ovata (Jade Plant)

• Euphorbia

• Sedum morganianum (Burro’s Tail)

Indoor Flowering Plants

• Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)

• Columnea (Goldfish Plant)

• Phalaenopsis

Best Houseplants for Black Thumb People

• Sansevieria (Snake Plant)

• Zamioculcas zamiifolia (ZZ Plant)

• Epipremnum (Pothos, Specifically E. aureum, E. pinnatum 'Cebu Blue')

• Aspidistra elatior (Cast Iron Plant)

• Pachira aquatica (Guiana Chestnut)

Next Level Houseplants (for the confident beginning indoor gardener)

• Ficus lyrata (Fiddle Leaf Fig)

• Calathea (Peacock Plant)

• Maranta leuconeura (Prayer Plant)

01:11:42 - Matthew’s Additional Indestructible Houseplant Picks

• Rhapis excelsa (Lady Palm)

• Ficus maclellandii (Banana Leaf Fig)

• Strelitzia nicolai (White Bird of Paradise)

• Pilea peperomioides

Indestructible Plant Resources Used for this Episode

Plant Daddy Podcast-approved Indestructible Houseplants (more information on these in Indestructible Houseplants, part 2)

Thank you for listening! Since podcasting is an auditory medium, and houseplants are best enjoyed visually, we want to provide a list of the plants we mention in case listeners want to see what we’re talking about. We also have a Pinterest account with many boards to accompany specific episodes, as well as some general ones that will include trending and popular plants, growing tips and ideas, and these will feature almost everything that we have mentioned. Listen to this episode, and check out our others, available on iTunes, Google Play, and Spotify.