It’s time to talk about plants! (Is it ever not time to talk about plants?) I love seeing the variety that people have in their collections and hearing about which ones are their favorites. The relationships we have with our plants can be so special! Today, I’d like share my updated plant collection as of August 2020.
It’s been a while since I listed out all of my plants. If you’re curious, I shared my previous plant collection in February. In quite the turn of events, my plants have been one of the most stable things this year, lol. I really appreciate how reliable plants are, as long as you’re consistently giving them what they need. It may be silly to say, but taking care of my plants is an important part of my self-care routine.
I was planning on going a little crazy with the plant-buying this spring. It’s a good time to buy when everything is healthy and growing. I kind of missed out on that this year, but that’s okay! I was running out of space in my apartment anyway. Plants are a relaxing thing for me, so I never want them to become overwhelming in terms of space or time commitments.
I also briefly had a spider mites problem, which was not a fun time. It’s all fine now, but I certainly didn’t want to bring in any new plants until I had that under control. Anyway, let’s move on to something a lot more exciting than spider mites…
Free Plant Care Sheets
I created a plant care information sheet! I’ve designed my first content upgrade, specifically for this post. This is a template printable that you can fill out with all the information about your plants. There’s even a spot for a photo of the plant.
If you’ve ever looked up some information about one of your plants, and then forgotten it immediately, this care sheet is for you. Plants all have different needs. You’ll be able to keep track of the various requirements for lighting, water, and other things; as well as any other notes you want to take.
Print out copies for each plant you have, and create your own plant care binder! All of your information will be easily accessible in one place.
New Plants
New plants are always so exciting! Is there anything better than picking out some beautiful plants and bringing them home from the nursery?
I bought eight new plants, which I know sounds like a lot. But it was also over six months, so I don’t think I’ve gone too crazy with it. The warmer months are usually when people buy the majority of their plants because it’s when the stores have the best selection. I was planning on getting a few more plants than I did or at least going plant shopping more often, but the pandemic obviously put a stop to all that.
It also encouraged me to start looking online more, and a lot of my new plants are ones that I ordered. I must say that I still prefer buying plants in person – I like being able to see everything at once and picking out the exact plant that I want.
Online plant shopping gives you more of a selection and an opportunity to find rare varieties. This is a huge advantage, especially if you don’t have many nurseries around you. Hardware stores may only carry the most common species. One issue that I know a lot of people run into is damage when the plants are shipped. It’s super disappointing when something you order doesn’t show up in the condition you expected. I’ve been lucky with all my experiences so far, but it is a risk!
With all that aside, here are my new plants from the past six months:
Another Monstera Deliciosa
I don’t think I’ll ever not be tempted to buy more monsteras when I see them. They’re my favorite plant, and I can’t help myself! The new one is smaller and more juvenile than my old one. Most of the leaves don’t have any fenestrations/splits yet, but a few of the newer leaves do. I think that’s part of what I love about this plant, both the juvenile and mature leaves are so stunning.
Philodendron Prince of Orange
Prince of Orange seemed like a super unique philodendron to me. Its new leaves grow from the center of the plant instead of growing on vines. The growth pattern seems more like a snake plant than a philodendron. To make it even cooler, the new leaves come out bright orange! They turn green over time, settling to a medium shade of green. If you’re looking for a colorful philodendron, the Prince of Orange could be a much more affordable option than a Pink Princess.
Philodendron Moonlight
Let’s keep the philodendron train rolling with my new P. moonlight. I ordered it from Hirt’s Gardens along with a few others. It has a very similar shape to the Prince of Orange, but the new leaves are a bright lime green instead of orange (think neon pothos). It’s been a slow grower so far, but I’m super happy with how it looks.
Crème and Green Schefflera
I have a special place in my heart for schefflera, especially the bonsai ones. They’re my dad’s favorite plant, and they remind me of our trips to Hawaii. This one is from Hirt’s Gardens though, and it’s not exactly thriving at the moment. It was the plant that was damaged the most during my spider mite infestation, and I don’t think it’s quite bounced back yet.
Another Sansevieria Laurentii
In my apartment, there’s a great space for a floor plant right next to the tv stand. Previously, we had a majesty palm there, but as you’ll see in a bit, that one wasn’t doing so hot. To replace it, I got another sansevieria laurentii. This one is from Home Depot, and the longest leaves make it about two feet tall. It’s a great floor plant, and it really adds to the modern feel of our living room.
Pothos Njoy
This is an interesting one! I bought it as a very full plant in a six-inch pot. It was doing fine for a few months, and then all of a sudden it started looking so sad and wilted. It was right next to my humidifier, so maybe it was actually having a problem with too much humidity. I found one branch that looked salvageable, so I took a cutting and threw the rest away. It’s been sitting in a jar of water ever since, and it has a surprising amount of roots now. It’s probably time to pot it back up in some soil soon. I also have a dedicated pothos care guide.
Hoya Carnosa Krimson Queen
My first hoya! I must admit that I’ve never been super drawn to hoyas, but the krimson queen (and princess) are the ones I like the most. I saw a small one for sale and decided to give it a try. It hasn’t grown much in the four months that I’ve had it, but that’s alright. I’m hoping that someday it’ll grow into a beautiful vining plant with its lovely variegation.
Taco Succulent (Peperomia axillaris)
If you guessed that I bought this plant because of the name, you’d be correct. How can you not buy something called a taco plant? It gets its name from the shape of the leaves, which are succulent-like and look folded like a taco. The plant was relatively tall when I got it, and it’s only gotten more top-heavy. I need to do some research, but I might try cutting the top half and planting it because at this point it can’t even stand up on its own.
Plants that didn’t make it
You win some, and you lose some. I’ve learned from my few years of owning houseplants that it’s perfectly normal to kill them sometimes. Don’t expect that every plant you buy will live forever.
It can take time to figure out what a plant needs, and sometimes it’s not your fault if a brand new plant dies. There are several reasons why a plant may not be as healthy as it looks. It may have pests from the store, be in a bad or inappropriate soil mixture, or just be a weaker plant to begin with.
I’ve also learned a sneaky trick that I’ve seen a few times. To make a plant look fuller, sellers will take some fresh cuttings and add them to the pot. From the outside, it looks like a healthy plant, but in reality, the new stems have no roots and will probably die off quickly.
I’d like to take a moment of silence for all of the office plants that got left behind during the quarantine and working from home period. I was lucky enough to bring mine home, and I hope that your office plant is safe too if you have one. (Needless to say, this isn’t meant to be deep. Of course, the incredible loss of life from the pandemic is not at all comparable to a plant dying. That also doesn’t mean that you can’t be sad about both.)
Moving on, here are the plants that didn’t make it this time. Some of them were on their last legs back in February, and some were more recent casualties. I don’t have any pictures for these; I wasn’t particularly inclined to take pictures of dying plants, lol.
Majesty Palm
As I mentioned earlier, my majesty palm floor plant was on it’s way out. I think it was maybe too far away from a window and didn’t get enough light. And then it got spider mites. I think this might have been what started the infestation because the whole giant plant was covered in mites and spider webs by the time I threw it out. So gross! Lesson learned here: don’t hold on to a dead or infested plant for too long thinking you can save it. You probably can’t, and it just increases the odds of the pests spreading to your other plants.
Jellybean Succulent (Sedum Rubrotinctum Aurora)
Succulents are supposed to be the easiest plants, but I just can’t seem to keep mine alive! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. My succulents never last for a few months, and this jellybean succulent was no different. It looked okay for a while, and then at some point, it decided to shrivel up and die. If you have any tips for succulents, please tell me your secret!
Dieffenbachia Camille
This one was looking sad in February, and it didn’t last much longer than that. I think these are supposed to be finicky plants, and I was probably doing something that it didn’t like. I’m not inclined to try again with another dieffenbachia right now, but maybe I will sometime in the future. I think they’re gorgeous plants, but I don’t want to buy anything that’s going to stress me out or cause too many problems.
Sensitive Plant (Mimosa Pudica)
I think this plant really lived up to its name, lol. I probably should have done some more research when I brought my sensitive plant home. By the time I realized it was struggling, it was already too late to do anything about it. But it’s such a cute plant! If I ever find another one, I’ll for sure pick it up and try again.
Plants that are still thriving
I feel like something is comforting about having a plant for a long time. You’ve been through some stuff together, and you understand each other. You’ve grown together. Maybe I have more plants than friends… so what?
Getting new plants is exciting, but it’s just as important to appreciate the ones you have. This is where I think taking pictures can be great. Snap a few photos of each of your plants, and return to them a few months later to see what’s changed. Sometimes plants grow so slowly that it’s not noticeable, but having that point of comparison can help you see what’s new.
A few of my plants have come a long way in the past six months. Most of them are more or less the same, with a couple of new leaves. Either way, here are all my ol’ faves that are still thriving.
Scindapsus Pictus Argyraeus (x2)
I think that all types of scindapsus pictus (Argyraeus, exotica, silvery Ann, and all the rest) have THE PRETTIEST leaves. They’re gorgeous. I’m so happy that both of mine are still doing well. They’ve started sending out these long vines that each have a few small leaves on them. I think that’s their way of trying to find places to spread out for new growth, and I may end up trimming them because they’re getting pretty long. I also have a dedicated post about how to care for scindapsus pictus.
Peperomia Clusiifolia Tricolor
I love any kind of plant that has pink on it. This peperomia has been a slow grower for me, but it’s still going strong. It’s certainly a low-maintenance plant.
Mostera Deliciosa
This plant has my heart. I’ve had it for over a year now, and it’s been nothing but wonderful. It hasn’t gotten too much taller, but the leaves are more mature. I noticed that it was really happy sitting right next to the humidifier this winter, so I highly recommend keeping your monstera in a more humid room if you can.
Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron Cordatum)
This plant found a new home on the little bookshelf that I bought a few months ago. It’s a perfect spot because there’s space for the vines to hang down the way they want to. I recommend picking up a heartleaf philodendron; they’re fast growers and great easy-care plants for beginners.
Golden Pothos (x3)
I can’t get enough golden pothos, and now I have three! One of them is entirely from propagations, which was a fun little experiment. You can’t go wrong with these plants. They’re beautiful, especially when they develop their long vines. You can learn more with my detailed pothos care guide.
Frosty Fern (Selaginella Martensii)
The last plant! If there’s one thing you should know about frosty ferns, it’s that they thrive on high humidity. Because of this, they make great terrarium plants. I bought mine around Thanksgiving last year, and it’s only now starting to look a little sad. I don’t run my humidifier in the summer, but I’m thinking that stepping up the humidity would help it a lot.
Aglaonema Lady Valentine (x2)
Another pink plant! This plant was growing a pup, which I separated once it was big enough. The smaller plant is doing fine, but the leaves on the mother plant were browning and dying off. The stem seemed okay, so I cut off all the leaves and just waited to see what would happen. Nothing did for a while, but then two sprouts started growing. I’m so excited to see the new leaves! Sometimes it pays to chop up a dying plant.
Aloe (unknown species)
My aloe plant is still going strong. It hasn’t grown much from what I can tell, but it would probably grow faster if it was in a spot with more light. Luckily, I haven’t burned myself so I haven’t needed to cut off a piece! I think aloe is a great staple plant for everyone to have.
Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae guzmania)
My one grievance about this plant is that the leaves always seem dusty, no matter how often I wipe them off. But I can’t complain, because my bromeliad is in the process of growing two pups. The main plant will die off, leaving the two new ones. I still need to do some research, and I’m not sure if the new plants need to be separated at some point or if they can just continue to do their thing without my help.
Moonstone Succulent (Pachyphytum Oviferum)
I don’t want to jinx it, but this is the only succulent that I’ve been able to keep alive for longer than a few months. I just love the way this one looks, and I’ll pick up another if I ever see it.
Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma
My tetrasperma wins the award for the most growth, by a long shot! Just look at that before and after, with about six months of growth. I don’t even have any special tips, it surprised me every time it popped out a new leaf. It’s gotten so tall that it can’t stand up on its own. I need to decide if I should find a moss pole or trellis, or take some cuttings off the top.
Monstera Adansonii
This is another plant that’s growing too tall for its own good. A monstera adansonii is able to grow by climbing up or down with its vines. Mine is doing a bit of both right now. Similar to my scindapsus pictus, it’s growing some long thin vines that I think are acting like its little feeler antennae. It might be a good time to take some cuttings for propagation!
Zebra Cactus (Haworthia Attenuata)
Another plant that’s been pretty consistent. It doesn’t grow very fast or need much of anything from me. My favorite part of this plant is the texture of the leaves. I’m not sure what purpose the little bumps serve, but they look super cool!
Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans)
This is the most steady-state plant that I have. It always has brown tips, and I don’t think it’s really growing anymore. Now that I think about it, it’s been in that pot for at least a couple years, and I don’t know if it’s ever been fertilized. Maybe I’ve solved the mystery! Maybe all it needs is a good fertilizing to start growing again.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria Laurentii)
I love how reliable snake plants are. They don’t grow very fast, but they’re also super forgiving and hard to kill. This snake plant has probably grown one new leaf in the past couple of months. For more information about sansevieria, I have a separate snake plant care guide.
Bonus: My balcony plants!
I’m so grateful to have a balcony that I can keep plants on during the summer. It’s one of the many reasons that my current apartment is better than the ones I had in college. I didn’t want to go overboard right away, so I have a few planters that hang on the railing and a couple of potted plants on the floor.
When it comes to house plants, I’m usually not interested in flowers. But outside, I think it’s fun to see the huge variety of colors and shapes that you can get. I took a trip to Home Depot in the spring and picked out some flowers that caught my eye.
All of the flowers I have are annuals (aka they die when it gets cold and you repurchase them next year), mainly because I didn’t want to find space for them inside! I don’t want the apartment to feel too cluttered, and I know I’ll have fun picking out new flowers next year.
In terms of my collection, I don’t know if these count? I bought some of them with the intention of not keeping them for more than a few months. This post is plenty long already, so I’ll just give you a list of my current outdoor plants.
- Lamb’s ear (stachys byzantina)
- Hibiscus flower plant
- Mini Pink Drift rose bush
- Wintercreeper shrub (Euonymus x fortunei)
- Lavender
- Basil
- A couple of assorted flowers (I threw out the tags so I can’t be more specific than that!)
So that’s my updated plant collection as of August 2020! I think this might be my longest post yet, but I can’t help myself when it comes to talking about my plants. I’ll probably check-in in another six months or so to see what has changed.
How many plants are in your collection? What’s your favorite plant that you own?
Also, please let me know if you have any feedback about the plant care printable! This is the first time I’ve done anything like this, so any comments would be greatly appreciated.
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