I have recently become a plant lady. There I said it haha. I may or may not have bought 5 new plants this week! It all started back in February when we went to our local farmers market and they were giving away a free Pilea plant to every customer. I didn’t think I was very good at keeping plants alive so I never really tried but once I realized I could keep my pilea alive I got another plant and another…. and well its become quite a fun hobby.

I am nowhere near a professional at this but I wanted to share some of my favourite house plants with you and hopefully convince one or two of you to give your green thumb a try and believe in yourself!

Pilea – The one that started it all

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If you are new to plants, I think this is the perfect beginner plant. It is so easy to care for. It likes a lot of light so I keep mine near the windowsill in my kitchen and water it every time it looks dry (every few days?). It will also start to look droopy if it is too dry too so thats a telltale sign it needs water asap. New growth happens in the middle as a new leaf forms and emerges to grow a stem outwards. You can see the process close up below.

I also love this plant because it grows little baby plants around it which you can cut and grow into new plants (see the little one growing in the photo below?!). That’s why the pilea is often called the friendship plant – because you can cut the baby pups and share them with your friends.

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Pilea Depressa aka Baby Tears

This is another type of Pilea that I am loving. Although the name is slightly depressing… literally its called depressa, it really is such a sweet plant. It has much smaller petals than the Pilea above and grows these long stems that drape so elegantly. It gets quite dense as well and is a great plant for a hanging planter. It grows quite quickly and prefers indirect partial sun. They love water so don’t let them dry out. They will wilt if they dry out.

Crispy Wave Fern

It’s technical name is Japanese Asplenium Nidus. I love the look of this plant because it has nice bright green leaves that have a slight wrinkle to them. It’s also a great air purifier. Its leaves are thicker than most other ferns making it better at producing oxygen. It also can grow really big if given a larger container. I usually water it when I water my pilea, so a few times a week. It likes to be consistently moist, not too wet and not dry. It also likes low light, no direct sun.

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Peperomia Hope

This is one of my recent purchases. It’s actually a succulent but unlike most succulents this one likes more water and a higher humidity. I love the look and feel of its round disc like petals. Mine is still very young but as it grows it creates long vines that will drape over the pots edges. It’s a good beginner plant as well because it can handle some neglect haha and you only need to water it about once a week and keep it out of direct sunlight.

Sensitive plant

This plant is also known as a shame plant because it has one very fun feature. When touched, the leaves fold and close up to hide from you. They also close up at sunset as if they are sleeping. Its scientific name is Mimosa Pudica and although it looks like a fern its actually an herb. It typically grows about 1-3 ft tall, clearly mine is still a baby plant. It’s also worth noting that it’s very toxic so you should wash your hands after handling it and its not the best plant to have around babies and pets. I keep mine high up on my dresser in my bedroom while it’s still small.

Planter Pots

Every plant needs a cute pot right, so now onto what to keep your new friends in. I curated a collection of pretty planters below that will look great in your home. I already own a few of these myself too… ok 8 of them haha. I told you I was plant lady.

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So have I convinced you to try your hand a house plant? Or are you already a plant lover too?! Let me know in the comments!

xo,

Rachel