#marantha

So you’ll often see guides and rec-lists for plants that require little water and attention, and just generally ‘thrive on neglect’. But what about us anxious, hovering plant people whose most common way of accidentally offing a plant is by over-loving and over-watering them?

(Before we get into it, let me preface this by the usual disclaimer: a plant’s water needs wildly depend on its environment. I live in the continental temperate zone of Europe, the average humidity level inside is 30-40%, so what I write may or may not apply to your conditions. Watch your plants closely - if you’re reading this post I know you would anyway - and proceed accordingly.)

Look no further, here’s a list of plants that are virtually impossible to over-water:

Fittonia sp.

Fittonia are extreme divas in room conditions but perfect angels in a terrarium. They will not tolerate a missed watering day, they’ll immediately start to droop. If you’re lucky and you catch them in time they’ll perk up and go on like nothing happened, but the margin between this and irrevocable crisping is a slim one.

Ferns in general

Of course the details of care depend on the species, but most ferns prefer shade and hate to dry out. I usually water all of mine twice a week, and so far they are doing okay.

Dionaea muscipula - Venus flytrap (and most carnivorous plants)

Plants usually resort to eating animals when they live in bogs, where the soil is acidic and extremely poor in nutrients. What bogs also are, is wet, and so these plants need to literally stand in a pool of water all day, every day and are therefore quite literally impossible to over-water. (At least in the summer. Over-wintering depends on whether the plant is temperate or tropical.)

The only downside is that they are really sensitive to water quality. No minerals (and no fertilizer!) allowed, only rain or distilled water!

Marantha leuconeura

Honestly I’d say the entire Maranthaceae counts, but I only have experience with Marantha, and I’m told the rest (like Calathea) are more difficult. These, once you get the water right (twice a week for me), aren’t that bad. They don’t need a lot of light either.

What you do have to keep in mind, is to give them soft water - like collected rain water. They are sensitive to the minerals in the tap water and since they can’t properly secrete them, they’ll store them away in the tips of their leaves, which will thus crisp up.

Jewel orchids

The one I have (Macodes petola) does well in a shadier spot, in normal room conditions. I mean I do run a humidifier once a day, but it’s not in a terrarium. It’d do well in one though, so if you’re looking to furnish a terrarium, this is a good choice. The only thing you gotta keep in mind if you keep it out in your room is to always keep the soil moist.

Mimosa pudica

This is a fun and interesting plant, what with the cute moving leaves, but it is the divaest of all divas. On a sunny, dry summer day it may have to be watered twice a day, and it’ll go into hysterics, crisp up and throw leaves if you’re late by five minutes. The good news is that as long as you do get around to watering it, it’ll bring new shoots and keep growing, it’ll just litter your room with dead leaves in protest.

It also prefers lots of light.

Spathipyllum sp. - Peace Lily

Like ferns, these do well in shadier spots. If exposed to too much light, they’ll keep bringing small, light green leaves, but they’ll flower regularly. (They feel like their lives are in danger so they hurry to procreate before the end.) In the winter they need to be watered about once a week, in the summer more like every two days.

Girllllll!! Lemme tell you, I had MANY thoughts on this on! I hope I don't disappoint!

You love Henry.

But right now, you hated him.

Last night, he called you out, playfully, for being so needy, and even after apologizing and promising to make it up to you, you remained mad, so you started giving him the silent treatment.

The next morning, you walk into the kitchen to see the sweaty man of your dreams stripping his shirt off after an intense run.

You watch his chest as his muscles flex and move as he dries off.

“I’m desperate now.” you say as your mouth waters at the sight of him, causing him to smirk.

Thank you so much for your ask!

This one was so hard to do in 100 words!!!