Plant Care Library A-Z

We have listed care below for the most common houseplants in alphabetical order. For more plant care tips check out our other articles under Plant Care. Or, if you need specific advice you may email us at info@shopgoodroots.com.

Aglaonema

LIGHT - medium to bright light

WATER - allow soil to dry out between watering, the more light it gets the more frequent it’ll need water

TROUBLE IN PARADISE SIGNS - wilting leaves means it needs water, yellowing or mushy leaves means it’s getting watered too frequently

Air Plant

Tillandsia are called 'air plants' due to their ability to grow without soil. In their native environment, they can be found growing on trees, cliffs, and even telephone wires.

LIGHT - thrives in bright, indirect light.

WATER - soak completely under water every 4-6 weeks for 20 minutes, flip over in a bright area to dry out completely. Prefers to be watered in the morning as they breath at night!

TROUBLE IN PARADISE SIGNS - Soft, darkened base means plant rot. Curled or shriveled leaves is a sign of low humidity and underwater. Not green when wet is a dead plant.  

Alocasia 

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light. Alocasia can go into a dormancy phase and dieback during fall and winter. Increasing light and humidity can help deter this.

WATER - Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out half way down between watering. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. This plant can benefit from extra humidity. Alocasia can be sensitive to hard tap water. Try using filtered water or leaving water out overnight before using.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE SIGNS - Wilting leaves and stem is a thirsty plant, yellowing leaves and mushy blackened base is root rot or over water.

 

Cactus

LIGHT - Thrives in bright direct light, but can tolerate bright indirect light.

WATER - allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE SIGNS - wrinkled is an underwatered plant, bleached center means it needs more sunlight and yellow or mushy leaves is a sign of root rot/overwater.

Calathea 

Calatheas exhibit a phenomenon known as nyctinasty. They move their leaves from day to night as a part of their circadian rhythm.

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light.

WATER - allow soil to dry out half way down between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. This plant can benefit from extra humidity. Calatheas can be sensitive to hard tap water. Try using filtered water or leaving water out overnight before using.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Wilting, curling leaves, dry soil is underwatered, yellow leaves is overwatered, leaf spots can be a fungal infection or mineral build up from tap water. Use distilled water. 

Dracaena

Dracaena comes from the Ancient Greek word Drakaina meaning “female dragon”.

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect light, but can tolerate medium to low indirect light.

WATER - allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Crispy or curling pale leaves, dry soil is a thirsty plant. Yellowing leaves and wet soil is root rot or overwater. Yellow leaves and dry soil is a sign of a thirsty plant.

 

Fern

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light.

WATER - allowing soil to dry out half way down between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Do not water directly into the center of your fern, but instead, water around it. This plant can benefit from extra humidity.

TROUBLE IN PARADISE SIGNS - Pale green leaves is a sign of a thirsty plant and yellowing lower leaves is a sign of overwater, brown new growth is a sign of overwater also.

 

Ficus 

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect light. Can benefit from a few hours of direct sun.

WATER - Water when the top several inches of the soil is dry, allowing water to drain through the bottom, typically every 1-2 weeks. We find that letting our Ficus trees sit in the drained water for 30-60 minutes allows them to drink up their desired amount of water. Then make sure to dump the excess water, never allowing the tree to sit in standing water beyond this period of time. 

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Mushy leaves or black stems is a sign of overwater. Drooping leaves and dry potting mix is a sign of a thirsty plant. Leaf drop is typically a sign of overwater or not enough light. 

 

Fittonia

The Fittonia's nickname is nerve plant or mosaic plant because of its leaves' strongly contrasting veins.

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out half way down and leaves begin to droop between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. This plant can benefit from extra humidity. 

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Wilting plant, dry soil is a thirsty plant, dry shriveled leaves can be too much sunlight, yellowing leaves and mushy stems is a sign of overwater.

 

Pothos

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect light, but can tolerate medium to low indirect light. Not suited for intense, direct sun.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out and leaves to droop between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Yellowing leaves, black stems is a sign it has been overwatered.

 

Hoya 

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect light. Can benefit from a few hours of direct sun depending on the species.

WATER - Allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Yellowing and becoming mushy, wet soil is a sign of root rot or overwater. 

 

Jade 

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect light to full sun. Not suited for low light.

WATER - Water every 2-3 weeks allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Can wait until the leaves look a bit shriveled. Expect to water more often in brighter light conditions and less often in lower light

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Mushy leaves or black stems is a sign of overwater. Leaf drop is a sign of too frequent of water or not enough light.

 

Maranta

Marantas are nicknamed prayer plants because they exhibit a phenomenon known as nyctinasty. They move their leaves from day to night as a part of their circadian rhythm.

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light. Not suited for intense, direct sun.

WATER - Allowing soil to dry out half way down between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. This plant can benefit from extra humidity. Marantas can be sensitive to hard tap water. Try using filtered water or leaving water out overnight before using.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Curling leaves or brown tips means the plant may not be getting enough humidity. Washed out coloring or brown blotches on leaves can mean it is getting too much direct sun. Yellowing leaves or rotting stems are a sign that it has been overwatered.

 

Money Tree

According to lore, a poor farmer had such great luck selling these hardy plants that he called them good fortune or good luck money trees.

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to medium light.

WATER - Allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Leaf drop can mean the plant is not getting enough sunlight. Yellowing leaves and black stems mean it has been overwatered.

 

Monstera Adasonaii

As this plant matures, it might reach for something to climb. Provide it with a trellis or coco coir pole to encourage vertical growth.

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to medium light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Monsteras can benefit from filtered water or leaving water out overnight before using.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Minimal leaf holes is a normal sign of young plants, as they mature more will develop. Brown, crispy edges is a sign of underwatered plants or mineral build up from tap water. Yellowing leaves or black stems means the plant as been overwatered.  

Monstera Deliciosa

The Monstera is famous for its natural leaf holes, or fenestrations. The holes are theorized to maximize sun capture by increasing the spread of the leaf while decreasing the mass of leaf cells to support.

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to medium light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Monsteras can benefit from filtered water or leaving water out overnight before using.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Minimal leaf holes is a normal sign of young plants, as they mature more will develop. Brown, crispy edges is a sign of underwatered plants or mineral build up from tap water. Yellowing leaves or black stems means the plant as been overwatered. 

 

Peperomia 

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Water when leaves begin to droop.

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Wilting plant with dry soil is a sign of underwater. Yellow leaves or black stems is a sign of overwater.

 

Philodendron

The genus name Philodendron derives from the Greek words ‘philo’, meaning love or affection, and ‘dendron’, meaning tree.

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light, but can tolerate low indirect light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Water when leaves begin to droop.

Pilea

LIGHT - Thrives in bright direct light, but can tolerate bright to medium indirect light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

Scheffelara a.k.a The Umbrella Tree

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to medium indirect light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

Sansevieria “Snake”

It's the perfect indoor plant...it cleans toxins out of the air and can live in any light condition, even very low. Keep watering frequency to a minimum and let the soil dry out between watering and you’ll be golden! 

LIGHT - Tolerates any light condition, even very low.

WATER - Drought tolerate, water when soil is completely dry from top of soil to bottom, we recommend a monthly watering.

"String of " anything

LIGHT - Thrive in bright indirect light. Can benefit from a few hours of direct sun. Not suited for low light conditions.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

Stromanthe Triostar

LIGHT - Thrives in medium to bright indirect light. Can tolerate low light conditions. Not suited for direct sun.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out about halfway between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light conditions.

Trandenscantia 

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to medium indirect light. Avoid direct sun.

WATER - Allow about half the soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

 

White Bird of Paradise 

The Bird of Paradise is named after the colorful, crane-like flowers it produces in its native environment but don't expect those flowers in their Midwest houses. 

LIGHT - thrives in bright, indirect light

WATER - allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. This plant can benefit from extra humidity. 

TROUBLE IN PARADISE - Splits along sides of leaves is a Normal adaptive precaution to help plant bear strong winds in its native habitat. Yellowing lower leaves is a sign of overwater. Wilting and curling leaves is a sign of a thirsty plant. 

Yucca

LIGHT - Thrives in bright indirect to direct light.

WATER - Allow soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light.

 

ZZ

You might spot large potato-like rhizomes under the surface of the ZZ Plant's soil. These store water to help the plant survive drought in its native habitat. A ZZ plant is virtually indestructible, can handle neglect, can live in any light condition and still looks amazing. It's also a great air purifier. The only way to kill this plant is to water it too often which you'll know is happening if the leaves begin to turn yellow and mushy. The ZZ is so easy to care for it’s like having a fake plant! No joke. 

LIGHT - tolerates any light condition, even low

WATER - Extremely drought tolerant, water when all of the soil is completely dry, most likely every 1-3 months, depending on how much light it is receiving. 

TROUBLE IN PLANT PARADISE - Yellowing leaves and wet soil is a sign of watering too frequently.