Care requirements
Watering intervals assume an average heated room in spring and summer.| Plant | Light | Water every | Humidity | Forgiving | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snake plantSansevieria trifasciata | Low to bright | 3–5 weeks | Any | Soft base — always overwatering | |
| ZZ plantZamioculcas zamiifolia | Low to medium | 3–4 weeks | Any | Yellowing stalks near the soil | |
| PothosEpipremnum aureum | Medium, indirect | 7–10 days | Any | Long gaps between leaves means too dark | |
| MonsteraMonstera deliciosa | Bright, indirect | 7–10 days | Medium | New leaves without splits — needs more light | |
| Peace lilySpathiphyllum wallisii | Medium, indirect | 5–7 days | Medium to high | Dramatic wilting — recovers in hours | |
| Rubber plantFicus elastica | Bright, indirect | 10–14 days | Medium | Leaf drop after being moved | |
| Spider plantChlorophytum comosum | Medium to bright | 7 days | Any | Brown tips from hard tap water | |
| Fiddle-leaf figFicus lyrata | Bright, some direct | 10–14 days | Medium | Brown patches spreading from the leaf edge | |
| CalatheaCalathea orbifolia | Medium, indirect | 4–6 days | High | Crisp edges — humidity or water quality | |
| Boston fernNephrolepis exaltata | Medium, indirect | 3–5 days | High | Dropping fronds the moment it dries out | |
| Chinese money plantPilea peperomioides | Bright, indirect | 7–10 days | Any | Leaning hard toward the window | |
| AloeAloe vera | Bright, direct | 3–4 weeks | Low | Flat, splaying leaves mean not enough sun |
Light
Bright indirect means within a metre or two of a window, out of the direct beam. Low light still means light — no plant grows in a windowless room.
Water every
A starting point, not a schedule. Halve the frequency in winter, and always check the soil before pouring anything.
Humidity
High means above roughly 60 per cent. Misting does very little; grouping plants together or running a humidifier does a lot.
Forgiving
Five dots means it will survive a fortnight of neglect. One dot means it will register every mistake you make, and remember it.
If you take one thing from this table, take this: the watering column is the least important one on it. Light determines how fast a plant uses water, so a plant in a dark corner watered on a bright-window schedule will drown. Fix the position first and the watering sorts itself out.