It’s my boyfriend’s birthday next month and I wanted to buy him a plant he hasn’t yet got. Currently we have:
- Lots of monsteras
- Syngonium
- Pothos
- Jades
- Snake plants
- String of hearts
- Ferns (staghorn, blue star, boston)
- Peace lilies
- Rubber plant
- Tradescantia
- Spider plants
He particularly likes monsteras! But if there are any relatively easy to care for, or ‘essential’ house plants that it sounds like they’d fit well with what we already have I’d love to hear. Our house is pretty shady but there are certain areas that get a bit more sunlight in the afternoon. Thank you :)
- Philodendrons - first one that came to mind, so many varieties! The care has been really similar to monsteras for me.
- Hoya - agree with the other poster’s suggestion! I think a hoya would look nice next to your tradescantia, and there are so many interesting types. Plus they might flower if you’re lucky!
- ZZ plant - a bit of a different shape/growth pattern from what you have and quite low maintenance
- Peperomia - a more compact suggestion and somehow very giftable imo!
Many thanks for these suggestions! Philodendron Florida does look very nice, and I love the ‘waxiness’ of the leaves, a bit like the pothos we have. Are there any other philodendron varieties you’d recommend?
Of course!
- Rojo congo - deep color, can really grow to be a real beast with thick stems and big leaves
- Black cardinal - even darker, glossy leaves
- Billietiae - can be expensive, but the stem color, leaf shape and texture is super cool. Philodendrons atabapoense and 69686 are two others along the same vein; expensive, but unique leaf shapes
- Brasil - can be hung and treated similarly to a pothos if you want a companion for it. Philodendron neon is another one that is nice hanging and the color is really bright!
I think a jewel orchid such as a Macodes petola can make for a really nice gift for someone who likes plants. They are not in the “super easy” category but certainly “easy enough”. There are some really cool varieties to choose from. Personally I love the ones with bright green and gold veins, but there are also dark colored ones.
Orchids do have some different requirements, so your boyfriend might have to do a bit of reading and video watching to learn about orchid care. You can get the orchid with some substrate, an orchid fertilizer, and a pot, and he’ll be set. If you live in a dry place it might take some extra effort to keep it humid and happy, though.
