Hey there, are you on the lookout for some chill and easy-going low-maintenance potted plants to spruce up your balcony garden?
We totally get it – having a cozy green corner at home is like a dream come true!
But hey, we know life can get busy, and not everyone’s got the time to be a full-on plant parent, watering and fussing all day long.
Well, worry no more! Not all plants are high-maintenance divas, my friend!
In fact, we’ve got a bunch of super cool plants that’ll jazz up your space without demanding all your attention. And here’s the best part – they love hanging out in pots, just perfect for your balcony garden!
So, get ready to meet 36 low-maintenance plant buddies that’ll make your green dreams a reality. No more stress or hassle – these babies are all about easy-breezy charm for your balcony!
Let’s dive into the world of effortless and beautiful potted plants!
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Looks: The Snake Plant has tall, sword-like leaves with vibrant green hues and unique patterns, making it an eye-catching addition to any space.
Growing Season: This perennial plant is warm-loving. Though they can grow throughout the year, they thrive best in spring and summer when the days are longer and warmer.
Care/Maintenance: Snake Plants are incredibly low-maintenance, requiring minimal watering and thriving in various light conditions, from low to bright indirect light.
Secret tips: It is recommended to keep the kids and pests away from the snake plant. Although the snake plant is not harmful, it can be toxic if the leaves of the plant are chewed.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
Looks: The ZZ Plant boasts glossy, dark green leaves that add a touch of elegance to any room, with a graceful and compact growth habit.
Growing Season: ZZ Plants prefer to grow during spring and summer when the temperatures are moderate. This perennial plant likes partial sun exposure and well-drained acidic soil.
Care/Maintenance: ZZ Plants are highly resilient and can survive in low light and with infrequent watering, making them perfect for busy individuals or forgetful plant owners.
Secret tips: While the ZZ plant does not require too much water, there’s a twist. You have to monitor the color of the plant to understand its water requirements. If the leaves start turning yellowish or begin to drop, that means your plant requires more water.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Looks: Pothos features heart-shaped leaves with variegated patterns in various shades of green, gold, and white, lending a charming appeal to any setting.
Growing Season: Pothos is a fast-growing plant, with its most active growth occurring during spring and summer. They like full sun and partial exposure. For the soil, they like moist but full-drained and slightly acidic soil.
Care/Maintenance: Pothos is easy to care for, thriving in low to moderate light conditions and tolerating irregular watering.
Secret tips: Leaves and stems of pothos contain calcium oxalate crystals that can cause skin irritation, itching, and other discomforts if touched. Therefore, it is recommended to keep the kids and pets away from pothos.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Looks: The Peace Lily boasts graceful white blooms and glossy green leaves, adding a touch of serenity to indoor spaces.
Growing Season: Peace Lilies prefer to grow during spring and summer when the temperatures are warm.
Care/Maintenance: Peace Lilies are relatively low-maintenance, requiring regular watering and indirect light to flourish.
Secret tips: Peace Lily is a NASA-approved air purifier.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Looks: Spider Plants have long, arching green and white-striped leaves, creating a visually striking display, especially when they produce baby plantlets.
Growing Season: Spider Plants experience active growth during spring and summer. They like indirect sunlight and well-drained soil.
Care/Maintenance: Spider Plants are hardy and adaptable, thriving in various light conditions and requiring occasional watering.
Secret tips: This annual plant doesn’t like overfertilization. Applying fertilizer twice a month is enough for spider plants.
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
Looks: The Jade Plant showcases fleshy, oval-shaped leaves with a rich green color and a unique, tree-like appearance.
Growing Season: Jade Plants tend to grow actively during the spring and summer months. They like full-sun, well-drained, acidic soil.
Care/Maintenance: Jade Plants are low-maintenance succulents, preferring bright light and infrequent watering.
Secret tips: The biggest benefit of this low-maintenance plant is its longevity. They can survive for over 50-70 years.
Aloe Vera
Looks: Aloe Vera features spiky, succulent leaves that form a rosette shape, providing a modern and fresh look to any room.
Growing Season: Aloe Vera experiences active growth in spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Aloe Vera is a drought-tolerant plant, requiring minimal watering and bright, indirect light for optimal health.
Secret tips: You could consider aloe vera as a ‘zero-maintenance’ plant. It requires watering only when the top of the soil is drying out and fertilization once a year, preferably during spring.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)
Looks: The Chinese Evergreen showcases lush, variegated leaves with attractive patterns in shades of green, silver, and pink.
Growing Season: Chinese Evergreens grow well throughout the year, with slightly slower growth in winter.
Care/Maintenance: Chinese Evergreens thrive in low to moderate light and need moderate watering, making them ideal for indoor environments.
Secret tips: Avoid fertilizing the plant during winter, as during this time, the plant remains partially dormant.
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Looks: The Ponytail Palm features long, slender leaves cascading from the top like a ponytail, creating a unique and whimsical appearance.
Growing Season: Ponytail Palms grow actively during spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Ponytail Palms are low-maintenance, requiring infrequent watering and bright light for healthy growth.
Secret tips: The Ponytail palm is one of the air-purifying plants. It helps freshen the indoor air of the house.
Dracaena
Looks: Dracaena features tall, slender stems with lush green foliage, available in various leaf patterns and colors, making it a stunning, tropical addition to any indoor space.
Growing Season: Dracaena grows actively during the spring and summer months. It likes partial shade and well-drained moist soil.
Care/Maintenance: Dracaena is a low-maintenance plant, thriving in moderate light conditions and requiring infrequent watering. It is also an air-purifying plant, enhancing indoor air quality.
Secret tips: Dracaena does not require too much attention from the gardener. However, continuous direct sunlight can scorch the leaves.
Haworthia
Looks: Haworthia is a small succulent with rosettes of fleshy leaves, often displaying unique white stripes or patterns, creating an adorable and modern appearance.
Growing Season: Haworthia experiences active growth during spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Haworthia is an easy-to-care-for succulent, preferring bright indirect light and minimal watering, as it stores water in its leaves. This perennial succulent can adjust to both full and partial sun exposure and likes sandy well-drained soil.
Secret tips: Haworthia thrives in full sun. However, the direct morning sun is more beneficial for growing the plant than the strong evening sun.
Philodendron
Looks: Philodendron is a popular vining plant with heart-shaped leaves in various shades of green, adding a touch of lushness to any indoor setting.
Growing Season: Philodendron typically experiences active growth during the warm months of spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Philodendron is low-maintenance, thriving in low to moderate light and requiring moderate watering. Partial sunlight and loamy, well-drained, acidic soil is the best growing condition for the Philodendron.
Secret tips: The presence of insoluble calcium oxalate in the philodendron may cause oral irritation and itching for your pets.
Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Looks: Boston Fern has delicate, feathery fronds that arch gracefully, imparting a refreshing and elegant ambiance to interiors.
Growing Season: Boston Ferns grow actively during the spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Boston Ferns prefer bright, indirect light and high humidity, requiring consistent watering to keep the soil moist. Boston Fern likes acidic soil and partial sunlight.
Secret tips: You can keep your fern in your bedroom to help detoxify the environment.
African Violet (Saintpaulia)
Looks: African Violet is a charming flowering plant with velvety leaves and dainty, colorful blooms, adding a splash of color to indoor spaces.
Growing Season: African Violets can bloom throughout the year, given the right conditions.
Care/Maintenance: African Violets need bright, indirect light and regular watering from the bottom to avoid wetting their leaves.
Secret tips: Avoid over-fertilization. This low-maintenance plant requires infrequent application of phosphorus-rich fertilizer for healthy growth.
Kalanchoe
Looks: Kalanchoe is a compact succulent with thick, fleshy leaves and vibrant clusters of flowers, creating a cheerful and lively atmosphere.
Growing Season: Kalanchoe experiences active growth during spring and summer when it blooms.
Care/Maintenance: Kalanchoe is low-maintenance, requiring bright light and infrequent watering due to its succulent nature. Sandy, well-drained, acidic soil, and ful or partial sunlight is enough for the maintenance of kalanchoe.
Secret tips: This perennial plant is toxic to pests and non-toxic to human beings.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)
Looks: Christmas Cactus is a unique cactus with segmented, trailing stems and show-stopping blooms, bringing a festive touch to homes during the holiday season.
Growing Season: Christmas Cactus typically grows and blooms in late fall and winter.
Care/Maintenance: Christmas Cactus prefers bright, indirect light and needs careful watering to prevent overhydration or drought stress.
Secret tips: Choose a pot that is slightly larger. Christmas cactus requires good airflow, as otherwise, the roots of the plant may get rotten.
Jade Necklace (Crassula perforata)
Looks: Jade Necklace is a delightful succulent with elongated, bead-like leaves arranged in cascading strands, resembling a beautiful green necklace.
Growing Season: Jade Necklace experiences active growth during spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Jade Necklace is low-maintenance, thriving in bright light and needing minimal watering due to its succulent nature.
Secret tips: Jade Necklace plants are not pet-friendly. So if you have pets, keep them away from your plant.
Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
Looks: Sago Palm is a striking cycad with a crown of dark green, feathery fronds atop a stout trunk, adding a touch of prehistoric elegance to indoor spaces.
Growing Season: Sago Palm tends to grow slowly but can experience some growth during the warm months of spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Sago Palms are low-maintenance, requiring bright indirect light and infrequent watering, making them perfect for well-lit indoor areas. Sandy, well-drained, moist, and acidic soil is the best for growing sago palms.
Secret tips: Keep your sago palm away from direct sunlight, as it can hamper its growth.
Haworthia Cooperi
Looks: Haworthia Cooperi is a small succulent with chubby, translucent leaves arranged in a rosette, featuring unique patterns and textures, providing a modern and captivating look.
Growing Season: Haworthia Cooperi tends to grow actively during the warmer months of spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: This succulent requires bright indirect light and infrequent watering, as it stores water in its leaves, making it easy to care for and perfect for busy plant enthusiasts. This perennial succulent prefers alkaline soil.
Secret tips: Though Haworthia Cooperi is a low-maintenance succulent, it is also very rare. You may not find it easily in the local market. However, your waiting time will be compensated once Haworthia Cooperi becomes a part of your potted garden family.
Alocasia
Looks: Alocasia showcases large, arrowhead-shaped leaves with intricate vein patterns, offering a touch of tropical elegance to any indoor setting.
Growing Season: Alocasia experiences active growth during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Alocasia prefers bright, indirect light and requires regular watering to maintain adequate soil moisture, making it a stunning, yet relatively low-maintenance, houseplant.
Secret tips: Alocasia is prone to spider mites, so be very careful if you plan to place it indoors.
Air Plants (Tillandsia)
Looks: Air Plants are unique, small plants that don’t require soil, featuring silvery-green, spiky leaves, adding a touch of whimsy to any space.
Growing Season: Air Plants can grow throughout the year, and their active growth may vary depending on the specific species.
Care/Maintenance: Air Plants are incredibly low-maintenance, requiring occasional misting or soaking and bright, indirect light. They are ideal for creative displays and unique plant arrangements.
Secret tips: The best thing about air plants is that they don’t require fertilization to survive.
String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
Looks: String of Pearls is a delightful trailing succulent with small, bead-like leaves, resembling a string of pearls, creating a visually charming and cascading effect.
Growing Season: String of Pearls tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: This succulent prefers bright indirect light and infrequent watering, making it an easy-care and eye-catching addition to hanging planters or elevated shelves. This succulent likes sandy, well-drained, acidic soil and full or partial sunlight exposure.
Secret tips: String of Pearls is toxic to both animals and human beings if consumed. So be cautious and keep your pets away from the plants.
Peperomia
Looks: Peperomia features small, thick leaves in various shapes and colors, showcasing a compact and lush appearance.
Growing Season: Peperomia grows steadily throughout the year, with slightly slower growth in winter.
Care/Maintenance: Peperomia is low-maintenance, preferring moderate light and well-draining soil, making it an excellent choice for tabletops or desks.
Secret tips: Peperomia can clean the air. It is one of the air-purifier plants.
Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
Looks: Chinese Money Plant has round, coin-like leaves on slender stems, creating a charming and adorable look, often considered a symbol of good luck.
Growing Season: Chinese Money Plant experiences active growth during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: This plant prefers bright indirect light and regular watering, making it easy to care for and propagate, adding a touch of prosperity to any space.
Secret tips: Don’t put your money plant under direct sunlight, as it may burn the leaves of your plant.
Echeveria
Looks: Echeveria is a stunning rosette-forming succulent with thick, fleshy leaves in various colors, offering a visually striking and sculptural appearance.
Growing Season: Echeveria tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Echeveria requires bright sunlight and infrequent watering, making it an excellent choice for succulent gardens or individual pots. It likes well-draining acidic soil and ful sun exposure.
Secret tips: Echeveria doesn’t need fertilizer. You can apply low-nitrogen content fertilizer for the young plants only.
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
Looks: Croton showcases broad, leathery leaves in vibrant hues of red, orange, yellow, and green, adding a burst of tropical color to any indoor space.
Growing Season: Croton grows actively during the warm months of spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Croton thrives in bright indirect light and requires regular watering, appreciating high humidity levels. It’s a stunning but slightly higher maintenance plant due to its specific needs. Well-drained, moist, acidic soil and full or partial sun exposure is the ideal condition for growing Croton.
Secret tips: All parts of Croton are toxic to pets and human beings if consumed in large amounts. Therefore, keep your pets away from your plants.
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Looks: The Rubber Plant has large, glossy, and deep green leaves with a classic and elegant appearance, making it a popular choice for interior design.
Growing Season: Rubber Plants tend to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Rubber Plants prefer bright indirect light and moderate watering, and they are generally easy to care for, thriving in a variety of indoor conditions. Regular pruning helps maintain a bushy and attractive shape.
Secret tips: The sticky sap of rubber plants may irritate the pet’s skin. So, keep your pets away from the rubber plants.
Hoya
Looks: Hoya, also known as Wax Plant, features waxy, star-shaped flowers and thick, trailing vines, creating a charming and delicate appearance.
Growing Season: Hoyas tend to grow actively during the warmer months of spring and summer.
Care/Maintenance: Hoyas prefer bright indirect light and infrequent watering, making them a low-maintenance choice for hanging baskets or trellises. Well-draining, acidic soil, and partial sun exposure is the ideal condition for growing hoya. They are known for their resilience and are ideal for beginners.
Secret tips: If you notice that your hoya stops growing, make sure it gets enough sunlight and apply some fertilizer to boost its growth.
Oxalis
Looks: Oxalis, or Shamrock Plant, has vibrant, clover-like leaves in various colors, including green, purple, and burgundy, adding a touch of luck and beauty to indoor spaces.
Growing Season: Oxalis experiences active growth during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Oxalis prefers bright indirect light and moderate watering. It goes through dormancy in winter, during which it needs less water and a rest period.
Secret tips: Oxalis contains oxalic acid, which may be poisonous to human beings and pets. Therefore, keep your kids and pets away from the plant.
Bromeliad
Looks: Bromeliads feature striking rosettes of colorful leaves with unique patterns and textures, often producing vibrant flowers, adding an exotic and tropical flair to any setting.
Growing Season: Bromeliads tend to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Bromeliads are relatively low-maintenance, preferring bright indirect light and occasional watering in their central cups. After flowering, the mother plant will produce offsets or “pups” that can be propagated.
Secret tips: Being a low-maintenance plant, Bromeliad does not require any special attention or regular fertilization. The application of mild fertilizer infrequently, once a month, is enough to look after the Bromeliad that is…
String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
Looks: String of Hearts is a lovely trailing plant with heart-shaped leaves and long, delicate vines, creating a visually appealing and romantic display.
Growing Season: String of Hearts tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: This plant prefers bright indirect light and infrequent watering, making it easy to care for and perfect for hanging planters or shelves. Well-drained, acidic soil and partial sun exposure are enough for the String of Hearts.
Secret tips: Plant your string of hearts in a deep pot, as its fine roots like it that way.
Rhipsalis
Looks: Rhipsalis, also known as Mistletoe Cactus, features long, trailing stems with small, cylindrical segments, lending a unique and contemporary look to interiors.
Growing Season: Rhipsalis experiences active growth during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Rhipsalis prefers bright indirect light and regular watering, allowing the soil to dry out slightly between waterings. It’s a great choice for those who enjoy cacti but prefer a more delicate appearance.
Secret tips: This blooming plant needs to take a rest for a while before the formation of the new season’s bud. Reduce watering during this period to keep your plant partially dormant.
Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)
Looks: The Prayer Plant has strikingly patterned leaves that fold upward at night, resembling hands in prayer, making it an intriguing and captivating addition to any room.
Growing Season: Prayer Plants tend to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: This plant prefers bright indirect light and consistently moist soil to maintain its humidity needs. It’s a bit more demanding in terms of water, but its unique foliage makes it worth the effort.
Secret tips: It is believed that the prayer plant brings good luck and prosperity.
Aeonium
Looks: Aeonium is a stunning rosette-forming succulent with striking foliage colors, ranging from green to deep purple or black, creating an eye-catching and dramatic display.
Growing Season: Aeonium tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Aeonium prefers bright sunlight and infrequent watering, as it can tolerate short periods of drought. It’s a fantastic addition to outdoor succulent gardens or indoor arrangements. Sandy, acidic soil, and full or partial sun exposure is the ideal growing condition for Aeonium.
Secret tips: This perennial plant is an excellent option for beautifying your patio and balcony.
Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)
Looks: Norfolk Island Pine has soft, feathery foliage arranged symmetrically along its branches, resembling a miniature Christmas tree, making it a festive and decorative choice.
Growing Season: Norfolk Island Pine tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: This plant prefers bright indirect light and regular watering, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings. It can make a stunning houseplant during the holiday season and beyond. Sandy, acidic soil, and full or partial sunlight is enough for the healthy growth of Norfolk Island pine.
Secret tips: Applying mild liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season is sufficient for taking care of the plant.
Yucca
Looks: Yucca features bold, sword-like leaves in a rosette form, offering a touch of rugged elegance and a desert vibe to interior landscapes.
Growing Season: Yucca tends to grow actively during the spring and summer months.
Care/Maintenance: Yucca is a low-maintenance plant, requiring bright light and infrequent watering, making it a great choice for modern and minimalist settings, both indoors and outdoors. Sandy, well-draining, acidic soil, and partial sun exposure is enough for yucca.
Secret tips: Keep your pets away from your yucca because it may be harmful to them.
Conclusion and Take Away!
I hope you enjoyed the above discussion on low-maintenance potted plants. If you have any questions let me know in the comment section below.
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Misty S is the founder and lead writer at GrowOrganicGreens.com, a comprehensive gardening resource dedicated to helping people cultivate beautiful and sustainable gardens. She has a Master’s degree in Economics and specialized studies in agricultural economics, horticulture, and soil science. Drawing from her extensive knowledge and experience, Misty shares practical gardening tips on soil preparation, organic manure composting, fertilizers, plant care, and indoor gardening, making her advice accessible and helpful to gardeners of all levels.
Despite having an high-demanding 9-5 job, Misty dedicates her personal time to researching and exploring various gardening topics. Her keen interest in gardening has grown into a passion, driving her to help new gardeners and anyone interested in starting their gardening journey.
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