Not All Viral Houseplants Are Easy to Grow: These Four Are Ones to Avoid
Lately, whenever I scroll through short videos, I keep seeing all kinds of "lazy-person houseplants." Watching people have these tall, green plants at home, with comment sections full of "beginner-friendly" and "they survive no matter how you grow them," I couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon and bought a few pots. Now my balcony is almost a houseplant graveyard. Today let's dig into those overhyped viral houseplants, especially these four. Beginners really shouldn't touch them!
Radermachera sinica (China doll): "easy to grow, and it brings good luck too." But two weeks after buying it, it started dropping leaves. At first it was just a few here and there, then it came down like rain, and in the end there was nothing left but a bare stem, like a mop. This thing is extremely picky about its environment. Below 15
Bird of paradise: Bird of paradise, with those big leaves like a banana plant, really does give the living room a tropical feel. In livestreams, the host casually gives it a pour from a spray bottle and says it's super easy to grow. But it turns out this thing is a "drinking champion." The potting soil has to stay constantly moist, but it can't be waterlogged either. Get it slightly wrong and the roots rot. The most infuriating part is that sellers say it will bloom if grown well. My neighbor's has been growing for three years, has grown a pile of leaves, and there's still no sign of a flower. So it's all just a cover for buying a foliage plant.
Areca palm:
Japanese pieris: Finally, let's talk about Japanese pieris, a cut green plant that's been especially popular these past two years. A bunch of branches stuck in water can last for several months, and it's billed as "good news for lazy people." I jumped on the bandwagon and bought a bunch. When I first put it in, it really did look nice, with emerald green leaves edged with little serrations, very fresh on the dining table. But the reality is that this thing lives at most one month. At first the water was still clear, but within a few days it started to stink. You have to change the water every day. Slack off even a little and the base rots, and the leaves turn yellow along with it. And its branches are especially picky about water. Soak them directly in tap water and a layer of slimy stuff floats in the water. You have to use tap water that's been left to sit, or just use mineral water. The worst part is, it's toxic!
