Top 3 Easiest Houseplants for Your Dorm

Mia Sommers | Contributing Writer

There is a common misconception that plants are difficult to keep alive in a dorm room, even if you have a green thumb. The busy life of a student, filled with classes, club activities, and meetings can make it challenging to keep up with meticulous care routines for houseplants. It's easy to forget about a plant when you're constantly on the move and juggling multiple responsibilities.

If you’re tired of looking at the fake plant you bought from Target the summer before your freshman year, here are some recommendations for forgiving and low-maintenance houseplants that will thrive in your dorm room.

Air Plants

Air plants are exactly what they sound like: plants that don’t live in soil! You can keep them in a small decorative jar or vase. They absorb nutrients from their leaves and don’t have roots, which makes them super easy to take care of - all you have to do is soak the plant in a bowl of water for 20 minutes once per week and let it dry thoroughly. In terms of lighting, they’re tolerant of a range of lighting conditions, from bright, indirect sunlight to fluorescent lighting, so you can put them anywhere in your dorm!

Pothos

Pothos plants are very popular houseplants due to their vines with heart-shaped leaves and multiple varieties. Some of my favorite varieties include the golden pothos, which has leaves of green and pastel yellow, and the Marble Queen pothos, which has a variegation of white and green marbled together on the leaves. Water your Pothos every 1-2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Your pothos’ leaves will droop when the plant is ready to be watered! Keep the plant in bright, indirect sunlight, about 6 feet away from a window.

Snake Plant

Snake plants are some of the most forgiving houseplants: they can store water in their leaves, so if you’re prone to underwatering your plants, this is the plant for you! Snake plants need to be watered every two weeks – wait to water until their soil completely dries out. These succulents have beautiful slender green leaves with horizontal silver stripes and can grow to be several feet high, which will make a beautiful decoration in your dorm’s living room. Snake plants prefer very bright light, so put them right on or by your window!

Embracing the world of houseplants in a residence hall doesn't have to be daunting. With the right plant, even the busiest student can enjoy a touch of greenery without the stress of high-maintenance care.