by Tauri Kerr
I’m a plant parent, what’s your superpower?
I spent my lockdown experimenting with many different hobbies and, at some point, attempted to grow my own vegetables. I was advised to start with radishes because they apparently grow quickly, and they are therefore a rewarding vegetable to begin with. I bought a packet of seeds and embarked on my plant growing journey.
My radishes flourished and I was the proudest plant parent. That was until my dog discovered that the troughs, in which my radishes were putting all the other plants to shame, were fantastic to lie in and soak up the sun.
I was convinced that the death of my radishes was purely the dog’s fault and so I was not deterred. I tried parsley, more radishes and carrots but I was as equally unsuccessful as I had been with the radishes (and this time it was totally not the dog’s fault). Needless to say, I certainly don’t have a natural green thumb… not even pale green.
I had almost completely given up on my dream of becoming a plant parent until I discovered succulents. I became a proud plant parent to an unnecessarily large group of succulents. They restored my faith in plant parenting and my camera roll was overflowing with photos of my new babies.
After my success with succulents, I ventured out of my comfort zone and attempted to nurture a sunflower which I failed at miserably, so I decided to research a few plants that were designed to be raised by hopeless plant parents. I thought I would help fellow failing plant parents out there and provide a few options for you all.
Pothos is a plant that is affectionately nicknamed as ‘devil’s ivy’ because it can withstand little sunlight and it is almost impossible to kill. It is also quite cute!
If you are known for over loving your plant in the way of drowning it then I have the perfect plant for you! The Algoanema can withstand excessive amounts of water and it comes in a variety of different colours – green, white, pink and red.
To the plant parents who are constantly forgetting that they have little ones to care for – the Philodendron is for you. This resilient plant can survive with minimal water (you literally only need to remember to water them once a week) and they can withstand dark spaces.
The final plant is the pièce de resistance for struggling plant parents. This plant is literally nicknamed “the king of indestructible plants”. The ZZ plant can withstand the hazardous trifecta – drought, low light, and low humidity. It is, however, toxic so try not to eat it.
A piece of advice that I have been told when it comes to plant parenthood is that you should get a plant that lives the way you do – if you live in a low light room and you barely hydrate yourself then you should be looking for a plant baby that has similar requirements to you. Plants can sometimes be just as baffling as children but it’s important to get to know your plant because no two plants are the same!
Remember, you can’t buy happiness, but you can buy plants and that’s basically the same thing.