The plants, grouped by how they like to be watered
Watering habits sort these plants better than looks do. Each guide records one drying rule from its sources, and plants that share a rule can share a watering day.
- Keep evenly moist: African violet, Bird's nest fern, Bonsai, Boston fern, Calathea, Fittonia, Gardenia, Hydrangea, Lucky bamboo, Maidenhair fern, Majesty palm, Mint, Polka dot plant, Prayer plant, Venus flytrap
- When the top inch is dry: Amaryllis, Anthurium, Areca palm, Arrowhead plant, Basil, Begonia, Bird of paradise, Chinese evergreen, Christmas cactus, Coleus, Croton, Cyclamen, Dieffenbachia, Dracaena, English ivy, Hibiscus, Jasmine, Money tree, Norfolk Island pine, Olive tree, Oxalis, Parlor palm, Peace lily, Philodendron, Pilea (Chinese money plant), Poinsettia, Rhaphidophora tetrasperma, Rubber plant, Schefflera, Spider plant, Staghorn fern, Tradescantia, Weeping fig
- When the top 2 inches are dry: Alocasia, Cactus, Cast iron plant, Ficus Audrey, Fiddle-leaf fig, Meyer lemon tree, Monstera, Peperomia, Rosemary, Sago palm
- When the top half of the pot is dry: Bromeliads, Hoya, Jade plant, Kalanchoe, Lavender, Monstera adansonii, Pothos, String of bananas, String of pearls
- When the mix is dry all the way down: Air plant, Aloe vera, Burro's tail, Echeveria, Haworthia, Lithops, Ponytail palm, Snake plant, String of hearts, Succulents, Yucca, ZZ plant
- When the bark is nearly dry: Moth orchid
How to read a plant guide
Start with the answer at the top and the care card beside it, then try the watering calculator with your own pot. The light section translates the plant's range into foot-candles and lux and names the windows that suit it; the problems table pairs each symptom with its cause and fix; the pet safety section quotes the ASPCA entry word for word. Varieties sit in a fold at the end, since most readers come for care, not cultivars.
10 guides cover a group rather than a single species: air plant, begonia, bonsai, bromeliads, cactus, dracaena, mint, peperomia, succulents and tradescantia. The succulents guide, for example, spans several genera with different toxicity, and the bonsai guide compares the indoor-friendly ficus with the juniper, an outdoor plant often sold as an indoor gift. Each group guide explains where its members part ways.
Light first, then everything else
If you are choosing a plant rather than rescuing one, decide on the spot before the species. The ideal light recorded for these guides ranges from medium light to direct sun, and no amount of watering skill makes up for the wrong window. The light finder estimates what your spot receives and lists the plants that suit it.