Text and photos (unless otherwise credited) by Lina Rodriguez.
Lina has been gardening and keeping houseplants for over ten years. She has worked with organizations promoting community gardens, taught small-space gardening, and on other food justice initiatives.
Phlodendron hederaceum (heartleaf philodendron), my favorite houseplant to recommend to beginners. Photo credit: Malley Atkinson
Back in April, I wrote an article about why succulents may not be the best houseplants for beginners. I wrote that “succulents are easy, low-maintenance houseplants if you have the perfect conditions for them. But a lot of people don’t.”
So what is the best houseplant for beginners? The answer to that question is obviously subjective. What works for one person may not work for someone else, because there are so many factors at play (light, temperature, humidity, your personal plant-care style, just to name a few). That said, in my 10 years of keeping houseplants, I’ve learned that there are certain traits that make particular plants a good choice for most people, regardless of your environment or habits.
Before we get into my plant-y ruminations, let’s just cut to the chase: the houseplant I always recommend to beginners is Philodendron hederaceum (heartleaf philodendron).
Here’s why:
The wetland species of Southern Blue Flag and its close relative, Northern Blue Flag (Iris versicolor), grow in fresh to mildly brackish tidal marshes and wet meadows of the Mid-Atlantic, but the former is mostly found from Virginia southward to Florida. Both native irises, indigenous to some areas of NoVA, share similar growth habits and showy flowers that attract hummingbirds.
