The brutal cold from last week is gone and now back to some rain and a little ice. It’s still too early to start seeds indoors, but there are still plenty of topics to talk about. How about some houseplants that thrive on neglect. Cacti and succulents are both perfect choices for someone who may be a little forgetful when it comes to watering and fertilizing. They grow slow, so repotting may only need to be done once every five years or so. They prefer a sunny southern window but eastern and western exposure windows will work as well. In our new house, we only have windows with eastern and western exposure as our garage is on the south side of the house. We have found that the western windows in our living room have plenty of light for all of our houseplants, and this year I will probably start a few seeds in the living room as well. I brought a few mandavilla vines inside this winter to see if they would survive and they have had plenty of light to be happy even though they will not flower again until they get back outside in the summer. 

By far the most popular succulent around is aloe especially when you get sunburnt. In botany, succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word succulent comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning “juice” or “sap” and the juice from the aloe plant has been used to sooth sunburns for years and now even beverages are made from aloe. Cacti are in the succulent family, so all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti. Also there are many succulents that are winter hardy around here like “Hens and Chicks, sempervivum” and sedum. Echeverias is a tropical succulent that looks somewhat like hens and chicks but come in a wide variety of colors in hues that span the rainbow. Most stay small and are popular for fairy gardens and small terrariums. Cacti are sometimes thought of as strictly desert plants, but many species, such as the prickly pear cactus, are found in a number of habitats with a few varieties hardy to zone 4. But most cacti like warmer weather and make excellent houseplants. 

Most cacti and succulents only need one ice cube placed in their pot once a month. If you place them outside in the summer make sure they get covered during severe rain as overwatering can be a problem. They like dry, hot conditions, which make them perfect for indoors where rain is nowhere to be found. They can be near a heater or stove without the problem of drying out too fast. It makes it nice when you go away on a vacation for a week or two and don’t need to worry who is going to water the plants. Fertilizing succulents is also a rare occurrence. Water soluble fertilizers are easy to use about two or three times a year and if you forget the plant won’t die. When growing in a desert, they can’t expect to get fertilized even once a year, so two or three times is wonderful. 

So if you’re looking to green up your house but don’t want to be a slave to your plants, try some cacti and succulents. They don’t ask for much and can give you years of enjoyment. Next week, the surprising houseplant that also thrives on neglect, Orchids.