The Easiest Houseplants to Look After for Students

Never underestimate the power of a houseplant or two (or three or four!) when it comes to brightening up your space and breathing some life into your uni room, as well as giving you a much-needed serotonin boost.

But some plants demand more care than others, and student life can be busy and unpredictable – which is why we’ve put together this guide to the best low-maintenance houseplants for students. Read on to find our top picks for houseplants that are both easy for students to look after and the perfect finishing touches to your student room decor.

Snake plants

☀️ Light: snake plants prefer higher levels of light, but will be just fine in low-light conditions.
💧 Water: when the soil has fully dried out (which could end up being every four weeks).

Snake plants are virtually impossible to kill, which makes them the ultimate low-maintenance houseplants. These unusual-looking plants are really forgiving if you forget to water them, and can also withstand low light levels (so are perfect for if you’ve drawn the short straw and you’ve got the one room in your student house that doesn't get much sunlight).

Cacti

☀️ Light: these plants are used to growing in the desert so love bright, indirect sunlight.
💧 Water: cacti are drought-loving houseplants, so water once the soil has fully dried out.

Want an easy houseplant that you can just leave alone to do its own thing? A cactus might be the one for you, as less is more when it comes to this plant. All you need to do to make sure it thrives is to find a spot near a sunny window in your student house and leave it alone until the soil has dried out.

Pothos

☀️ Light: pothos prefer bright, indirect sunlight, but can survive in lower light too.
💧 Water: when the leaves start to droop, or when the top two inches of soil are dry.

Despite them loving brighter light, pothos plants (also known as devil’s ivy) still do really well in the darker corners of your room – so if you want a plant that looks great trailing from the bookshelf in your uni room, pothos is the one for you. Pothos is also great at letting you know when it’s unhappy; too much sunlight and its leaves will turn yellow, too little water and its leaves will droop.

Spider plants

☀️ Light: bright, indirect sunlight is best for spider plants.
💧 Water: when the top two inches of soil are dry.

There’s a reason these lush, sprawling plants have been a houseplant fave for years. Spider plants are the very definition of easygoing; they’re happy to be left alone to do their own thing, and can withstand being underwatered (to an extent). Plus, they let you know when they’re thriving by flowering and growing spider plant babies, which you can cut off and propagate and give to your friends!

Rubber plants

☀️ Light: rubber plants love light, so make sure they get plenty of bright, indirect sunlight.
💧 Water: when the soil is almost completely dry.

Rubber plants are probably some of the most forgiving, easy houseplants out there. They bounce back quite well, so if yours starts to drop leaves, don’t worry; move the plant to a different spot in your student house so it gets better light or so it’s away from any cold draughts, and the leaves will soon grow back bigger and better than before.

Houseplant FAQs

• Why does my plant have yellow leaves? It could just be that the leaves are old and are ready to drop off, or it could be that you're either overwatering or underwatering the plant. Or it could even be that it's not be getting enough sunlight. The best way to tell is by feeling the leaves – if they're yellow and mushy then the plant has been watered too much, whereas crispy leaves are a sign of a lack of light and/or water.

• Why does my plant have brown leaves? Leaves tend to turn brown when the plant isn't getting enough water or when it's getting scorched by direct light (think sunburn but for houseplants). Move your houseplant to a less sunny window if you think light is the culprit, or up the frequency of your watering.

• Why is my plant going brown at the tips? Houseplants are sensitive to the fluoride in our tap water, so if brown leaf tips are really bothering you then try watering using filtered water or rain water. Brown leaf tips can also be due to a lack of humidity (in which case try misting your plant or move it to the bathroom), but this shouldn't be too much of an issue for the easy houseplants mentioned in this blog post.

Make sure your houseplants get all the water they need by sorting your utility bills today

Setting up your utilities can be confusing – from gas and electricity to water and wifi, there's a lot to consider. That's where UniHomes comes in. Our student bills package helps take the stress out of student utilities by bundling them into one simple monthly payment that's split equally between you and your housemates, so that you can spend less time stressing and more time studying (or socialising). Check out UniHomes' student utilities package and get a quote today.