Chris Buckland
No Pots and No Soil Required!
Is there anything more beautiful than a delightful plant growing in a clear vase seen in the light of the morning sun? The wonderful sight is enough to bring a tear to the eye of even the most stoic of us. Whether placed on a windowsill or mounted on a wall, these plants grow in water bring freshness and vibrancy to any home.
Today we’ll take a look at some houseplants that you can grow in water, some reasons why you should keep them, a few tips for caring for these plants, and finally, some styling ideas to display these wonders of nature.
List of household water plants
Let’s begin with a list of some household water plants that are as beautiful as they are popular.
1. Lucky Bamboo
This simple yet elegant plant is also known as the Chinese Water Bamboo. Despite its name, this particular water plant originated in Africa, and today it can be found growing in homes all over the world. You can grow the Lucky Bamboo from cuttings taken just above the eye.
The vibrant grey-green leaves that twist slightly, protruding from a fleshy green stem, distinguish the Lucky Bamboo from any other plant.
Interesting fact: In the Chinese tradition of Feng Shui, the number of stems can bring good or bad luck to the house. Two stems attract love, seven stems encourage good health, but four stems can cause bad luck!
2. Spiderwort
Easily identified by its zebra-pattern leaves, the Spiderwort or Wandering Jew (as it’s also known) has a truly unique appearance. The upper surface of the leaves has a dark green axis, paralleled by two broad silver stripes and edged in deep purple. The lower surface of the leaf is a deep, uniform magenta.
You should prune the long vines to encourage the branches to spread in all their magnificent glory. But also make sure that this wonderful plant gets the right amount of sunlight.
The distinct leaf markings will fade if the Spiderwort doesn’t get enough light, dulling its spectacular appearance.
3. Baby’s Tears
The dense carpet of tiny, delicate leaves gives Baby’s Tears the appearance of something straight out of a fairy tale. Also known as the Mother of Thousands, this creeping herb is often used as a companion plant for the African Violet or other ferns.
Growing to a maximum average height of just four inches, it’s perfect for indoor growing. You need to prune the branches, though, as Baby’s Tears can spread up to 12 inches in the wild.
If the pruning is done carefully, delicate leaves spilling slightly over the vase’s edges can give the effect of a miniature, dainty green waterfall.
4. Coleus
You may be more familiar with the other names Coleus is known by – the Painted Nettle or the Poor Man’s Croton. The vibrant leaves of this plant make it truly stand out among household plants.
With leaf colors ranging from orange, purple, green, yellow, brown to maroon, and even various combinations of these bright colors, this plant is something truly special.
A simple cutting placed in a jar of water can be grown into a full plant in a matter of weeks. The Coleus grows best in partial shade and half-strength liquid fertilizer.
Recently we’ve seen a rise in the price of this particular plant, but dedicated gardeners can grow a veritable host of new plants by taking cuttings from a single plant.
5. Rubber Plant
The large, waxy, deep-green leaves of the Rubber Plant give it an exotic and novel appearance. If planted in soil, it can grow up to 10 feet in height. But when grown in water, the plant remains smaller and more suitable for an indoor environment.
To grow your very own Rubber Plant, all you need to do is take a cutting from a stem, strip off the leaves from the lower part and place the cutting in a water container.
You’ll need lots of direct sunlight to encourage growth. After about three months, roots will begin to appear.
Water-growing plants give your home a minimalistic look, but there are several other reasons why you should keep them as houseplants.
Why Should you Keep Plants that Grow in Water?
Because:
1. They Require Less Care
You don’t need to water these plants regularly. Even if you forget your plants for a day or two, they won’t suffer any ill effects. All you have to do is top up the water in their containers every few days, and you’re done.
2. There’s Less Mess
Because there’s no soil, you don’t need to worry about any spills that can dirty your tables or furniture. Pet-owners, in particular, will find the absence of soil to be a relief. So, no need to worry about your cat digging up the soil and making a mess.
3. There Are Fewer Pests
Many pests that can damage your plants live or lay their eggs in the soil, the pesky fungus gnat, for instance. If there’s no soil, you automatically rid yourself of many insects that can harm your plants.
4. They Make Beautiful Displays
We’ve already talked about the undeniable aesthetic appeal of water plants! There’s something truly ethereal about a plant growing in a clear glass jar as sunlight passes through the leaves and is refracted through the glass. No doubt, plants that grow in water make beautiful displays.
Now that you’re convinced that water plants are a great addition to your houseplants collection let’s go over some tips to keep these plants healthy and green.
Tips for Plants that Grow in Water
It’s very important to remember that even though you have no soil, the container your plant grows in needs to be kept clean. Especially in warmer climates, algae is a concern.
In warmer temperatures with sufficient sunlight, glass containers can become homes to blooms of algae. To deal with this, you need to gently remove the plant from the container every few weeks and give it a thorough cleaning before topping it up with water.
If you feel that a glass container is old-school, we have some styling ideas for your lush green plants that grow in water.
Styling Ideas
The best and most common way to grow a water plant is in a clear glass vase. But you can also switch a vase with test tubes or jars. That totally depends on where you plan to keep it.
For instance, a glass jar would look lovely placed on a window sill or a chimney, while a vase would make a good centerpiece on a table. A test tube, on the other hand, would look aesthetic if mounted on walls.
If you plan on hanging your plants, go for glass globes.
These were a few styling ideas by us; however, the possibilities are endless! Get creative with your decorations, and do let us know on our website.
Who knows, we could feature the ideas that stand out!
