Impossible-to-Kill Indoor Plants for Your Malta Home
Indoor plants will be a nice addition to any Malta house or apartment. They add a splash of colour and can make any flat in Malta feel homier and more welcoming. Studies have even shown that indoor plants can increase happiness in the home, by reducing stress and enhancing your mood. They can be good for your productivity as well as for your health! It’s been proven that, on top of purifying the air by removing carbon dioxide during photosynthesis, some plants even remove other toxins. In Malta, we have some of the worst air quality in Europe. With all the construction going on, there’s bound to be a lot more lurking in your air than just regular old carbon dioxide. This is another reason to decorate your Malta home with some green friends. Having said that, not everyone has a green thumb! If you’re one of those people that can never seem to keep a plant alive, then keep reading. You might have a black thumb, but don’t give up on indoor plants altogether! There are some indoor plants that are so super easy to care for that even you will be able to keep them alive! Read below for our list of impossible-to-kill indoor plants that you should buy for your Malta home.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera plants are perfect for any house in Malta. They’re useful, Instagram-worthy and they’re easy to care for! During the summer, whenever you’ve spent a bit too much time on the beach, just cut off a leaf and use the gel to soothe your sunburn. The same goes for when you burn yourself cooking dinner! Aloe Vera plants like light, but not direct light. So, don’t place them on your windowsill, but, perhaps, just next to it. You hardly need to water your Aloe Vera plant. Give it some water about twice a month, and less often in the winter. As long as your pot has a hole in the bottom of it, so the soil can drain, it’ll be fine!
Areca Palm
The Areca Palm is a beautiful palm that’s usually bought in a super cute, little pot. They’re normally sold small as larger Areca Palms are very expensive. They take a long time to grow, but they can reach heights of 2 to 3 metres! This pretty palm is non-toxic to dogs and cats, so it’s a good choice for animal lovers. The Areca Palm doesn’t like the cold and loves humidity – which makes it perfect for your apartment in Malta. Like Aloe Vera, it likes light but not direct sunlight, and it doesn’t need to be watered very often. So, just don’t place it in front of a window or drown it, and it’ll do great.
Cactus
Cacti are the ultimate, impossible-to-kill house plants. They can literally survive for years without water. Having said that, surviving is a lot different to thriving! Cacti should be watered about once a week. Like the majority of house plants, it’s important to put your cactus in a pot with holes in it, so the soil can drain. Instead of watering from the top, you can soak the whole pot (the plastic one) in water and let it drain before placing it back in your nice pot. Most garden centres in Malta have a decent selection of cacti, so you can take your pick! They’re not all ugly, spiky plants. A lot of them have beautiful, bright flowers! You could even grow your own, mini prickly pear plant!
Jade Plant
Otherwise known as the lucky plant or money plant, Jade Plant is a perfect plant for any flat in Malta. Not only is it extremely low-maintenance, but it’ll also bring you luck! It’s a sturdy succulent that’ll continue to bring you good fortune for many years. Place your Jade Plant on a windowsill, as this plant does enjoy several hours of direct sunlight each day. It’s best to keep the soil moist but don’t worry too much if you forget about it for a while – it’s pretty resilient! If you keep it on your kitchen windowsill, you won’t forget it as you’ll see it every time you use the sink. Pro tip!
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue
This plant might sound scary, but it looks really cool! It does have another name, in fact. Sometimes it’s also called ‘Snake Plant’ on account of its snake-like leaves. This houseplant is as hard to kill as John McClane! You can put your Mother-in-Law’s Tongue in any part of the house and it’ll be happy. Any room will be good for your snake plant – it even won’t mind the humidity of the kitchen or the bathroom. It can take direct or indirect sunlight so, whether you place it near a window or in a corner, it’ll be fine. Try to water it every fortnight or so, but it’ll be alright for up to 6 weeks. So, don’t feel too bad if you forget about it! It won’t wilt and die on you that easily.
Rubber Fig
The Rubber Fig (or Rubber Plant) gets its name from its shiny, rubbery-looking leaves. It’s a rather elegant houseplant and will add a touch of class to your Malta home. Although this good-looking plant is easy to care for, it’s not a good choice if you have pets. The sap from this plant will upset your pet’s skin and stomach if it messes with it. If you have curious pets, then this isn’t the indoor plant for you. Otherwise, pop your Rubber Fig near a window in your pet-free home, but not where the sun will fry it. In the summer, water it once a week. In the winter, you can get away with watering it every two weeks instead. Caring for this plant is easy but it’s not as tolerant of being forgotten about as some of the other indoor plants on this list are.
Spider Plant
Lastly, this house favourite is as quirky as it is forgiving! Your Spider Plant will do well in a traditional pot and it’ll also look cool in a hanging pot! The yellow and green leaves can get quite long, and they’ll look awesome spilling over the sides of any pot. The only thing that might upset your Spider Plant is darkness. So, just don’t put it in a dim area of your house. Otherwise, anywhere it can get light will be good. The Spider Plant is notorious for being extremely easy to keep alive. In Malta, especially in the summer, it’s a good idea to give it a decent water every couple of weeks. Like the other plants in this list, make sure there are drainage holes in its pot, so your Spider Plant can drain properly when you water it. The plastic pots your plants will come in will likely all have holes in them. So, you can buy pretty pots (terracotta, glass, stone, metal etc.) for them, and just place the plant inside, in its plastic pot. When it comes to watering your plants, just take the plastic pot out of the decorative pot and water them. Place them on the draining board or something, so the excess water can drain out of the holes, and then put the whole thing back in your decorative pot. Voila!