Dear Plant Stylist: "I travel a lot, can I even have nice plants?"
In our Dear Plant Stylist series, we share styling and lighting inquiries received by our in-house stylists with our audience. So read on-- you just might find that your plant styling questions are answered below!
—
Dear Plant Stylist,
I love plants and I want to have them in my home, but I travel a lot. I’m worried that if I take the plunge and get some, they’ll just die while I’m out of town, which would be a) expensive and b) demoralizing. Are there any truly easy-care plants that can be left alone for a week or two on end? Can I even have nice plants?
Best,
A. S. in San Diego
Dear A.,
I understand your worries, but I’m going to share a little secret with you: contrary to popular belief, there are so many beautiful plants out there that will do just fine while you’re away. In fact, most plants tend to fare better in the absence of helicopter parents!
Furthermore, most of our plants don’t require much watering-- indoor plants tend to like having their topsoil (the top two inches of soil beneath the layer of decorative moss on a Léon & George plant) dry out entirely before being watered again.
Some of these plants are even considered drought resistant, meaning that they can go even weeks without a drop of water.
It will be useful to get a sense of the light that your space receives, so be sure to check out the Light Requirements For Plants: Explained! blog post before placing your order.
The drought-resistant Snake Plant is one of the best plants for avid travelers, as it can go weeks without water.
For large floor plants, I would recommend Monstera Deliciosas and Snake Plants. Both exhibit gorgeous height, do just fine with medium light, and need to be watered only sparingly.
For an extra large statement plant, I’d suggest a Dracaena Lisa, which is flexible in terms of light, super-adaptable, and requires watering only when its topsoil is dry. Depending on your environment, this will likely be around every ten days to two weeks, but you can also use a moisture meter to keep track of it.
The Dracaena Lisa is a wonderful low-maintenance statement plant to fill out tired or empty corners.
Draceana Lisas make gorgeous focal points: they average six feet in height from bottom of pot to topmost leaf, and their foliage is deeply tonal and verdant.
A Dracaena Lisa would be best situated 5+ feet from any windows.
For easy-care accent plants, I recommend medium Zanzibar Gems. Zanzibar Gems grow from rhizomes, which are tuber-shaped root sacs that hold water and feed it gradually to the plant. These root sacs mean that Zanzibar Gems need to be watered only rarely-- they control the amount of water they release to their foliage, and are exceptionally low-maintenance and independent because of this behavior!
The Zanzibar Gem stores water in its roots, making for an incredibly low maintenance houseplant.
One last thing to keep in mind: there are lots of solutions if you do have an eye on a plant that requires a bit more attention. Things like self-watering hydrospikes are great to plug into your thirstier plants while you’re away.
Happy planting, A! Avid travelers and indoor houseplants truly can go together like peanut butter and jelly. We usually see that over-care (like overwatering) is what bothers houseplants, not neglect. So rest easy, because your low-maintenance plants should thrive in your absence!
Easy Care Plants, Delivered
Beautifully potted plants, plus lifetime plant care support. Order online at leonandgeorge.com