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A House Beautiful contributor who says she owns 65 houseplants has listed seven varieties she considers too demanding for her home: orange tree, peace lily, Boston fern, alocasia, fiddle-leaf fig, money tree and African violet. Her recommendations reflect personal experience, not a universal ranking, and she pairs each plant with an alternative she finds easier to manage.
A House Beautiful contributor who says she owns 65 houseplants has named seven varieties she considers too high-maintenance for her home, citing needs such as bright light, steady moisture, high humidity and pest management. Her list is a personal account of what has not worked for her, rather than a general assessment that the plants are unsuitable for every household.
The plants she says she has given up on are an orange tree, peace lily, Boston fern, alocasia, fiddle-leaf fig, money tree and African violet. In the House Beautiful report, she describes trying to grow an orange tree indoors with an LED grow light and a nearby humidifier, but says she continued to deal with spider mites during winter. She also recalls Boston ferns shedding fronds after she brought them indoors for winter.
Her reasons vary by plant. The contributor says peace lilies wilt when their soil does not stay consistently moist, while alocasias need very bright light, consistent moisture and humidity of at least 50 percent. She describes fiddle-leaf figs as demanding about light, watering and humidity, and says African violets need steady moisture and bright, indirect light to bloom well. Her complaints about the money tree are more about its appearance and growth than a specific care problem.
For each plant, she names an alternative she prefers: an olive tree instead of an orange tree, anthurium instead of peace lily, bird’s nest fern instead of Boston fern, colorful philodendrons instead of alocasia, bird of paradise instead of fiddle-leaf fig, snake plant instead of money tree, and no specific replacement for African violet in the provided report. These are her own choices; the article does not present comparative trials or claim the suggested substitutes require less care for every grower.
Choosing Plants for Real Homes
The report speaks to a practical concern for houseplant owners: a plant’s appearance may attract someone, but its needs have to fit the light, humidity and time available in a particular home. The contributor’s examples show how indoor winter conditions can complicate care, particularly for plants she says need high humidity or consistently moist soil.
Her account also offers reassurance to readers whose plants are struggling. She writes that a plant that thrives in one home may not suit another, and says owners should not blame themselves if a variety does poorly in their conditions. That is advice from the writer, not a professional care standard, but it underscores the report’s main point: choosing a houseplant can be a matter of matching its needs to a household rather than chasing a popular variety.
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A Longtime Grower’s Experience
The writer says her interest in houseplants began in childhood and recalls receiving plant cuttings from her grandmother. She also describes a zebra plant that lasted about a week when she was young, which she attributes to overwatering. In the years since, she says, her collection has grown to include pothos and philodendrons, a large bird of paradise and familiar varieties such as snake plants.
She says houseplants bring her enjoyment, especially during colder months, but that her gardening priorities have shifted toward spending time outdoors. The list reflects decades of personal trial and error, including repeated attempts to grow some varieties. The source does not state that all seven plants are inherently difficult or give a controlled comparison of their care requirements.
““I don’t think there’s a ‘bad’ houseplant.””
— House Beautiful contributor
Care Needs Vary by Home
The report is based on one grower’s experiences and does not establish how often these plants fail, how their results compare with other species, or whether different care routines would have changed the outcome. It provides no independent horticultural review or side-by-side testing of the suggested alternatives.
The source also does not provide a publication date, detailed care instructions for each substitute, or a specific alternative to African violet. Individual results may depend on factors the report does not detail, including a room’s available light, temperature, humidity and watering routine. The contributor’s assessments should not be read as a universal ranking of houseplant difficulty.
Match Plants to Your Conditions
The report does not announce a follow-up or describe a new development beyond the contributor’s recommendations. For readers considering one of the listed plants, the practical next step is to check its care requirements against the conditions available at home, particularly indoor light and humidity, before buying. The writer’s alternatives offer starting points for comparison, but she does not claim they will suit every space or grower.
The contributor also leaves room for experimentation: a plant that proved frustrating for her may still do well in someone else’s home. Her account closes with a personal judgment rather than a call to avoid particular species, and the source offers no further testing or expert response to resolve differences in care outcomes.
Key Questions
Which houseplants does the contributor find too high-maintenance?
She lists orange tree, peace lily, Boston fern, alocasia, fiddle-leaf fig, money tree and African violet. The list reflects her own experience growing them.
Why does she say Boston ferns were difficult?
She says her ferns dropped fronds after being moved indoors for winter. The report attributes the challenge to their need for very bright light and high humidity, which it describes as 50 percent or higher.
What alternatives does she recommend?
She suggests an olive tree, anthurium, bird’s nest fern, colorful philodendrons, bird of paradise and snake plant as alternatives for six of the plants. The source does not name a replacement for African violet.
Does the report say these plants are difficult for everyone?
No. The contributor says some of the plants may thrive in other homes. Her judgments are personal experience and preference, not a universal ranking or a controlled comparison.
Source: housebeautiful.com
