Benable — create shareable lists of things you recommend!
E.g., products you love, local businesses, travel recs - you can add anything to a Benable list!
🌿 Indoor Plant Care & Propagation: Pothos, Monstera, Alocasia & Tropical Houseplant Essentials for Low-Maintenance Plant Parents 🪴
30
items We have had as many as 128 indoor plants at one time and currently care for around 60, Pothos, Monstera, Varigated Monstera Albo, Thai Constellation, Alocasia, Hoyas, and more spread across every room of our house. I am not a perfect plant parent. I ...
Sections
5
🌿 Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants That Thrive on Neglect: Best Houseplants for Beginners & Busy Plant Parents
🪴 Indoor Plant Pots, Vases & Display: How to Show Off 60+ Houseplants Without Spending a Fortune
💡 Indoor Plant Light & Grow Light Setup — Window Placement, Grow Lights & Getting the Most from Natural Light
🌱 Plant Propagation Station — Water Propagation, Semi-Hydro & Advanced Alocasia Corm Techniques
🧪 Plant Food, Fertilizer & Keeping Plant Care Simple — Less Is More for Healthy Indoor Houseplants
🌿 Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants That Thrive on Neglect: Best Houseplants for Beginners & Busy Plant Parents
Not every plant is right for every plant parent — and figuring that out the hard way is an expensive lesson. I cannot grow orchids, succulents, or cacti. I will love them too much with water for three weeks straight and then completely forget about t...
Golden Pothos was one of the first plants in our collection and years later it is still one of our favorites. It thrives in literally every room of our house, bathroom, kitchen, living room, computer room — and it does not care if you forget to water...
Golden Pothos is one of the most widely recommended beginner houseplants in the world, and for good reason. Heart-shaped leaves splashed with golden-yellow variegation trail beautifully from shelves, hang off dowel rods, and cascade down sofa tables. Tolerates low light, irregular watering, and general neglect better than almost any other tropical houseplant. Nearly impossible to kill once established.
Marble Queen is my personal favorite of all our pothos varieties, the variegation is just stunning and every single leaf comes out slightly different. We have these hanging off our window dowel rod and the morning light through those white and green ...
Marble Queen Pothos features striking white and green marbled variegation on heart-shaped trailing leaves, more dramatic and decorative than Golden Pothos, while requiring the same minimal care. Grows vigorously in bright indirect light and tolerates lower light conditions, though the variegation becomes more pronounced with more light. Excellent for hanging planters, wall hooks, and wooden dowel display rods near windows.
Monstera is the plant that started our serious plant obsession. Once you have one healthy established monstera in your house you understand immediately why everyone is obsessed with them. The leaves are genuinely architectural, they make a room feel ...
Monstera Deliciosa is one of the most recognizable tropical houseplants in the world, with large, glossy, deeply split leaves that develop their signature fenestrations as the plant matures. Fast-growing in bright indirect light with regular watering. Prefers to dry out slightly between waterings. Thrives in humid environments like bathrooms and kitchens. Can grow very large with proper support.
Hoyas are the plants for people who genuinely forget to water. Their thick waxy leaves store moisture and they will tell you very clearly when they are actually thirsty. The leaves get slightly soft and wrinkled. We have hoyas we have had for years t...
Hoyas are tropical vining plants with thick, waxy leaves and a reputation for being nearly indestructible once established. Dozens of varieties range from compact trailing types to large climbing vines. Prefer bright indirect light and infrequent watering — they store water in their thick leaves and prefer to dry out between drinks. Bloom with clusters of fragrant star-shaped flowers when mature and given enough light. Long-lived plants that get more beautiful every year.
Alocasia is not a beginner plant but once you crack the code on what it needs it becomes one of the most spectacular plants in your entire collection. The leaves are genuinely unlike anything else. We propagate ours from corms using Fluval Stratum aq...
Alocasia plants are known for their dramatic, large, arrow-shaped or shield-shaped leaves with striking vein patterns, some varieties with deep green and silver contrast, others nearly black. Prefer bright indirect light and consistently moist but well-draining soil. Grow from corms that can be separated and propagated. More demanding than pothos but deeply rewarding once you understand their needs.
🪴 Indoor Plant Pots, Vases & Display: How to Show Off 60+ Houseplants Without Spending a Fortune
When you have 60+ plants you learn very quickly that how you display them matters as much as how you care for them. We have plants hanging off the wall, trailing off sofa tables, growing in thrifted glass vases, and cascading from a wooden dowel rod ...
We thrift oversized clear glass vases specifically for our smaller plants and it is one of the best things we do for plant health. Being able to see exactly what the roots are doing. Whether they are healthy, whether they are starting to circle the b...
Clear Glass Vases for Indoor Plants. Oversized clear glass vases, typically found at thrift stores, TJ Maxx, HomeGoods, and similar retailers, are used as statement plant vessels that allow full visibility of root systems. Monitoring root health and watching for root-bound plants is significantly easier in clear glass than in opaque pots. Large vases provide room for plants to establish and grow before needing to be repotted. Pair with hydroponic clay pebbles for semi-hydro growing or use with standard potting mix.
This is the single best thing we have ever done for our plant display and it cost almost nothing. We took pre-sanded wooden dowel rods from Home Depot, left them completely natural, no paint, no sealer, and suspended them in front of our largest wind...
Wooden Dowel Rod Window Plant Display: Pre-sanded natural wooden dowel rod available at Home Depot. Suspended horizontally in front of large windows using closet shelf bracket hooks. Creates a dedicated hanging display zone for trailing plants like pothos and hoyas to receive morning sun while keeping them off surfaces and furniture. Left natural and unsealed for a warm organic look. A low-cost DIY alternative to expensive plant shelving or display systems.
This is the hardware hack that makes the whole window display rod possible. These are standard closet brackets, the kind meant for a shelf with a hanging rod underneath, and we flipped the concept entirely to create wall-mounted supports for our plan...
Closet Rod Bracket Hooks Standard closet shelf and rod bracket hooks, the wall-mounted hardware is designed to support a flat shelf board with a curved half-scoop bracket that cradles a closet rod. Repurposed as wall-mounted supports for a horizontal wooden dowel plant display rod in front of windows. Installs with standard wall screws. Available at Home Depot, Lowe's, and Walmart in multiple finishes, including white, black, and chrome.
This shop really said "we make art for plant people with a sense of humor" and then delivered on it completely. Mr. Morningwood and the middle finger hanger are the two pieces in our collection that make absolutely every single person who visits our ...
Handmade wooden plant hanger shaped like.. well, Mr. Morningwood. Fits 3" and some 4" pots. Measures 22" tall and 13" at its widest with a 16" hanging cord. Comes with glistening crystals included. Available in multiple stain finishes, including cherry. Minor assembly required, predrilled holes and screw provided. Burned style available for an upcharge. Handcrafted by the same small independent shop in Vancouver, WA, behind the middle finger hanger. Available on Etsy.
I have 60 plants in my house and this is absolutely going in my collection because it perfectly captures the energy of someone who has killed their share of orchids and succulents and kept going anyway. It's funny, it's handmade, it's a conversation ...
Handmade wooden plant hanger shaped like a middle finger, because sometimes your plant collection deserves a little attitude. Fits a standard 6" pot. Measures 17" wide and 21" tall with a 14" hanging cord. Available in multiple stain finishes including espresso. Handcrafted by a small shop in Vancouver, WA with minor assembly required, predrilled hole and screw included. Supports a small independent maker. Available on Etsy.
The fact that this works both as a wall-mounted shelf AND a freestanding tabletop display is what makes it so versatile, you can move it around as your plant collection and your space evolve. We love having these on the wall as a little display nook ...
Handmade wooden wall shelf shaped like a monstera leaf, 16½" tall, 12½" wide, with a 4½" deep base shelf that holds 4" pots and small trinkets. Can be wall-mounted as a floating shelf or used freestanding on a tabletop — two completely different display options in one piece. Available in multiple stain finishes, including dark espresso, red chestnut, and an upcharge burned style. Each piece is handmade to order by a small independent shop in Vancouver, WA. Minor assembly required, predrilled holes and screws included. Available on Etsy.
This is the statement piece from this shop that stops everyone in their tracks. Four monstera leaf shelves stacked into a 36" tall floor stand, it is functional plant display and genuine art at the same time. The rotating shelves mean you can angle e...
Handmade four-tiered wooden plant stand with each shelf shaped like a monstera leaf, because if you love monsteras enough to grow them, you might as well display your other plants on them too. Stands 36" tall and 18" deep. The four shelves graduate in size from the 14"x11" base leaf up to the 9"x7" top leaf, creating a cascading tiered display. Each monstera leaf shelf is mounted with a single screw, allowing you to rotate each shelf left or right to position it however you like. Available in multiple stain finishes. Minor assembly required, predrilled holes and screws included. Handcrafted by a small independent shop in Vancouver, WA. Available on Etsy.
This is the hanger that made me fall in love with this shop. It is charming, it is handmade, it is the kind of thing you cannot find at any big box store, and the craftsmanship is genuinely beautiful. The bird design is perfect for trailing plants wh...
Handmade wooden plant hanger shaped like a bird, because in true Pacific Northwest style, they put a bird on it. Fits a standard 4" pot. The bird measures 13" wide and 8½" tall with a 12" hanging cord. Available in multiple stain finishes including dark espresso, red chestnut, and an upcharge burned style. Made to order by a small independent shop in Vancouver, WA. Minor assembly required.
The floral engraving on this one is incredibly delicate and detailed, it looks like something you would find in a boutique for three times the price. Same four height options as the rest of this shop's stands so you can mix and match heights across y...
Handmade and laser-engraved wooden plant stand top featuring a detailed floral design, available in four height options from a 6" shorty to a 34" large floor stand. The engraved top measures 11" wide. Available in multiple stain finishes, including red chestnut, golden oak, and natural — lighter stains recommended to best showcase the engraving detail. Functions as a plant stand, crystal display, or accent side table. Handcrafted by a small independent shop in Vancouver, WA. Minor assembly required — predrilled holes and screws included. Available on Etsy.
This is from the same small shop in Vancouver, WA that makes the middle finger hanger and every single piece they make is just as thoughtful and beautifully crafted. The moon shape is perfect for a witchy or boho plant display and because every hange...
Handmade wooden plant hanger shaped like a crescent moon — 21½" tall, 16" wide, with a 13" hanging cord. Fits 4" and 6" pots. Each piece is made to order from real wood, meaning the grain pattern is unique to every single hanger. Available in multiple stain finishes, including dark espresso, red chestnut, and a burned style option. Minor assembly required, predrilled hole and screw included. Handcrafted by a small independent shop in Vancouver, WA. Available on Etsy.
Note: Macramé hangers are what give our window rod display that layered, full look. Some plants sit on the rod itself and others hang at different heights from it. The varying levels create so much visual interest and every plant gets the light it ne...
Macramé Plant Hangers Handmade or machine-made macramé plant hangers in natural cotton or jute rope, designed to suspend potted plants from ceiling hooks, wall hooks, or wooden display rods. Available in single and multi-tiered designs for different pot sizes. Adds texture and warmth to plant displays while keeping plants elevated for better light access and air circulation.
💡 Indoor Plant Light & Grow Light Setup — Window Placement, Grow Lights & Getting the Most from Natural Light
Light is the single most important factor in keeping indoor tropical plants alive and thriving. Most homes do not have enough of it on their own. We maximize every natural light source we have with strategic placement, and supplement with grow lights...
We use the same grow light for both our seed starting setup in January and our indoor plant propagation station year-round. The panel style gives even coverage across a full propagation tray, which is critical when you have multiple cuttings at diffe...
VIVOSUN Full-Spectrum LED Panel Grow Light. Full-spectrum LED panel grow light from VIVOSUN delivers blue and red spectrum wavelengths that cover all stages of plant growth from seedling to established plant. Even light distribution across the full panel coverage area prevents leggy, uneven growth. Energy efficient, low heat output, adjustable hanging height. Used for seed starting, propagation setups, and supplementing natural light for plants in lower-light areas of the home.
We use this heat mat under our Alocasia corm propagation setup, Fluval Stratum in a clear dish under a humidity dome, and the difference in rooting speed with the mat versus without is significant. Warmth is what triggers root development in tropical...
VIVOSUN Seedling Heat Mat 10x20 Standard 10x20 seedling heat mat from VIVOSUN. Raises the temperature of the growing medium 10-20°F above ambient room temperature to accelerate root development in cuttings and seedlings. Used under propagation trays and clear domes to create a warm, humid microclimate that dramatically speeds up rooting time. Waterproof, MET safety certified, compatible with standard 10x20 trays. Available on Amazon.
🌱 Plant Propagation Station — Water Propagation, Semi-Hydro & Advanced Alocasia Corm Techniques
We propagate everything, pothos in water, monstera cuttings with a bubbler, alocasia from corms in aquarium substrate, and semi-hydro transitions using clay pebbles. Each plant type has its own propagation method and the right technique makes the dif...
We use clear glass jars for all our water propagation and the visibility is the whole point. For pothos we put the cutting directly in water for about six weeks with weekly water changes and you can watch the roots develop in real time. For monstera ...
Clear Glass Jars for Water Propagation: Clear glass jars in various sizes mason jars, thrifted glass vessels, or purpose-built propagation stations — used for water propagation of pothos, monstera, and other tropical cuttings. Clear glass allows full visibility of root development so you can monitor root health, length, and density before transplanting to soil. Change water weekly to prevent bacterial buildup. Available at thrift stores, Target, Walmart, and HomeGoods.
This is the propagation technique that changed everything for our monstera cuttings. Standard water propagation submerges the node and can cause rot before roots develop. Instead we position the cutting so the node barely touches the water surface an...
Small aquarium air pump with airline tubing and an airstone bubbler, standard aquarium equipment repurposed as a propagation tool for monstera cuttings. The bubbler creates gentle water movement and light surface splashing that keeps the node of a monstera cutting moist without submerging it, which is the key to successful node propagation. Available at Petco, PetSmart, Walmart, and Amazon in single-outlet models designed for small tanks.
The air pump does not come with tubing so this is the piece that connects everything together, pump on one end, airstone on the other. 8 feet is more than enough length to position your pump away from the propagation vessel and route the line neatly....
Standard clear PVC airline tubing, 8 feet long, soft, kink-resistant, and easily cut to any length needed for your propagation setup. Connects your aquarium air pump directly to the airstone to deliver a consistent flow of air through the water. Standard size fits all Imagitarium air pumps and airstones with a snug, secure connection. Clear so you can visually confirm airflow is moving through the line. Available at Petco.
This is the specific airstone we use for our monstera node propagation technique and the 1.5" round size is exactly right for a standard glass propagation jar, small enough to sit at the bottom without taking up the whole vessel, powerful enough to c...
Small 1.5" round porous mineral airstone that connects to standard airline tubing and produces a consistent stream of fine bubbles when connected to an aquarium air pump. Designed for freshwater aquariums but repurposed as a propagation tool — positioned at the base of a clear glass propagation vessel to create gentle water movement and surface splashing that keeps a monstera node moist without submerging it. Available at Petco.
Using aquarium substrate for Alocasia corm propagation sounds unconventional until you see the results. We peel the corms and nestle them into Fluval Stratum in a clear shallow dish, cover with a humidity dome, place on a heat mat under grow lights, ...
Mineral-rich volcanic soil substrate collected from the foothills of Mount Aso Volcano in Japan, originally designed for planted freshwater aquariums but exceptionally effective as a propagation medium for Alocasia corms and other tropical plant starts. Light, porous, non-compacting structure allows developing roots to penetrate easily while retaining moisture and providing nutrients. Supports a neutral to slightly acidic pH ideal for tropical plants.
After our monstera cuttings develop strong roots in water propagation we move them into clear vases filled with these clay pebbles before transitioning to soil. The pebbles wick water up to the roots while keeping them aerated it is a semi-hydro inte...
Kiln-fired expanded clay pebbles, 8mm round, pH neutral, pre-washed, and reusable indefinitely. Used as a semi-hydroponic growing medium for transitioning rooted monstera cuttings from water propagation to a more established growing environment. Clay pebbles absorb water and wick moisture upward to roots while keeping roots out of standing water, promoting healthy root development and preventing rot.
We use this tray and dome setup specifically for our Alocasia corm propagation, Fluval Stratum in the tray, corms nestled in, dome on top, heat mat underneath, grow lights above. The combination of those four elements creates the warm humid environme...
Standard 10x20 propagation tray with an extra-tall clear humidity dome, creates a sealed mini greenhouse environment that traps heat and moisture for propagating cuttings and germinating seeds. The tall dome provides vertical room for developing cuttings and corms without removing the lid prematurely. Crystal-clear dome allows monitoring without disturbing the propagation environment. Pairs perfectly with heat mats and grow lights.
🧪 Plant Food, Fertilizer & Keeping Plant Care Simple — Less Is More for Healthy Indoor Houseplants
We used to be the plant parents who customized everything, specific soil blends per variety, separate fertilizers for aroids, for hoyas, for trailing plants. It was a lot and eventually it stopped being fun. We simplified down to one fertilizer for a...
We went through a phase of having a different fertilizer for every single plant variety in our collection and it was genuinely exhausting. Custom aroid blends, hoya-specific formulas, separate products for propagation, at some point I realized I was ...
Miracle-Gro Water Soluble All Purpose Plant Food in the iconic blue box — 24-8-16 NPK formula that feeds plants instantly when mixed with water. Safe for all indoor and outdoor plants, including tropical houseplants, pothos, monstera, alocasia, hoyas, flowers, and vegetables. Non-burning formula when used as directed. Mix ½ tsp per gallon for indoor plants and apply every two weeks during the growing season.
Note: Even as a low-maintenance plant parent who waters when plants look thirsty, a moisture meter is a genuinely useful tool for plants in deeper pots where you cannot feel the soil at root level. Root rot from chronic overwatering is the number one...
3-in-1 Soil Moisture Meter: light, and pH meter for indoor and outdoor plants, no batteries required. The moisture probe reads soil moisture levels on a 1-10 scale so you can water based on actual soil conditions rather than guessing or following a rigid schedule. Particularly useful for plants that are sensitive to overwatering or underwatering. Prevents root rot and drought stress.
When you have 60 plants in your house, one pest problem can become a whole-house problem very quickly. Fungus gnats especially are the bane of indoor plant collections and they spread fast. These granules go in the soil and handle pests systemically ...
Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control Granules: Granular systemic insecticide specifically formulated for indoor houseplants. Sprinkle granules on the soil surface and water in. The active ingredient is absorbed through the roots and distributed throughout the plant, protecting against fungus gnats, aphids, mealybugs, whiteflies, and scale insects from the inside out. Provides up to 8 weeks of protection per application. Safe for use around people and pets when used as directed.
This is the one soil amendment we kept from our custom blending days because it genuinely makes a difference without adding any complexity. A handful of worm castings mixed into the potting soil at repotting time gives the plant a nutrient boost that...
Earthworm Castings: Pure earthworm castings, one of the most nutrient-dense and gentle natural soil amendments available for container plants. Mixed into potting soil at repotting to improve soil structure, add beneficial microorganisms, and provide slow-release organic nutrition. Odorless, safe for indoor use, and will not burn roots even in high concentrations. Improves moisture retention and drainage simultaneously.
We used to customize our own soil blends for every single plant variety and it was honestly exhausting. Perlite ratios, orchid bark percentages, worm castings measurements — it got to the point where the hobby stopped being enjoyable and became a par...
Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix – Houseplant Soil for Tropical Indoor Plants: Miracle-Gro Indoor Potting Mix is specifically formulated for container houseplants with a blend that feeds plants for up to 6 months, resists soil gnats, and is less prone to compaction than standard outdoor potting mixes. Works well for pothos, monstera, hoyas, and most tropical houseplants. Available at Home Depot, Lowe's, Walmart, and Target in multiple sizes.