I did a poll on my plant Instagram asking my planty friends which plants they bought and almost immediately killed at the start of their plant collecting journeys. The answers were pretty consistent so I thought I’d share the top 5 offenders here.
The plants listed below are ones that I would advise new plant parents to maybe steer clear from until they’ve had a bit more practice (or, unpopular opinion, do get one that’s on the cheaper side but use it as a practice plant so you can get a better understanding of the care of fussier plants while watching it slowly die. It’s helpful to watch these things happen even if you do lose a few plants in the process)
Calathea/Goeppertia
Image from here
Firstly, to clear it up, I haven’t put two plants in this first spot. A few years ago a lot of Calathea were actually reclassified and renamed as Goeppertia but are still being sold as Calathea. So for ease of speaking, I’ll refer to them as Calathea as that’s probably what they’ll be labelled as when you go shopping but keep your eyes peeled for the phrase Goeppertia as it’s a red flag name too!
I’m going to be a bit harsh here on the genus but I would generally advise people to stay away from Calathea if you’ve only recently gotten into plants.
There are a few people who have the magic touch with them but on the whole, you will see them spiral downhill into crispy sad messes really quickly. Some are easier than others but generally, they’re tricky to provide the perfect care for.
Reasons I think they’re not a good starter plant:
- They are fussy. Like, really fussy. The number one factor for Calathea happiness is humidity. They like it humid. When in doubt keep it near a humidifier (but make sure there’s airflow otherwise you’re tempting a fungal infection) or in a bathroom.
- Spider mites. Of all the pests to get spider mites are, in my humble opinion, the worst. Unfortunately, they love a Calathea. They’re drawn to them like a moth to a flame. (A high humidity level can help a bit with this but I’ve found that no matter how humid the area mine will get spider mites at least once a year. The only Calathea I allow in the house lives alone because of this so I can just cut all the leaves off and not risk those little pests transferring to my other plants).
- Water. Yes, water. All plant care things you read will tell you to use distilled water with your Calathea. They’re sensitive little guys and aren’t the happiest with the additives to tap water. It makes their leaves brown. What I will say is I do just use tap water for mine (what a rebel) but we have pretty good water here. You can also just use water that’s been left out overnight so some of the chemicals in there evaporate off (yay a use for that leftover glass of water you forgot about) or even better would be rainwater.
Alocasia
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Again, going in hard with the generalisation here but Alocasia as a genus I would also maybe steer clear of until you’re a little further into your journey. Case and point would be the infamous Dragonscales that took us by storm (thanks Woolworths). I’ve seen so many people post pictures on the local plant groups asking what they’re doing wrong as their Dragonscales are slowly perishing.
Reasons I think they’re not a good starter plant:
- They like humidity but not too much. You’ll notice a trend here with Alocasia. They’re the Golidlocks of plants. Very much a ‘they’ll thrive if everything is juuuust right’ kind of plant. From personal experience I’ve found that too much humidity around an Alocasia can cause the tips of the leaves to go all soggy and sad which isn’t ideal!
- They don’t lie cold drafts. Plants in general aren’t the biggest fans of drafts so this is a good rule of thumb to live by in general but Alocasia seem particularly dramatic when it comes to a bit of a cold wind.
- They like it pretty warm. Temperature wise they’ll be much happier if the space they’re in is warmer rather than cooler. This also leads into my next point which is…
- They go dormant. Yep. If they get too cold they’ll go dormant. This is basically where the leaves will all die off and you’ll be left with the little korm in the soil. This can be stored and replanted in spring like with bulbs for the garden but a lot of people will think they’re just murdered their plant. If your light and temperature is kept high enough over the winter months your Alocasia might not do this but it is a bit panic induicing to see it happen if you’re not expecting it
- Watering-they don’t like too much or too little. Again, goldilocks. They don’t like to sit in soggy soil but also hate drying out too much.
Strings of everything
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This one again is a fairly general title but ‘strings of things’ were mentioned many times on the poll. The number one offender on the list was the “String of Pearls”. The happy little hanging ribbons of peas seem to get the best of most of us.
Reasons I think they’re not a good starter plant:
- They’re sensitive to overwatering. They really hate soggy soil. Like, really hate it. Overwatering seems to be the number one killer for these plants. A big water with water streaming out the bottom of the pot less often will suit them more than little regular waterings.
- Soil! They need to be in a well draining soil. This kind of links to the point above but because of where they’re native to they do much better in a soil with lots of perlite/sand. This helps prevent root rot.
- They like it sunny but not too sunny. Bright light is the key for string of pearls. They don’t do well in low light areas at all. The brighter the light the better, but no direct sun as they’ll burn.
- They’re far better suited to being outside than inside (in kind of a shady spot as direct light is too much!). Ideally a covered patio or under a tree would be the best space for a string of pearls. Giving them the light they need in a house is quite tricky!
Fiddle leaf fig
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I am a huge advocate for Ficus. I think they’re really underrated and really beautiful! However, Ficus lyrata-aka fiddle leaf fig, is one I would actually not suggest even though it is arguably the most popular. They’re pretty dramatic and unforgiving if we’re being totally honest.
Reasons I think they’re not a good starter plant:
- The great leaf drop-ficus in general do not like being moved. They hate change. It is their nemesis. Once you've found a spot in your house it likes, try to never move it again. The way they show their displeasure is by quite literally throwing a fit and getting rid of their leaves. This leaves you with a very pretty stick in a pot. They’ll grow back eventually, or possibly not, because this is a fiddle leaf we’re talking about and they’d shed their leaves and die to spite you without a second thought.
- Drafts. Again they’re pretty particular with the level of draft they’ll accept. Ironically ficus grow into massive trees outside where, you know, there’s a lot of wind. But in a house a draft makes them really sad and, you guessed it, they’ll drop their leaves.
- They’re fairly fussy when it comes to watering as well, they don’t like to dry out too much but at the same time don’t like to sit in wet soil (you’ll see this is a consistent theme with these tricker plants!). I’ll give you one guess what it will do if you don’t provide it with the amount of water it likes, clue: it involves leaves no longer remaining on the plant.
- Light. They like it bright. Darkness is the downfall of a fiddle leaf fig so when in doubt place it as close to a window as you possibly can.
Begonia rex
Image from here
Rex’s are much better suited to garden life than indoor life. They’re great in a bed under a tree, adding a lovely pop of colour and even flowers. But inside they’re a bit of a pain. I’d almost say their care is similar to a fern but with a need for brighter light. And they’re prone to more issues with their leaves. And get leggy and sad if they don’t get enough light.
Reasons I think they’re not a good starter plant:
- Humidity. They like it relatively humid but absolutely hate getting any kind of water on their leaves. That’s a big no no (the same as for African Violets.) When watering try to miss the leaves if you can. But have it too dry around them and the leaves will start to go all crispy.
- Mildew. Powdery mildew. The kryptonite of a Rex. Mildew is a fungal infection that can pretty readily take over the leaves. The spores are released with changes in humidity levels so consistency and stability in environment is key to try to prevent this. Plus it spreads easily and can take over a plant in no time.
- Overwatering will kill them pretty fast. It’s come up again but wet soil will be the downfall of a begonia pretty quickly. When in doubt a well draining soil should help.
- They like bright light. But not too bright. Or direct. So you know, not much then.
Honourable mention goes to the Maidenhair Fern. I won’t elaborate more but RIP to all the ferns out there (she says as she heads off to buy another one)
So you’ll see these are all on the list because they’re fairly particular about what they like. A lot of plants are pretty forgiving in terms of care-you’re flexible on your light, humidity and watering but these ones will react strongly to any of those factors not being to their liking. You’ll crack the care but it may take a bit of practice and a few sacrifical plants!
