You're Not Really a Plant Parent Unless You Own These 4 Plants

And no, monsteras are not on the list

By
Taylor Fuller
Taylor Fuller sitting holding a large houseplant
Taylor Fuller
Taylor Fuller has been writing about houseplants for The Spruce since winter 2020. She has a collection of over 75 plants in her London flat. She authored the book "The Rainbow Atlas" and her writing has appeared on Bustle and BuzzFeed.
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Updated on 01/12/21
Hanging golden pothos and Scindapsus pictus exotica

taylorathomewithplants and terracottakat / Instagram

Ask any plant parent and they’ll tell you they can’t pick just one favorite plant. Of my 70-plus plant collection, my favorites are my Alocasia Zebrina and my Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma (mini Monstera), but it’s hard to say which is the ultimate favorite. However, over the last year so many people have gotten into plants, so there are definitely a few fan favorites.

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Taylor Fuller's favorite plant, Alocasia Zebrina

taylorathomewithplants / Instagram

To find some answers, I asked my Instagram followers via my plant account and received a lot of repetitive replies, including monstera, pothos, sansevieria (snake plant), and the pilea peperomioides (chinese money plant or pass it on plant). These are some of the most popular plants at the moment, so this is no surprise.

So, I reached out to some plant influencers to find out what collectors like myself truly prize. Here are the four plants you should have in your collection.

  • 01 of 04

    Rhaphidophora tetrasperma

    Rhaphidophora tetrasperma

    thecitywild / Instagram

    Sophie Nadeau, who runs the plant blog, The City Wild, said “Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is the kind of green plant I never ever want to not have in my plant collection.

    Often mistaken for a type of Monstera (after all, its nickname is Monstera minima) this compact plant is characterised by its deep green leaves permeated with holes (i.e. fenestrations). Unlike many popular houseplants, the Rhaphidophora tetrasperma is not fussy when it comes to lighting conditions and will easily grow in the home, even when it finds its permanent place in lower light conditions. Though it grows in shady places, it will indeed grow at a slower rate. Nevertheless, I also adore this plant because of its ease of propagation. You see, you need only trim a small section of the stem with a node attached and to place this cutting in water for a couple of weeks in order to grow an entirely new plant.”

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  • 02 of 04

    Scindapsus pictus exotica

    Scindapsus pictus exotica

    terracottakat / Instagram

    Katherine Nizzi of terracottakat—which features, you guessed it, terracotta pots, lots of plants, and a cute cat—had this to say:

    “Everyone needs an easy going plant, and the scindapsus pictus exotica is just that. It’s lush, vining foliage is icy green with an unmatched silvery shimmer. Huge perk: you don’t have to be a pro to care for it. In fact, this scindapsus actually tells you what it needs. Curled leaves? Time to water. Touch of yellow? You’re probably waiting too long between waterings. It is easy to propagate, giving you more of this plant to share.”

  • 03 of 04

    Anthurium clarinervium

    anthurium clarinervium

    greenhappiness_place / Instagram

    Mirthe Van Linden of greenhappiness_place has a gorgeous plant collection that features a lot of plants with very detailed leaves which is why it was no surprise that her answer was the anthurium clarinervium.

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    “It is a fantastically beautiful plant that you will not get tired of. The veins of the plant are beautiful and the older the plant, the clearer and more beautiful the veins are. In my opinion it’s a super easy plant. Once you understand this plant, it is really simple. And a plus, you don’t have to repot it quickly, because an Anthurium likes to be rootbound.”

  • 04 of 04

    Golden Pothos

    Golden Pothos

    taylorathomewithplants / Instagram

    And finally, mine is pothos. It could be any kind of pothos, but I particularly love the Golden Pothos. I love it so much that I have four in my home right now, and it was one of the first plants I ever got, before I even began collecting. I’ve also given away three or four as presents to friends because this plant is so easy to propagate. I truly believe that any plant that allows you to share your love for plants with others is the one you should have in your collection. Plus, golden pothos are easy to find.

    Remember that it doesn’t matter what plants you deem worthy for your indoor jungle, as long as it’s a space you love, you’re a great plant parent.

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