6 indoor vegetation that do not want soil and are excellent for a clutter-free, extra minimalist residence
All of us admire the enjoyment that houseplants deliver to an area, however, traditionally, they’ve served greatest in additional maximalist designs. In the event you’re a stickler for minimalism, you is perhaps on the lookout for a extra restrained strategy to incorporating foliage into your interiors. Our suggestion? A spread that survives with out soil.
There are a lot of advantages that come from adorning with vegetation, from injecting coloration into impartial designs and bringing nature into your private home, cleansing the air and even enhancing productiveness. From a purely aesthetic perspective, nonetheless, you additionally wish to be certain your vegetation complement your model. In the event you’re a fan of a extra minimalist look, the very last thing you need is a big houseplant in a cumbersome pot that does not suit your area.
As an alternative, discover a plant that shares your philosophy and does extra with much less. Right here, we listing the six greatest houseplants that survive with out soil and do not require a container for a extra low-key strategy to vegetation, together with some knowledgeable insights.
Lilith makes a speciality of maintaining with information and traits all through the world of inside design. She usually shares easy options to assist us brighten up our properties and her favourite is indoor vegetation. For this piece, she talked to plant consultants to be taught all about houseplants that may survive with out soil for a extra minimalist strategy to adorning.
6 indoor vegetation that do not want soil
Imagine it or not, some indoor vegetation can survive with out soil. In truth, many of those species are decrease upkeep than their extra frequent cousins, making them simpler to look after and tougher to kill. Listed below are our high picks for a minimalist strategy to vegetation.
1. Tillandsia (Airports)
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Tillandsia is extra generally often known as the air plant, and because the identify suggests, it survives solely on vitamins within the air – it does not want water or soil. Which means if you happen to’re not significantly inexperienced, then these spiky pals are for you.
“Air vegetation are epiphytes, that are vegetation that develop on high of different vegetation (normally timber) that coexist in essentially the most harmonious, innocent means,” explains Paris Lalicata, plant knowledgeable at The Sill. (opens in new tab). Based on Mo Bhula, plant knowledgeable at The Botanical Archive (opens in new tab)they are often discovered rising in a wide range of habitats, together with deserts, rainforests, and even on phone wires in city areas, anchoring to vegetation or constructions the place they then develop.
In the case of incorporating them into your minimalist designs, what makes them so good is that they do not want any sort of container. “They are often positioned on a chunk of driftwood, hung from a wire or glass terrarium, or just positioned on an ornamental plate or bowl,” explains Mo. Spanish Moss is one other Tillandsia species that may type a protracted curtain of high-quality filaments that make an attention-grabbing function within the dampest elements of your properties. We have even seen them used as an alternative of bathe curtains in some properties!”
Whereas they do not want watering in your regular sense, they are going to profit from the occasional mist or soaking each week or two, relying on the humidity ranges in your house. “It is vital to keep away from gathering water within the heart of the plant, although, as this will result in rot,” provides Mo. In the event you’re liable to forgetting water schedules, strive placing them in a steam room (they’re the most effective lavatory vegetation).
2. Staghorn Ferns
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One other epiphytic plant is the drop fern. Additionally a kind of air plant, this leafy foliage with its distinctive horn-shaped leaves will connect itself to different vegetation to develop. Caring for them is simply as simple. “They require shiny, oblique mild and must be misted or soaked in water usually to maintain them moist,” says Mo. “They’ll additionally profit from occasional fertilizing with a balanced fertilizer.
As a houseplant, they are often positioned on a chunk of driftwood or different construction. “Staghorn ferns are a preferred alternative for indoor gardening fanatics due to their distinctive and placing look,” provides Mo. “They can be utilized so as to add a contact of pure magnificence to any area and are sometimes included into ornamental shows or held on partitions as dwelling artistic endeavors. They’re an awesome cruelty-free various to stick-on deer skulls that may complement extra fashionable, rustic-themed interiors.”
3. Bromeliads
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Bromeliads are vegetation native to tropical and subtropical America. They’ve quick stems with rosettes of stiff spiny leaves that may be purple, pink or orange in coloration. Whereas some varieties require soil, there are additionally epiphytic varieties that survive with out.
Mo suggests putting them on a chunk of wooden or putting them in a glass jar the place they are often held in place by pebbles. “Or they are often positioned on a chunk of cork bark with sphagnum moss as an alternative of being planted instantly within the floor, as that is how they will develop naturally within the wild,” Paris says. “Bromlias are also referred to as monocarpic species which implies they flower as soon as of their lifetime and die. Nonetheless, earlier than they die they normally save power to create offsets (mini copies of themselves) from the bottom of the plant/soil. These can be utilized for propagation and reattachment.’
Look after epiphytic bromeliads shall be just like the opposite air vegetation on this listing. Give them loads of shiny, oblique mild and in the case of how usually you water your houseplant, be certain to mist or soak them at the very least as soon as a fortnight to maintain them wanting their greatest.
4. Vanda Orchids
(Picture: Ian Drummond)
Probably the greatest trailing indoor vegetation, the vanda orchid is among the most cherished decorative vegetation. They produce gorgeous clusters of blooms in a large number of colours, with lengthy aerial roots that may make an actual assertion in an in any other case minimalist area.
“Vanda orchids are a gaggle of orchids that develop on timber excessive within the cover, however indoors they have an inclination to develop with their roots hanging freely from a hanger,” explains Mo. “The flowers are extremely showy and make an actual assertion and their roots can get fairly lengthy. All you might want to do is spray the roots as soon as every week to permit them to soak up water and allow them to do their work.’
Whereas these orchids might be grown in most elements of your private home, shiny oblique mild is most popular. “You possibly can be happy to position orchids on the cork bark utilizing sphagnum moss and fishing line,” Paris says. “To greatest look after a mounted orchid, it’s best to merely switch it to a sink each 7-10 days to soak the roots/sphagnum moss and permit it to dry earlier than putting it again on the show. They may even take pleasure in greater humidity if potential.
Whereas common orchids are historically offered with their stems, they don’t naturally develop that means within the wild, and their flowering stems really dangle from timber. As Paris notes: “You possibly can design your orchid and mimic it by eradicating the stake and clips from the bloom stem and let your orchid bloom over a shelf or whereas hooked up to bark on a wall.” .
5. Fortunate Bamboo
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“Fortunate bamboo is native to the rainforests of Southeast Asia and is characterised by its lengthy, slender stems and small, shiny inexperienced leaves,” explains Mo. “Apparently this plant isn’t associated to the bamboo plant and is extra carefully associated to the asparagus discovered within the kitchen.”
Probably the greatest Feng Shui vegetation for a house workplace, this one decorative houseplant has luscious inexperienced stems that may be braided or skilled into spiral shapes with tufts of lengthy, skinny leaves on the high. They’re normally grown in water slightly than soil, however can’t survive in air like epiphytes. “You possibly can organize it in any sort of pot that is deep sufficient to sink the roots, including rocks/pebbles of any coloration/form to the pot helps anchor the plant,” Paris explains.
They may thrive greatest in shiny oblique daylight and Paris recommends altering the water each 4-5 weeks (extra usually if you happen to discover algae build-up). “Utilizing bottled water, distilled water or rainwater can be greatest, as bamboo is delicate to the onerous metals in chlorine that may be present in faucet water,” he explains. “The occasions you do a whole water change, it could be greatest so as to add a particular bamboo fertilizer to the water, solely about 5-6 occasions a yr.”
6. Philodendron cordatum
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Final on the listing is philodendron cordatum, a vine native to South America with leafy foliage that likes to climb. “Philodendrons are members of the Aroid household which have ancestors which have tailored to wetter, boggy situations,” Paris notes. “Subsequently, this plant might be propagated in a glass container of water and allowed to dwell that means indefinitely.”
Whereas the plant grows far more slowly if grown in water, when positioned in glass vases with its roots uncovered it may be an awesome addition to a extra minimalist area. “To look after a philodendron in water, present reasonably shiny oblique mild,” Paris says. “When the water stage drops, you’ll be able to high it up with recent water, but when algae begins to develop, you may wish to flush the boat.”
After the primary yr of rooting the plant in water, Paris suggests including compost to the container throughout the spring and summer season to offer it some further vitamins throughout the rising season. “One of the simplest ways to fertilize is to dilute the fertilizer within the field you’ll use to your different vegetation and easily fill the container together with your philodendron with the identical water,” he provides. It’s price noting that its life span shall be shorter than on the bottom.

