Photo: Bozhena Melnyk (Shutterstock)
Most houseplants need to be potted in a container with some type of drainage. If water doesn’t have a way of exiting the pot, it will settle at the bottom, causing the roots to rot, and eventually killing the plant.
But what if you’re looking for something that’s so easy to care for that drainage isn’t an issue? In that case, you’re in luck, because there are some indoor plants that don’t require pots with drainage. Here are a few examples.
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema Maria)
This houseplant grows best is moist soil, so a lack of drainage isn’t an issue. Of course, the idea isn’t for the soil of a Chinese evergreen to be soggy or waterlogged, but rather, to ensure that it doesn’t dry out: Something that may be easier to control in a pot without holes on the bottom. One potential downside is that Chinese evergreen is toxic to dogs and cats, so pet owners may want to consider getting a different plant.
Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider plants are popular with beginners for many reasons—one of which is that it doesn’t need to be in a pot with drainage holes. In fact, as you may recall from elementary school science class experiments, it’s possible to start growing a clipping from a spider plant in a bowl of water.
Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides)
Given its ability to grow hanging from trees, it should come as no surprise that Spanish moss is a pretty hardy plant. And if you’d like to grow some as a houseplant, you don’t need to worry about finding a pot with drainage—or any soil, for that matter. Spanish moss gets its water and nutrients from the atmosphere, so instead of dealing with dirt and drainage, you’ll be spritzing it with water and liquid fertilizer.
