Hardy Houseplant exists for one kind of reader: the person who has already killed a plant and is not sure it was entirely their fault.
Most houseplant content on the internet was written for people who already succeed with plants. It assumes you know what “bright indirect light” means, that you will remember to check humidity, and that your apartment has the climate of a Victorian greenhouse. Ours assumes none of that.
What we cover
Only plants that tolerate imperfect owners. Snake plants, pothos, ZZ plants, peace lilies, cast iron plants, aloes, philodendrons, and the other species that have earned reputations as “unkillable.” No orchids, no maidenhair ferns, no fiddle leaf figs. If a plant needs you to get everything right, it does not belong here.
How we write
Every care guide is specific. “Water every 10 to 14 days in summer, every three to four weeks in winter” beats “water occasionally.” Every troubleshooting article lists causes in order of likelihood, not alphabetically. Every product recommendation is something we would use ourselves.
Who writes this
Ivy Caldwell is a self-taught houseplant writer who has killed more plants than she would like to admit. After losing her fourth fiddle leaf fig, she stopped apologizing to the plants at the garden center and started asking a different question: which ones actually forgive neglect? Hardy Houseplant is her answer, a field guide for fellow black thumbs who would rather have living décor than another crunchy corpse on the windowsill. She lives in a plant-crammed apartment in Portland, Oregon, where a single snake plant has outlasted three roommates and two breakups.
Contact
Questions, corrections, or plant emergencies: [email protected]. See also our contact page.