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13 Worst Houseplants I Ever Bought – Total Disasters - They’ll Die on You Every Time!
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Jun 2, 2025
📉 13 Worst Houseplants I Ever Bought – Total Disasters | They’ll Die on You Every Time! Not all houseplants are created equal—and today, I’m sharing the 13 worst houseplants I’ve ever brought home. From dramatic divas to constant droopers, these plants were total heartbreakers. 😩 Whether you’re a beginner plant parent or a seasoned indoor gardener, you’ll want to avoid these high-maintenance nightmares. I’ve battled crispy leaves, mysterious wilting, pest infestations, and more—and I’m spilling the tea so you don’t waste your money or your sanity. 💸🪴 ⚠️ If you’ve ever struggled with a Fiddle Leaf Fig, Calathea, or String of Pearls, you’re not alone. Watch until the end to see which plant made it to the top of my “never again” list! 👉 Drop a comment with the plant that broke your heart and don’t forget to like & subscribe for more honest plant advice. Calathea – The humidity-obsessed drama queen Boston Fern – Constant shedding and moisture demands Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa) – Gorgeous but a total diva Maidenhair Fern – The fragile heartbreak fern Fittonia (Nerve Plant) – Faints for attention
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in this video I'm spilling the dirt on
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the plants I deeply regret buying so you
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don't have to learn the hard way whether
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you're a beginner or a seasoned plant
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parent trust me these are the ones to
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avoid i'm not new to plants i've owned
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over a 100 different house plants some
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became my leafy soulmates but these 13
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these were the plant equivalents of
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toxic relationships high drama low
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reward and impossible to keep alive so
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let's dig in one cala is notoriously
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difficult to keep alive because it has
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extremely specific care requirements
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that are hard to maintain indoors native
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to the humid tropics this plant demands
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consistently high humidity often over
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60% which is tough to achieve without a
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humidifier it's also highly sensitive to
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water quality tap water with chlorine
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fluoride or hard minerals can cause its
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striking leaves to brown or curl
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on top of that it needs indirect light
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that's bright but not harsh evenly moist
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but never soggy soil and zero tolerance
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for cold drafts or dry air miss just one
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of these conditions and your calaththea
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will start throwing a tantrum leaf
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curling browning edges or sudden
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drooping in short it's a beautiful plant
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with diva level demands two Boston fern
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is a challenging house plant because
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it's incredibly sensitive to changes in
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temperature humidity and watering it
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thrives in consistently cool humid
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environments conditions that are hard to
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maintain in most modern homes especially
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during winter when indoor air becomes
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dry if the humidity drops too low its
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lush fronds turn brown and crispy almost
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overnight it also needs frequent
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watering but not too much its roots are
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prone to rot if left sitting in soggy
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soil and to make things worse it sheds
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constantly leaving a trail of dried
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leaves that make a mess without
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nearperfect conditions a Boston fern
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quickly goes from full and feathery to
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sad and straggly three the zebra plant
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aphalandra scorosa is a stunning but
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notoriously finicky house plant that can
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frustrate even experienced plant parents
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it demands bright indirect light to
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maintain its vibrant striped leaves and
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encourage flowering but too much direct
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sun can scorch its foliage it also
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requires consistently moist soil dry it
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out even a little and the leaves wilt
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dramatically however overwatering leads
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to root rot making the balance tricky on
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top of that it thrives in high humidity
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and without it the plant's glossy leaves
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start to curl or develop brown edges
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throw in its sensitivity to temperature
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changes and drafts and you've got a
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plant that looks gorgeous but acts like
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a highmaintenance diva four maiden hair
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fern is one of the most delicate and
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demanding house plants you can own its
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fine lace-like fronds are undeniably
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beautiful but they're also incredibly
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fragile and quick to react to any
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environmental change this plant despises
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dry air and needs consistently high
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humidity anything below 50% and it
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starts to crisp up almost instantly it
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also requires evenly moist soil at all
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times let it dry out even slightly and
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you'll find the entire plant wilting or
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turning brown within hours add in its
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dislike for direct sunlight temperature
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fluctuations and drafts and you've got a
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plant that's as highrung as it is lovely
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without constant attention maiden hair
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fern tends to go from thriving to dying
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in the blink of an eye
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five fetonia commonly known as the nerve
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plant is a small but temperamental house
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plant that can be surprisingly tricky to
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keep alive while its vividly vein leaves
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are eye-catching this plant is notorious
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for its dramatic drooping whenever it's
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even slightly underwatered sometimes
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flopping over completely like it's
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fainting although it often perks back up
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after a drink repeated stress can weaken
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the plant over time fetonia also thrives
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in high humidity and low to medium
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indirect light which makes it a poor
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match for dry indoor environments or
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bright window sills it's also sensitive
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to overwatering leading to root rot if
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the soil stays soggy in short Fetonia
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demands just the right balance of
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moisture humidity and light making it a
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diva disguised in a 4-in pot six croton
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is a vibrant eye-catching house plant
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known for its bold multicolored leaves
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but don't let its beauty fool you it's
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notoriously difficult to keep happy
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indoors croton is extremely sensitive to
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changes in its environment move it to a
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new spot change its watering routine or
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even rotate the pot and it may respond
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by dropping its leaves sometimes all of
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them it craves bright indirect light to
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maintain its color but too much direct
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sun can scorch the leaves it also
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prefers consistently warm temperatures
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and high humidity and will struggle in
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dry air or chilly drafts in short Croin
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is a highmaintenance plant with a flare
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for drama often rewarding even small
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mistakes with a big leafy tantrum seven
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gardinia is a notoriously difficult
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house plant to keep alive despite its
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irresistible fragrance and elegant white
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blooms it has a long list of strict
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requirements it needs bright indirect
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light consistently moist but well-
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draining soil and high humidity
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conditions that are tough to maintain
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indoors gardinia is also incredibly
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sensitive to temperature fluctuations
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and prefers a narrow range of warmth
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ideally between 65 to 70° F during the
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day and slightly cooler at night even
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slight stress from improper watering low
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humidity or a draft can cause its buds
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to drop before they ever bloom to make
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matters worse it's prone to pests like
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aphids and spidermitites while the scent
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of a blooming gardinia is heavenly
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getting it to bloom and stay alive is
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often more stress than it's worth for
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most plant owners eight the fiddle leaf
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fig may be the poster child of trendy
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indoor plants but it's also one of the
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most difficult to keep alive it demands
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a perfect balance of bright indirect
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light too little and it becomes leggy
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too much direct sun and the leaves burn
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it's incredibly sensitive to
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overwatering and root rot yet letting it
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dry out too much can lead to leaf drop
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this plant also hates being moved
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changing its location or even rotating
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the pot can cause it to shed leaves in
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protest it's not a fan of drafts cold
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temperatures or dry air either in
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essence the fiddle leaf fig is a
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beautiful fussy diva that punishes the
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slightest misstep making it a
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challenging plant even for experienced
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growers nine alicasia poly also known as
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the African mask plant is strikingly
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beautiful but notoriously difficult to
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keep healthy indoors it thrives in high
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humidity and warm temperatures
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conditions that are hard to maintain in
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the average home its dramatic foliage is
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highly sensitive to both overwatering
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and underwatering making moisture
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balance a constant challenge on top of
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that it frequently goes dormant in
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cooler months dropping leaves and
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appearing to die off which can alarm
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unsuspecting plant owners alicasia poly
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is also a magnet for pests like
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spidermitites which can quickly damage
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its delicate leaves between its strict
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humidity needs picky watering habits and
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seasonal dormcancy this plant is as high
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maintenance as it is
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exotic 10
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pepparomia watermelon named for its
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striking watermelon-like leaf pattern
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may look easygoing but it can be
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surprisingly difficult to keep healthy
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it's sensitive to both overwatering and
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underwatering too much moisture can
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cause root rot while too little can lead
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to shriveled drooping leaves its thick
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succulent-like foliage gives the
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impression that it's drought tolerant
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but it actually prefers consistently
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moist not soggy soil it's also picky
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about light too little and it becomes
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leggy too much direct sun and the leaves
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scorch add in its dislike for sudden
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temperature changes and its tendency to
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suffer in low humidity and you've got a
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plant that requires more finesse than
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its cheerful appearance suggests 11
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orchid cactus epiilm is a visually
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stunning plant with long trailing stems
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and spectacular blooms but it's far
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trickier to care for than it looks it
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straddles the line between a tropical
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plant and a cactus which confuses many
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plant owners it needs bright indirect
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light and a well- draining soil mix but
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also requires more consistent moisture
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than typical cacti without ever becoming
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water logged getting the watering just
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right can be a real challenge it also
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thrives in high humidity and warm
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temperatures making it less suited for
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dry indoor environments on top of that
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it can be slow to grow and reluctant to
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bloom without nearperfect conditions and
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it's often plagued by pests like meie
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bugs in short the orchid cactus is a
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beauty with a laundry list of needs and
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little tolerance for mistakes 12 string
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of pearls may be a Pinterest favorite
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with its cascading strands of beadlike
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leaves but it's surprisingly difficult
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to keep alive as a succulent it's prone
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to root rot if over watered yet it also
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dehydrates quickly due to its thin stems
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and small roots finding the right
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watering balance is a delicate task too
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much or too little and the pearls
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shrivel or turn mushy it also needs
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bright indirect light to thrive and
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without it the strands become leggy and
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sparse its trailing nature makes it hard
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to water evenly and poor air flow around
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the densely packed pearls can lead to
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fungal issues despite its charming
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appearance string of pearls is a finicky
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plant that often frustrates even
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experienced growers 13 the purple
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passion plant ganura orantiaka is a
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visually striking house plant with
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velvety deep purple foliage but its
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beauty comes with a highmaintenance
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attitude it starts off full and vibrant
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but quickly becomes leggy and sparse if
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it doesn't get enough bright indirect
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light it also needs just the right
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amount of water overwatering can cause
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root rot while underwatering leads to
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wilted lifeless leaves humidity is
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another factor too little and the
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plant's delicate hairs lose their luster
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as it ages the plant naturally declines
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and becomes less attractive often
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requiring frequent pruning or restarting
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from cutings to maintain its appearance
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despite its eye-catching color the
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purple passion plant tends to fade fast
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without careful consistent care and that
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concludes the list these are just my
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personal flops maybe some of these work
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for you and that's great but if you've
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struggled with these two know you're not
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alone drop a comment below if any of
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your worst plant buys made the list or
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tell me which plant drove you up the
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wall don't forget to like subscribe and
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hit that bell so your plant game stays
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strong and I'm sure you're going to
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enjoy this next video on 18 gorgeous
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house plants that thrive without
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sunlight
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