Credits: Social Media
Houseplants that survived womans extreme depression as it kills off 500 plants
If you are guilty of killing every single houseplant you touch, then you might consider opting for a species that survived one plant parent’s “extreme depression” that felled hundreds of other plants.
Taking care of a plant might sound like a simple enough task, but anyone with more than an aloe vera will tell you that’s not the case. Though there are incredibly easy alternatives, like herbs, and an array of apps that take the guesswork out, keeping them alive is sometimes easier said than done.
Her ‘extreme depression’ killed hundreds of plants
Anyone who has battled mental health moments will know that sometimes there is no light at the end of the tunnel. No amount of hot baths and long walks do the trick, and your life ultimately suffers.
TikTok’s Nicole Larson (@nicolelarsongrows) learned this firsthand after she battled an extreme depression and neglected her plant parent duties. On the other side, she found that most of her 500 plants her perished.
“I use the term survive loosely because some of them went to Stumpville,” she said, showing an alocasia with just a twiggy stump. “She was my most prized possession and now she looks like this.”
Though stumps are not as pleasing to look at, they should provide new growth if you have a little patience and a lot of love to give.
Moving on, Nicole suggested picking up a hoya if you’re a plant parent who often neglects their babies. Unlike many of her other plants, which were reduced to brown crispiness, Nicole’s hoya was bushy and green.
Another plant, the philodendron polypodioides, took quite the beating but it still clung to life. The same could be said for most philodendrons, which are often hailed as the hardiest of plant species.
Of course, the hardiest of Nicole’s plants were her cacti, which are practically impossible to kill unless you have a pest problem or you overwater.
A quick reference list for the lazy plant parent:
- Many, many varieties of Hoya
- Philodendron varieties
- Peperomia
- Cacti
Plant-killing depressions are all too common
Though Nicole was obviously devastated to lose so many of her plant babies, she had propagations on the go and a renewed passion it seemed. In her comment section, many other plant parents admitted to similar situations.
“THANK YOU FOR THIS! I too went through a deep depression and lost most of my 100-ish plants. The guilt that came after made things worse, but I’m on the other side now and rebuilding my collection,” one person said.
Another wrote: “Your plants much like you needed to start over. Get your roots back so you can fill the room with your shine and beauty.”
“I used to have 150+ plants but then depression hit, and a cancer diagnosis hit after that and Im down to literally 4. My bird of paradise, jungle boogie, whale fin snake, and pothos are whats left,” a third said.
