10 Common Houseplants That Are Difficult To Take Care Of

I interviewed gardening expert Melinda Myers, author and host of The Great Courses How to Grow Anything series, and the first thing she told me was that perhaps the plant just wasn’t my perfect match. “Trust me, there’s somebody out there killing the same thing as you,” she laughed. “There are the over-waterers, who kill a plant with kindness, or the ones who can never remember. The difficulty is matching the plant to the person who will take care of it.” Myers emphasizes that houseplants can be difficult to take care of because the environment isn’t right, particularly the amount of light and humidity in the area where you place it. And when we head into the colder months—and want to bring a little greenery indoors—dry heated air and low winter light can be tough on houseplants. In brief: It’s not exactly your fault if those houseplants die! That said, a few houseplants are surprisingly temperamental, despite how frequently they pop up at the grocery store or on social media. Here are 10 common ones that are difficult to take care of. RELATED: 6 Plants That Can Clean the Air in Your Home