Get Pricey Houseplants For Free

Live plants are really amazing.  Most houseplants can propagate from a single leaf or shoot, allowing the possibility of growing them for free. Many people are afraid to get living plants because they’re afraid of killing them, but most houseplants are incredibly easy to maintain. While there’s nothing wrong with artificial plants if you are convinced you have a black thumb, having living plants in your home can make it more beautiful and healthy.

If you can afford it, buying a full grown plant from a local garden center will be the fastest way to add some greenery to your home.  But if you’re thrifty and patient, you can get high end house plants for little or no money.

Succulents

Succulents are fantastic houseplants and you can literally grow them from a single leaf.  A single succulent plant will generally cost you around $5 at a garden store or nursery. However, if you have friends who already have succulents, you can see if they’ll give you a leaf or two and you can propagate them yourself.  Simply lay the leaf on some soil (don’t bury it or water it).  After a couple of days, the leaf will start to grow roots and a new baby plant will start to emerge.  All you need to do after that is plant the new baby succulent in the soil and start watering.

Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees

Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees or Ficus trees can be grown from a small cutting of a mature plant.  Fully grown trees can cost you up to $300.  Even the artificial ones are expensive. My friend Des found a dying Fiddle Leaf Fig tree being tossed out on the side of the road.  She rescued it and revived it with a little TLC.  It started growing robustly in no time.  She cut off a small shoot and stuck it in some water until it started growing roots. Then she planted it in some soil and gave it to me.  It is now growing beautifully and requires very little maintenance.

 

 

Snake Plant

Snake plants are seen in high end hotels and restaurants all the time, and you can propagate them from a single leaf.  They can cost you around $30 for a moderate sized plant.  This is not grossly expensive, but if you’re feeling frugal, all you need to do is take some leaf cuttings from a mature plant and stick them into soil.  That’s it.  After a couple of weeks your leaf cuttings will grow roots and you’ve got yourself a free snake plant.

These are only a couple of plants that you can propagate from a leaf or a cutting.  So the next time you’re in the mood for a new houseplant, find a friend who already owns one and see if they’ll share a small leaf with you.  With a little bit of water, dirt and time, you’ll be well on your way to free plant heaven.