We’ve all been there – those high-maintenance plants that seemed like a good idea at the nursery, only to become little houseplant heartbreakers. From divas that can’t be pleased to ugly duckling rejects, some plants just don’t live up to the hype. Fellow amateur gardeners share their honest rants on 10 high-maintenance beauties they regretted bringing home. Maybe it’ll save you from the same buyer’s remorse and plant parent struggles. Or maybe you’ll just find comradery in these tales of our biggest plant fails. Either way, get ready to commiserate over the houseplant purchases we love to hate.
In this article
- 1 The Famously Finicky Calatheas
- 2 The Rosemary Struggle
- 3 Finicky Orchids
- 4 Jade Plant Struggles
- 5 Croton Creepiness
- 6 Philodendron Frustrations
- 7 Humidity Heartbreakers
- 8 Money Tree Mayhem
- 9 The Fiddle Leaf Fig Fiasco
- 10 Nerve Plant Negativity
- 11 Plant Buyer’s Remorse
- 12 The Air Plant Struggle
- 13 The Unseen Nemeses
The Famously Finicky Calatheas
“Calatheas – they break my heart, every damn time. Calatheas. WHY are they such pest magnets?!? I will never buy another one lol”
One commenter shares the struggle: “I have that same type of calathea and it annoys the heck out of me. Every time I think I’m ready to throw it away, it decides to make a comeback but then a week later it looks like crap again. Definitely never getting one of these again!”
Calatheas are the plant world’s premier divas – gorgeous to look at but demanding as all get-out. But keeping these high-maintenance beauties happy is an ongoing challenge that can leave even experienced plant parents feeling defeated.
Let their preferred conditions slip even a little, and they’ll punishment you by dramatically crispy up, dropping leaves, or just looking generally displeased. You can practically hear them screaming “How dare you neglect me?!”
Then just when you’re about to throw in the towel, the little drama queens will put out new growth, unfurling a beautiful fresh set of leaves as if to say “You’re welcome.” It’s a cruel tease that keeps so many of us coming back for more punishment.
The Rosemary Struggle
“Rosemary. I love fresh rosemary, especially on pizza. I have killed at least a dozen live rosemary plants. I don’t know what the magic is, but I don’t have it.”
There’s nothing quite like the aroma of fresh rosemary. But keeping these Mediterranean herbs alive can be an uphill battle, leading one person to lament over their many rosemary losses.
Finicky Orchids
“Orchids – they look so beautiful at the garden center but I know the moment I bring them home, I get stressed having them around. Just can’t keep them alive”
Orchids are epically beautiful, but notoriously difficult to keep rebloom after their initial splendor. Their high-maintenance needs make them stressful for many plant parents.
Jade Plant Struggles
“JADE. I cannot grow an effing jade for some reason. It doesn’t matter how much I care for them they hate me. I have seen people just ignore that plant because it ‘thrives’ on its own……NOT FOR ME!!!!!”
The succulent jade plant has a reputation for being virtually indestructible. But for some unlucky plant parents, they just won’t cooperate no matter what! The frustration builds as you see others’ jades thriving on neglect.
Croton Creepiness
“Crotons. Idk why but they kinda creep me out. CROTONS. Or as I prefer to call them, croutons because they’re perpetually dried out and sad.”
With their bright, streaming foliage patterns, crotons make for unique houseplants. But their tendency to look parched and miserable has earned them the unfortunate “crouton” nickname from some disgruntled owners.
Philodendron Frustrations
“Philodendrons. I think some of them are absolutely gorgeous but we have a love/hate relationship…Oxalis tend to upset me as well because they keep going through periods of looking really good and then absolutely awful.”
The lush, leafy philodendron seems to inspire both adoration and exasperation. These fickle plants can go from luscious to pathetic in no time. Similar frustrations were voiced about the oxalis plant’s dramatic shifts.
Humidity Heartbreakers
“Alocasias and Persian Shields just break my heart. I want them but Alocasias just hate my house (can’t have higher humidity due to taxidermy) and Shields are so dramatic and thirsty.”
With their dramatically patterned, elephant ear-shaped leaves, alocasias are true showstoppers – but only if you can meet their diva-like demands for humidity, moisture, and warmth.
Money Tree Mayhem
“My money tree is dropping leaves like crazy and I can’t figure out what’s happening. 😭 The drop if you under water, they drop if you over water, they drop if you look at them cross eyed. They don’t like to be moved either.”
The money tree plant is supposed to bring luck and prosperity. But when they start shedding like crazy, you can’t help but wonder if you’ve been cursed! These fickle trees seem to drop leaves over every little change.
The Fiddle Leaf Fig Fiasco
“Fiddle. Leaf. Fig. It looks like someone crafted it out of random sticks and single leaves of cabbage. The hype around it makes me even more mad.”
Fiddle leaf figs are the trendiest houseplant, but their weird, branching look isn’t for everyone. When you struggle to keep them alive on top of that, it’s no wonder they inspire such rants!
Nerve Plant Negativity
“Fittonias (nerve plants). Specifically the white vein and red vein varieties. I have no particular reason for hating them. I just think they look stupid.”
Sometimes you just can’t rationalize your disdain for a particular plant! Nerve plants may be unique, but their bizarre looks clearly rub some plant parents the wrong way.
Plant Buyer’s Remorse
We’ve all been there – you see a beautiful plant at the nursery and just have to take it home. But once you get it into your space, the regret quickly sets in. Let’s commiserate over some classic cases of plant buyer’s remorse:
“String of pearls I genuinely think they’re so ugly. They don’t piss me off but make me vaguely uncomfortable.”
“Spider plants. Not because they can’t thrive. It’s because they can thrive TOO MUCH. Babies everywhere and sporadically placed so it makes the plant ugly.”
The Air Plant Struggle
Sometimes you know a plant will be difficult but take it on as a challenge…and then intensely regret that decision. Let’s dive into some notoriously fickle, high-maintenance heartbreakers:
“Air plants. I’ve killed three and I’m still salty. They had the audacity to die after I followed the care guide!”
The Unseen Nemeses
Of course, sometimes the things making our plants miserable are tiny, invisible invaders. Pests like fungus gnats, spider mites and mealybugs can make even easy-going plants shed leaves and fail to thrive. Some gardeners share their horror stories:
“Ferns, particularly lasagna ferns. That nasty thing gave me fungus gnats I haven’t fully fixed yet.”
Those microscopic buggers have the power to make veteran plant parents consider quitting this crazy hobby!
It just goes to show that for every plant that becomes our beloved, easy-going houseguest, there always seems to be that diva, that just won’t cooperate no matter what we do – but that’s all part of the hobby we love/hate.
RELATED: 10 Durable Indoor Plants That Can Survive Some Neglect
