Water Plants: Everything You Need To Know

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You might not have known it, but plenty of plants can grow in water without the need for potting soil! Not only is that one less thing to purchase, but from an aesthetic standpoint, being able to use other mediums to grow plants opens up a whole way to decorate with plants.  

The Best Water Plants For Indoors

Not every plant is cut out for soil-free growing, but many of our favorite houseplants are perfect for it. Sometimes all you need is a small cutting, and it will eventually develop roots. Creeping houseplants tend to do the best in water environments, but some regular rooted houseplants can handle it too. They do tend to grow a bit slower than plants grown in soil, but sometimes that’s ideal for smaller, dainty glass terrariums and other creative containers. These are some of the best Fort Lauderdale water plants:

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  • Aglaonemas
  • Alocasia
  • Apostle Iris
  • Arrowhead Ivy
  • Bacopa Caroliniana “moneywort”
  • Colocasia
  • Creeping Jenny
  • Cyperus
  • Horsetail
  • Juncus
  • Papyrus
  • Pothos
  • Sweet flag
  • Water Iris

Caring For Indoor Water Plants

Plain old H2O doesn’t quite have enough nutrients to keep your houseplants fed, so one thing you’ll have to add is some liquid fertilizer. Buy some water-soluble fertilizer and only add about one-quarter of the recommended amount listed on the packaging. Every 5-6 weeks, dump out the fertilizer solution, wipe the container clean, and fill it up with a fresh batch. Sometimes, clear containers can get a bit more gunk on them faster than opaque containers, so you may need to clean and refill them a little more often.

To keep your plant from tumbling out, it’s a good idea to hold them in place with loose material. Gravel, colored glass marbles, or florist’s foam are all fantastic options. If you have a little bit of powdered charcoal, you can add that into the mix to help prolong the cleanliness of the pot. 

If you’re transitioning a houseplant or seedling from the soil into a water container, make sure you give the roots a thorough rinse first, so there isn’t any dirt left behind. If there are any damaged or decaying parts on the plant, cut them off with a sterilized pair of garden shears before submerging in water. 

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Decorating With Water Plants

Almost anything that can hold liquid can be a container for a water plant, so your options are nearly endless. Placing a wall-mounted container or hanging containers near a sunny window can look really beautiful. Just make sure that the planter doesn’t have any brass, copper, or lead in it; the metal will corrode over time and taint the water. 

Glass vases and terrariums are classic options that can be placed anywhere there’s adequate sunlight. Perch them on a bookshelf or your desk, hang them from the ceiling, or place them directly on the windowsill. Lately, we’ve seen some stunning, 3D geometric terrariums that look beautiful in the sunlight—they have a fresh, modern vibe that we can’t get enough of.   

If you’d rather hide the roots of your water plants, we love opaque porcelain or hand-painted clay containers. If you have warm, saturated tones in your home decor, we love the look of traditional painted Mexican pottery. A bright chili pepper motif or a colorful floral pot can brighten up a room and add some energy to the space. You could even use a cute vintage teapot or some pretty patterned mugs. Sometimes thinking outside the box can produce the most charming results!


If you’d like to get in on the water plant trend, look no further than Living Color Garden Center. We have plenty of water plants for sale that are easy to grow and beautiful to look at. Stop by our garden center, and one of our experts will set you up with everything you need to start your gorgeous, soil-free garden. 

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