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Grow with KARE: High-maintenance houseplants

Each plant is gorgeous and can make a beautiful addition to your home, but keep in mind, they do take some extra work and attention to detail.

MINNEAPOLIS — As you shop around for houseplants, it’s good to keep in mind how much maintenance they require. Here's a list of indoor plants that take some special care and attention to thrive.

  1. Croton: Crotons are beautiful and colorful but the right conditions allowing the HUGE amount of light it requires is just not achievable for most. The leaves just tend to fall off and eventually the plant dies.
  2. Fiddle leaf fig: Very popular, but hard to grow. If it gets too much sun, the leaves will turn brown. Too little sun, and the plant won’t thrive. Even moving it can cause problems as fiddle leaf figs adapt poorly to changes in their environment. Very high maintenance.
  3. Prayer plant: Another gorgeous plant with alluring leaves, but if it gets too much light, the leaves will turn brown. If it gets too much water, they turn yellow. Leaves also curl if the water and light aren’t perfect.
  4. African mask: This striking plant wants high humidity in the air but low moisture in the soil… a hard combination to achieve. If either of these conditions aren’t met, the leaves turn brown and crispy. It needs bright — but not direct — light, and again, the leaves will tell you if it’s not getting what it wants.
  5. Orchids: In nature, orchids grow on tree. It can be hard to replicate that environment at home. Soil has to be loose and composed of bark. Most people tend to overwater their orchids, but they like drier conditions. Only if the conditions are perfect will you be rewarded with the amazing flowers of an orchid.
  6. Venus flytrap: These require a lot of bright light and a lot of water with high humidity. Only distilled water will do for these high-maintenance plants. Any amount of stress will quickly kill a Venus flytrap.

Each of these plants are gorgeous and can make a beautiful addition to your home, but just keep in mind, they take some extra work and attention to detail.

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