Do cheap houseplants die faster than expensive ones?

Green in the house is quite charming, isn't it? A large houseplant completes your living room. It looks fresh, well-kept... Now just make sure it stays alive.

Ticks nicely

Usually, real plants die on me after a few weeks, but for people with green fingers, it's useful to know: is there a difference between an expensive or a cheap plant? Do cheaper houseplants seriously die faster than very expensive ones? Because there is certainly a price difference. This mainly has to do with supply and demand: if a plant is popular but difficult to cultivate, then the price goes up. This is currently the case with the Monstera Variegata, that houseplant with white spots on it. Everyone wants it, but it's quite hard to get, so it quickly costs 80 euros.

Can't go wrong

But sometimes you come across houseplants in the supermarket that look surprisingly much like those much more expensive specimens from a garden center. What should you buy? The conclusion from experts is very clear: expensive houseplants are not better than cheaper ones at all. And no, they don't stay alive longer either. So you might as well grab one in a supermarket or at a gas station. These are usually plants that are easy to cultivate, which is why there are so many for sale. This allows them to offer lower prices per plant. Easy. Works just as well, unless you have those not green fingers like I do, of course. Then not one plant does well, no matter how expensive they are. That's why I always just buy a really good fake one. Better for everyone.

If you still want to acquire a green friend: these are the six houseplants that even someone with non-green fingers can keep alive:

• Dracaena marginata. This plant does well with very little water.
• Crassula Ovata (Jade plant). Even if you forget it, this one stays green.
• Cactus. Even in the desert it grows, need we say more?
• Philodendron scandens. Recovers very quickly if you haven't given it enough water and it droops a bit. A second chance plant, then.
• Elephant foot (Beaucarnea): a beautiful succulent that resembles a palm.
• Sansevieria: you never have to move it to a larger pot, saves again.