Great Intermediate Plants

What is an Intermediate Plant?

Not quite “set it and forget it,” but still low maintenance enough you can go on a trip without worrying you’ll return to withered leaves, intermediate plants share a few basic characteristics:

• They’re forgiving

  Many joke that ZZ plants and sansevierias almost crave neglect. While plants at the intermediate level might not crave it, they are more forgiving of one or two forgotten waterings than expert-level plants.

• They know how to rebound

  If you do forget one too many waterings or *gasp* leave them too long in the sun without sunscreen, it doesn’t spell the end for them. Most intermediate plants are fairly resilient and can bounce back from some changes in their environment.

• It’s not as picky about placement

  While they have their preferences, these plants won’t ask you to move them closer to the window at certain times of day or to rotate them clockwise a quarter inch every other watering.

• They’re visually impressive without the extra care

  While beginner-level plants can be beautiful, leveling up almost guarantees you’ll be raising a plant that’s jaw-dropping and has that little something extra to set it apart from the crowd.

Succulents

Arid plants such as succulents are intermediate-friendly. If your succulent will live indoors, choose a green variety such as a Haworthia or Gasteria to ensure that even in lower light your succulent stays vibrant. Aside from choosing the right variety, your succulent will be happiest on a hot windowsill where it can get plenty of direct sunlight. Watering is the trickiest part of caring for your succulents, as in contrast to popular opinion, succulents need more water than most expect. Follow a “soak and dry” watering routine where you water and then allow your succulent to dry out before it’s next session with the watering can.