I can't believe we're already in 2025, but I am SO excited to spill all the tea about my wild plant experiment from last year. In 2024, I totally went for it and added over 40 new plant species to my collection—and it was quite the adventure! Some of these plants thrived, some flopped, and yes, some didn’t make it. So in this episode, I’m sharing it all—from my favorites to my fails—and what I learned along the way.

In this episode, we learn:

[01:51] Reflecting on 2024
[04:31] What’s your plant parent personality?
[06:38] Why I now consider myself a low maintenance plant parent
[09:08] How I fell in love with Ficus (and fell out of love with Calathea)
[11:52] My success with Anthuriums and Alocasia
[13:37] Why my most repurchased plants are philodendrons (+ pothos)
[15:19] Start 2025 with soothing premium chimes with Wind River!
[17:00] Grow your best garden yet with the AHS Essential Guide to Organic Vegetable Gardening!
[19:39] Why there is less light in your house than you believe
[20:50] My top favorite plants in 2024
[33:44] My least favorite plants in 2024
[37:56] Plants that didn’t make it in 2024
[42:53] What's in store for my 2025 houseplant collection?

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Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

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Lessons From 2024: My High-Level Takeaways

After moving to Florida, I realized I needed plants that could live with less attention. I’m now a low maintenance plant parent. And you know what? That's totally okay! Maybe I’ll circle back to my mindful plant parenting days in the future.

Ficus stole my heart this year (they get such a bad rap because of fiddle leaf figs), but hidden gems like the Ficus ‘Belize' and Ficus ‘Tineke' are resilient, rewarding, and perfect for anyone willing to give them some light and love.
I tried SO hard with Calatheas. I wanted to love them and their stunning leaves, but they just weren’t the right fit for my current lifestyle. Sensitive and demanding, they need more attention than I can give right now.
I actually fell in love with Alocasias and thick-leaved Anthuriums! I was totally worried they'd be super high-maintenance, but they've surprised me in the best way, especially in my green wall setup.
Philodendrons reign supreme. While they might not be my absolute top favorites, they're consistently the genus I'll keep coming back to.

My Favorite Plants of 2024

Anthurium brownii – extremely drought tolerant
Ficus elastica ‘Belize’ – I love growing pink plants, and these grow vigorously
Alocasia cuprea – surprisingly hardy, even without a humidifier
Alocasia longiloba – they grow bigger with every new leaf that pops out
Ficus elastica ‘Tineke’ – cream variegated leaves
Ficus elastica ‘Abidjan’ – dark green leaves
Philodendron atabapoense – has long heart-shaped leaves
Alocasia ‘Stingray’ – a very prolific grower
Anthurium plowmanii – very hardy, thick leaves
Birds nest fern – great for low maintenance plant parents
Staghorn fern – I actually grew it in soil instead of mounting it
Philodendron nangaritense – beautiful coloring on their leaves
Philodendron hastatum (Silver Sword)
Carnivorous plants – Venus fly trap/pitcher plants/sundews
Variegated philodendrons – orange smooth, white wizard, pink princess, splash dash
Ficus benghalensis or banyan fig – it's a rather slow grower but it’s beautiful
Phlebodium aureum (Rabbit's Foot Fern) – I haven't been as successful with this but I love its shape
Monstera adansonii – it's fun to have a fenestrated trailing plant
Hoya latifolia & Hoya quinquenervia – beautifully growing on a trellis
Hoya ‘Rangsan’ – has a rain variegation that looks like water droplets all over it

My Least Favorite Plants in 2024

Ficus benjamina or weeping fig – I was just unimpressed this year but will try another year
Ficus cyathistipula or Afrigan fig tree – also slow grower. I just wouldn't buy it again
Hoya callistophylla – it was a much finickier Hoya than any other Hoya I've ever cared for
Thin-leafed anthuriums – mine ended up getting a lot of crispiness on the edges
Monstera deliciosa Thai Constellation – it didn’t grow fast and it didn't do much for me in my plant collection

Plants That Didn’t Make It

Calathea orbifolia – I grew that thing under glass. I put moss on the top. I ran a humidifier. I did everything in my toolkit and wheelhouse to make this thing happy. And it just didn't cut it.
Calathea makoyana
Ctenanthe