This Designer-Favorite Houseplant Can Go Weeks Without Water (2024)

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This Designer-Favorite Houseplant Can Go Weeks Without Water? ›

This Designer-Favorite Houseplant Can Go Weeks Without Water. Zamioculcas zamiifolia, or the ZZ plant for short, has interior designers and plant enthusiasts alike sold on its good looks and roll-with-it personality. The perennial. It can also thrive in any of them thanks to its forgiving nature.

“Most plants will typically be fine if you're gone a week, but some may start to suffer if they go without water for two weeks,” says Justin Hanco*ck, Costa Farms horticulturist.

Most plants that use very little water are often classified as succulents. Succulents are plants with thick, fleshy leaves and stems. These leaves lose very little water because they have a thick, waxy skin (called a cuticle) highly effective at storing water and not losing it, even in hot weather.

Plants that are adapted to long, dry summers and short, rainy winters are called “Mediterranean-zone” plants. These include plants that are native to California, as well as those that originated in southern Europe, South America, and other “Mediterranean” climates.

Resurrection plant, also known as Rose of Jericho, is a type of spike moss that can survive for several years without water, drying up and curling its fronds inwards into a ball shape.

The Resurrection Plant will transform from a dormant brown ball into a lush fern in a matter of hours. This plant can remain in its dormant stage for up to 50 years without water! Throughout history, these highly adaptive plants would dry up and blow in the wind until they came upon water.

Monsteras usually can go a few weeks without being watered, but make sure you don't wait much longer than that. Underwatering is just as fatal as overwatering. If you see the leaves start drooping or becoming brittle, it's definitely time to give your Monstera a full watering.

Fill up your sink or bathtub with a few inches of water and lay a towel inside to protect against scratches. Rest your potted plants in the sink and leave them there while you're gone. The soil will draw water up to the roots, keeping the plant hydrated for up to one week.

Pothos plants, for example, are common houseplants that can survive 2-3 weeks without getting watered if they are prepared properly. Garden crops like lettuce may die within a few days of hot temperatures and no water. Succulents and cacti, on the other hand, can last many months with no water.

What plant thrives off neglect? ›

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Also known as devil's ivy due to its resistance to death, this is one of the most forgiving houseplants. I've neglected my pothos plants for weeks upon weeks and all I had to do was give it a little water, time and time again.

Different plants need different amounts of water for their proper growth. Cactus plants don't even need watering as they need very little water. That is why we can see a lot of cactus plants in deserts where there is very little moisture in the soil.

Adapted to the desert environment, Selaginella lepidophylla can survive without water for several years, drying up until it retains only 3% of its mass. The plant can live and reproduce in arid regions for long periods of time.

Succulents that are planted indoors or in the cooler months outdoors will generally require less water. They can go up to 1-3 months of no watering. Indoor succulents will have less exposure to the elements outdoors - wind and sunlight outdoors tend to dry out the soil faster than it does indoors.

Drought-tolerant houseplants, like succulents and cacti, will be fine for a week or two without water. And during the winter months, when plant growth slows and some plants go dormant, you may skip watering them altogether.

Aloe. These beloved houseplants can also be grown outdoors in the warmest areas of the country. Like most succulents, aloe plants thrive without much water at all, and will do better in sandy soils that mimic the desert environments they hail from.

Generally, once a week works great. Smaller snake plants may last up to two weeks between watering while larger snake plants may require watering every two to three days.