In this article, I share with you beautiful Plants that don’t need drainage holes. I’m sure you will love them.
Any of these plants will be perfect to have indoors or outdoors and have minimum care needs.
1.Sansevieria trifasciata (mother-in-law or tiger’s tongue)
It is from the lily family that originates from Africa, Asia and especially New Guinea.
It is a plant that requires the minimum of care.
It doesn’t need to be watered constantly, mother-in-law’s tongue can grow perfectly well in a pot without a drain hole.
Should the leaves turn yellow, watering should be reduced. Once a month in winter, fall, and every 4 days in spring.
The ideal temperature for this plant is between 16ºC and 30ºC, but it is sensitive to temperatures below 14ºC.
For this reason, it resists summer well, but in winter make sure to have it indoors.
To grow the mother-in-law’s plant outdoors, keep in mind that it is not a plant that requires a lot of light, so it can also grow in the shade without suffering.
If the plant receive a few hours of direct sunlight per day, it will be able to develop stronger and with greener leaves.
2.Beaucarnea recurvata (elephant foot, tousled nolina or pot-bellied palm)
It is a species of phanerogam belonging to the family of asparagáceas.
It is found in the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico.
The elephant foot can reach 10 meters high in its environment, but in pots it does not usually exceed one and a half meters.
They have a slightly branched trunk, with a thick base (where the plant stores water) and thin, long, curved, green leaves.
The small cream-white flowers appear in panicles in spring but do not appear until the plant is 10 years old.
3.Euphorbia milii (Crown of Thorns)
Euphorbia milii is native to Madagascar and is included in the Euphorbiaceae family. Vulgarly known as Espina de Cristo or Corona de espinas.
Its stem is just under 1 cm thick with large spines 1 to 1.5 cm long, between which the leaves are formed, which are light green and round.
The Crown of Thorns blooms from February to June giving some tiny yellow flowers and grouped, but with some bracts (Leaf that comes from the peduncle of the flowers of certain plants, and usually differs from the true leaf in shape, consistency and color ) very showy red.
It is very good as a houseplant, as it resists heating but needs a sunny place without drafts.
They are not very demanding on the soil, a good heather soil with a little sand is enough.
Water very moderately in all seasons and especially in winter.
4.Cactus
Cacti make up the succulent plant family called Cactaceae. These species, as good fats that are, are characterized by accumulating water and nutrients in their tissues, they can adapt without problem to the habitat in which they are found.
Cacti are perfect for home interior decoration, especially those varieties that by their origin do not survive the elements. And not only that, they can also be planted to form part of the exterior decoration.
All cacti are very resistant to drought, moreover, it is easier for a cactus to die from excess watering than from lack of watering.
For this reason, any cactus you choose will survive perfectly in a pot without a drain hole.
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Here I leave you some of the most popular cacti that you can plant in your home:
Lithops: The Lithops, commonly called “Living Stones” or “Stone Plants”, are succulent plants originating in South Africa.
They bloom in late summer and fall at the end of the day. A bright yellow, white, orange and pink flower appears from the slot between the two leaves.
Echinocactus grusonii: it is a succulent cactus originally from Mexico, specifically from Tamaulipas to the State of Hidalgo.
It is a plant with a more or less spherical globular shape, which generally grows alone but sometimes from adult specimens sprout basal stems.
It can measure up to 1 meter in height,which is not a problem since its life expectancy is more than 100 years.
It has a bright green body, with a flattened apex, and with 21-37 prominent, thin, straight ribs.
The flowers sprout from the areolas, measure between 4-7cm in length by 5cm in diameter, and have external petals that are yellow on the inside and brown on the outside; and the mates are yellowish. They last about 3 days.
Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear): The prickly pear or prickly pear can be used as an ornamental plant and also has gastronomic use.
The prickly pear is used for both raw consumption and jams, preserves, and various dishes, both sweet and savory.
It is very easy to grow rustic plant that has hardly any demands and is also very resistant.
Schlumbergera truncata: Popularly known as Christmas cactus or Santa Teresa.
They are characterized by having flattened segments, with jagged margins, of green color.
The flowers are very decorative, pink, white, yellow, or orange.
They are perfect for growing in pots throughout their lives they do not grow more than 40 to 50 cm maximum. They are often used as houseplants in hanging pots or in regular containers to place on furniture or windows.
Mammillaria fraileana: is a species belonging to the Cactaceae family and is endemic to Mexico.
It is a fleshy and cylindrical perennial plant of reddish-purple color that generally forms small cushions.
They reach a size of 10 to 15 centimeters in height with a diameter of 2 to 3 centimeters.
The bell-shaped, pink flowers are 2.5 cm long and diameter. The sepals are tinted. The long petals are pink.
5.Asparagus sprengeri:
It is a plant native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, specifically from coastal and sandy areas where it develops fully.
It belongs to the Asparagaceae family, which is made up of numerous species of perennial plants.
It is commonly known as Sprenger’s Asparagus, or hanging plants, which have a certain similarity with the pine leaf and are capable of reaching approximately one meter in length.
6.Aglaonema Maria (Chinese Evergreen):
It is a plant used for indoors, although in a temperate climate it can very well be put outside, in the shade.
Aglaonema plants are native to southern China, Borneo, and Malaysia.
Aglaonema is a plant that lives for many years.
It should be placed in the light, but without direct sunlight, if you do it can burn its leaves.
It should not be in temperature under 15 ºC.
7. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane):
They tolerate the lack of light and are suitable for those people who do not have much experience in the maintenance and care of plants.
It is native to the jungles of central and South America and is characterized by the light spots on its leaves that make them look very attractive.
They grow to a height of between 2 and 20 meters depending on the species.
8.Rough Horsetail (Equisetum Hyemale)
It is a very decorative perennial, it develops long cylindrical stems of green color of erect growth and devoid of leaves.
Its sturdy vertical growth stems resemble bamboo stems, these have black and white stripes at the growth nodes.
The rods reach eighty to ninety centimeters in height. It is a very easy plant to grow with little maintenance.
They are usually used in pots and planters for patios and terraces or in ponds.
It has medicinal properties and was formerly used to polish metals.
9.Schefflera:
It is a genus belonging to the Araliaceae family. They are trees, shrubs, or lianas native to New Zealand, Java, India, East Asia, and Fiji.
The leaves are usually always green, webbed or fingered, sometimes simple, shiny and dark green.
They are characterized by reaching heights of between 2 and 15 meters.
The flowers bloom in the spring and are grouped into yellowish inflorescences.
The fruit is a very small drupe, about one centimeter in diameter, dark in color.
10.Cordyline:
They are tropical shrubs that outside their natural habitat do not usually exceed one meter in height.
They are very interesting for their large leaves, up to 40 cm in length, in green, cream, red and purple colors, depending on the different varieties.
They do not usually flourish since the plant does so after 10 years of life and they do not usually last as long in our houses.
11.Monstera Deliciosa (Adam’s Rib):
It is a very common plant that is characterized by having large green leaves divided as if they were ribs (from there comes its name).
It is a very easy plant to care for. For indoors you need a bright place and outdoors it prefers to be in the shade, without direct sun.
Its large leaves grow up to 45 cm in length, it has a non-invasive root system, it can be cultivated in a pot throughout its life without any issues.
12.Fycus lyrata:
Coming from Africa, its name “lyrata” refers to the similarity between the shape of its leaves and the lyre.
It bears some resemblance to fig trees.
The green of its leaves is unique, dark, and intense.
Given its shape and size, it is the closest thing to having a tree indoors.
Ficus lyrata does not like direct sunlight. It is best if it receives indirect lighting.
13.Phoenix roebelenii (dwarf palm):
It is regularly found in Southeast Asia, southwest China (Yunnan), northern Laos, and Vietnam.
With a height that does not exceed five meters, and since it also has a thin trunk, it can be grown in small gardens and even in large pots.
The flowers, which appear in summer, are grouped into inflorescences 45cm long.
The Phoenix roebelinii is a palm that withstands cold weather and light frosts of up to -4ºC.
14. Kalanchoe:
Kalanchoe is a genus of plants made up of more than 120 species, typical of different parts of the world, many of them from Europe, Asia and North Africa, but there are also native to different areas, such as Madagascar.
They are characterized by having fleshy, medium to dark green leaves, covered by something similar to wax, which forms rosettes.
From each of them flower stems emerge during winter and spring.
The flowers may be red, pink, yellow, white, or purple, and have no scent.
This plant is cultivated in an ornamental way, both indoors and outdoors, and is a plant that due to its morphology is capable of accumulating water in its leaves, making irrigation more sporadic than in other indoor plants.
15.Crassula perforata:
They are succulent plants with characteristic docusate and opposite leaves that seem to be “pierced” by the stem, since they grow hugging it.
They are very light green with reddish spots on the edges.
The small flowers they produce are yellowish-white and have no ornamental interest.
The Perforated Cradle needs a very bright exposure but without receiving the sun’s rays. It does not tolerate cold below 5 ºC and prefers that the thermometer does not drop below 15 ºC.
In hot weather, you can water it about twice a week, but generally, once a week is enough.
You have to take good care of the substrate do not let it dry too much, but do not overwater it.
In winter it is watered once in 2 weeks.
16.Tradescantia pallida:
This plant comes from Central America and is very popular thanks to the simple care of it.
It is native to eastern Mexico from the Tamaulipasa area to Yucatan.
It is a perfect plant to decorate houses for its exotic color.
The time in which we must fertilize is in spring so that you can make the most of all the nutrients and bloom in more quantity.
It is quite resistant to pests and diseases, so you will not have any problems.
17.Aloe vera:
Aloe is a medicinal plant, also known as Aloe vera, which has various health properties and is used in various beauty treatments, mainly at the level of hair and skin.
Aloe, a plant, produces two substances that are used in health care products a clear gel and a yellow latex.
It is a perennial succulent plant, with rosette leaves 50 cm long.
Its fleshy leaves reach 7 cm thick and contain Aloin, which is used in the pharmaceutical industry and protects the plant for its bitter taste.
The flowers of this plant are tubular and small (2.5 cm), usually yellow, that appear from August to September.
Aloe vera needs very little water and, if you over water, it will surely rot.
It is best to water only once in winter and the rest of the year only when the soil is very dry, which we will verify by inserting a finger into the soil.
Tips for plants that don’t need drainage holes
Water little by little:
In pots without drainage holes, there is no place for excess water, therefore it is very important to water in moderation and only little by little.
Make sure to give your potted plant just a little water at a time, wait, check the soil, and then add more if necessary.
Create a Drainage Layer:
You can easily create a drainage layer by adding stones, pebbles, or pumice at the bottom of your pot. This drainage layer will allow excess water to drain out of the soil more quickly and away from the roots so they are not damaged or rot.
Sure, the water will still stay at the bottom, but at least it won’t be in the soil wetting the roots.
Use Activated Carbon:
Activated carbon, in addition to being used in tons of beauty products, can also act as a medium for a drainage layer.
Activated charcoal can absorb some of that excess water at the bottom of the pot, which can be a great help, especially if it has been watered excessively.
Use the Correct Pot Size:
Pots without drainage holes should always be small. Never plant a large plant in a large pot without drainage holes, this will only cause more problems.
More soil means more water that can accumulate at the bottom. For larger plants, just go for pots with drain holes.
Small, decorative plants should be the only plants that go in a pot with no holes.
What to do if you water excessively?
Simply place your hand on the plant and flip the pot to drain it. It is the fastest and most efficient way to ensure that your plant does not settle in a layer of water.
Also, you should never leave a pot exposed to rain, so be sure to keep it indoors or on a covered patio.