Growing petunias or daffodils is easy. Most people can manage it. You just plant a few bulbs and then, weeks later, beautiful flowers start to appear.
But there are some plants that are a little more temperamental. They look like they should be just as easy as anything else to grow, but they turn out to be notoriously difficult. Nature just won’t play ball.
In this post, we take a look at the hardest plants to grow in your garden in rank order. Check them out below.
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#12: Orchids
Orchids are popular houseplants. In fact, a large number of people already have them in their homes, so why are they on this list?
The reason is that most people don’t grow them from seeds. Instead, they buy them in their adult forms in the gardening store and then pat themselves on the back when they survive weeks of air conditioning and no access to sunlight.
Actually growing orchids takes a lot of professional skill. The reason you see these plants in nature so infrequently is that conditions have to be just right. The slightest deviation from their biological plan leads them to wither and die.
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#11: Venus Flytrap
Venus flytraps are among the coolest-looking plants on the planet. These bizarre carnivores munch on insects in your garden, helping to control pests in at-risk areas.
Unfortunately, these plants are incredibly high-maintenance. First, they only thrive on rain or distilled water. Regular old tap water simply isn’t good enough for them.
Furthermore, you need to plant them in special soil. That’s because their roots have unique drainage requirements. Regular potting soil will actually kill them in a few days, so you’ll need to get specialist soil from a local dealer. You can also make your own from moss and sand, but that’s a high-risk strategy.
Lastly, as carnivorous plants, Venus flytraps love to get a lot of sunlight. Plus, you’ll have to feed them regular meals of crickets and worms if there aren’t enough in your area.
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#10: Onions
People put onions into almost every meal they make. These incredible vegetables, part of the allium family, impart delicious flavors to all dishes.
There’s just one problem: onions are seriously hard to grow. The only reason we have an abundance of them is that farmers have mastered the art of cultivating them.
The problem is this: many onion species are sensitive to hours of sunlight. The majority of species require shorter days, meaning that unless you live deep into a temperate region, disaster is highly likely.
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#9: Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
Fiddle leaf fig trees are stunning to look at. And they produce some delicious fruits when they get old enough. No wonder everyone wants them in their gardens.
But can you honestly say that you’ve ever seen a fiddle leaf fig tree with your own eyes, not in some glossy magazine? Probably not. That’s because this species is notoriously difficult to get right. It needs the right amount of sunlight, soil moisture, water, and humidity to grow.
Trying to grow these things outside is almost impossible. Most professional gardeners resort to rearing them in climate-controlled greenhouses and then transplanting them to natural soil for rare “show days.” However, even trying to get them to thrive in artificial conditions is difficult because of their need for ideal day lengths. In short, this is a plant you’ll want to avoid unless gardening is your reason for living.
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#8: African Violet
African violets look a bit like succulents, leaving you with the impression that they’ll grow just about anywhere. But anyone who has ever gotten to know this plant will know that the opposite is true. African violets don’t want to live.
The main issue is the lack of humidity in most climates. African violets love humidity, but the year-round levels they require are impossible to find outside of rainforests.
Clever horticulturalists at more northerly latitudes have come up with a clever solution, though: put the plants in pots above steam radiators. These run all day and night, providing enough moisture to keep the violets healthy while they are in their pots. After a while, you’ll notice that they start to bloom.
If you don’t have a steam radiator, you can always use wet gravel in a hot room. Just remember to keep it hydrated so that humidity levels remain high.
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#7: Melons
Have you ever seen someone with a vegetable patch successfully grow melons? It almost never happens.
There are two reasons for this. The first has to do with the way melons grow. As they bloom, their vines spread out in all directions, hogging space and forbidding any other plants to grow nearby. They need to be big to collect enough energy to supply the growing melons on their stalks.
The other reason has to do with flavor. You might be able to grow a melon, but that doesn’t mean it will taste good. Most novices wind up with something that tastes overly watery and full of seeds.
To get melons growing right, you need a lot of space and to keep the soil mulched. If you don’t provide this, the plant will become stressed and your melons will taste awful.
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#6: Queen’s Palm
Queen’s palms are a great addition to tropical gardens. Their lush foliage and fruits make them a firm favorite among the general public.
Unfortunately, Queen Palm care isn’t as easy as you might think. The tree requires fertilization four times per year and is highly susceptible to airborne fungal infections, bud rot, and manganese deficiency. Trees can look great one week, and then be coming to the end of their lives the next.
The trick is to get these trees professionally managed if they are on your property. Specialists can monitor them year-round and make sure that you don’t run into any serious, life-threatening situations with them.
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#5: String Of Pearls Succulent
The String of Pearls is a plant that looks rare the moment you clap your eyes on it. The impossibly-shaped leaves and vine-like structure immediately set it apart from anything else in your garden.
As you might expect, this is a highly suicidal cultivar that seems determined to end its own life the moment that conditions aren’t ideal. Many owners buy the plant and then wind up throwing it on their compost heap in less than a week.
The main problem is soil over-saturation. Too much moisture and the plant will start its self-destruct sequence.
Before watering, ensure that the soil is completely dry first. Then place it in partial sun, away from any drafts that might disturb it. If you’re lucky, you may get the plant to last six months before it decides it’s had enough.
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#4: Air Plants
Air plants are tricky to grow because they don’t grow in soil. Rather they need rocks or other shrubs to cling to in order to thrive. Bad weather can easily uproot them, causing mortal damage.
Added to this, they need the right amount of sunlight and humidity to thrive. Plants that have too much direct sunlight during the day will die, while those that don’t get enough will also perish. Indirect sunlight on a window sill is the best option.
How much water they need also depends on the humidity of the surrounding air. If the moisture content is high, plants won’t need a great deal of additional watering. However, if the water content is low, you’ll need to regularly spray them with a fine water mist. Remember, these plants take up water directly via their roots, not through the soil.
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#3: Staghorn Fern
Staghorn ferns are another plant you’ve probably never seen up close. Again, it’s all to do with how difficult they are to grow. They look great mounted to a wall. But if you want them in your home, you’ll need to work for them.
Staghorn ferns require liberal watering at least once per week. For this, you’ll need to remove the plant from its mount and then submerge it in water completely. You’ll then need to wait for it to dry out before hanging it back on the wall. This type of watering simulates the torrential rainfall or flooding that would naturally water the plant in the wild.
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#2: Lemon Trees
Lemons are easy to find at the store, but actually growing a lemon tree is notoriously difficult. Again, it’s not something that just happens automatically.
Like other citrus trees, lemon trees require the optimal combination of airflow, humidity, and sunlight. You should keep trees outside as much as possible, though if conditions get too rough, you may want to bring them indoors temporarily.
After several years, your lemon tree might start to bear fruit, but don’t count on it.
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#1: Wasabi
Lastly, we have wasabi, perhaps the most difficult plant to grow in the world. Not only does the plant take a long time to reach maturity, but it is also highly susceptible to disease. It will also refuse to grow if the nutrient composition is wrong, or if you fail to provide it with sufficient water.
Friends, what’s your favorite plant on this list? List your favorites below.
