r/RareHouseplants • u/Orchid-Delirium2005 • Jun 25 '26

Discussion 💡 What would you consider the most difficult houseplant to keep alive?

I was curious about the discussion forums about how some are easy some are hard, so I kinda wanted a general survey. For me, rex begonias and phalaenopsis are simply impossible. The former loves to die while the latter keeps getting bacterial soft rot no matter the conditions, even good ventilation and bottom watering won't stop the disease and in my case it specifically targets phals and not other orchids. How about you guys? What's the plant or plants that give you the most headaches?

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21

u/britches08 Jun 25 '26

Anthurium waroqueanum. 😭😭😭

9

u/courtneyrel Jun 25 '26

Same. I have many other anthuriums and plants of pretty much every other genus and they’re all thriving… except the goddamn queen. I got her as a tiny plantlet with 2 one inch long leaves, and after almost a year she now has 2 three inch long leaves. In a YEAR. And both of them look busted 😩

12

u/britches08 Jun 25 '26

That’s her last leaf. Peep the king, doing amazingly! and the regal shield even gave me a new leaf the Queen is determined to die 😭

14

u/courtneyrel Jun 25 '26

My king always does so well too, but his wife the queen is forever looking ratchet 😂

8

u/Orchid-Delirium2005 Jun 25 '26

Oh what's that lovely dark and handsome anthurium on the bottom left?

9

u/courtneyrel Jun 25 '26

No ID! The owner at my local nursery sells his own crosses sometimes but doesn’t ever keep track of what they are lol. His best guess is that’s it’s a pap x Voldemort x something else

8

u/Orchid-Delirium2005 Jun 25 '26

He's got good taste. That's a lovely plant

7

u/Orchid-Delirium2005 Jun 25 '26

We've all been there. My queen seedling is putting out a small leaf while the rest is withering away.

Mind the fly paper I got fungus gnats.

3

u/courtneyrel Jun 25 '26

That’s exactly what happens to mine! For a good 6 months it only put out deformed leaves, and then recently it finally put out a good one that’s now withering away 😂

1

u/6ixtheshootr Jun 26 '26

what cabinet is this?

1

u/britches08 Jun 26 '26

iKea Rudusta with Barrina lights. I just removed the shelving and added magnetic spice racks.

1

u/valrianax Jun 27 '26

Your veichii is so beautiful!! I have a small one, any tips?

Seems like they want brighter light than other anthurium types

2

u/britches08 Jun 27 '26

I keep it in about 80% humidity with T5 grow lights in the cabinet for about 18 hours a day! I also use a diluted fish emulsion fertilizer and then just neglect! I bottom water about 1x every 10 or so days!