10 High Maintenance Plants For Gardeners Who Like Challenges

03.05.2024 - 14:19 / balconygardenweb.com / Ralph Astley

We all want easy care routine when it comes to growing houseplants but there are a few of us, who want to grow some out of the box, high maintenance plants just to have a vareity. For those, this list is the answered prayer!

Botanical Name: Paphiopedilum spp.

Starting the list with the lady’s slipper orchid, it is a high-maintenance plant that requires a stable temperature without any fluctuations and a humidity level above 50%. If these conditions are not met, its delicate flowers may struggle to survive and thrive.

Botanical Name: Kokia cookei

Highly specialized and adapted to specific environmental conditions, kokia cookei is an endangered flowering species that makes growing it a significant challenge.

The plant usually grows best in its native habitat and creating the same condition in the home garden can be extremely difficult.

Botanical Name: Dionaea muscipula

The most unique and definitely not beginner-friendly plant with high maintenance needs is the Venus flytrap. It requires a specific feeding routine, if it is not able to trap the insects on its own—if you fail to do it timely, the plant will die in no time.

Botanical Name: Gunnera tinctoria

This is an ornamental plant that can be quite difficult for a beginner to grow successfully. It requires large container, proper watering routine and a right mix of sun and shade—definitely not something a carefree plant owner is known for.

Botanical Name: Amorphophallus titanum

This massive flowering plant is one of the foulest smelling one, which is why it is also known as a corpse flower. It does best in a controlled environment like a large greenhouse, and thanks to its size, it is almost impossible to grow it in gardens or homes.

Botanical Name: Franklinia alatamaha

Another