The houseplant difficulty index

Methodology, in full

Each of these 308 houseplant guides was scanned at build time, so this page recomputes whenever a guide changes. We count ease phrases - hard to kill, indestructible, unkillable, forgiving, easy (to grow or keep, not "easy to propagate"), low-maintenance, tolerates or thrives on neglect, beginner, undemanding, unfussy, fuss-free, carefree, drought-tolerant, adaptable, resilient, tough, hardy, survives, tolerates, tolerant, weeks without - and warning phrases - fussy, demanding, tricky, challenging, diva, drama queen, not for beginners, difficult, temperamental, picky, unforgiving, experienced growers, sensitive to, prone to leaf drop or sulking, punishes neglect. Negated ease ("won't tolerate", "rarely survives", "not drought-tolerant") is counted against. The "Not ideal for" line of a guide is left out, and so are the aquarium plants in our catalogue - this index is about plants on a shelf. Score = ease minus warnings; tiers are fixed score bands.

The limits: this measures how our writers talk about a plant, not a lab test; longer guides get more chances to score; and difficulty depends on your home - a "diva" beside a humidifier is easier than an "easy" plant over a radiator. Use the tiers as a shortlist, check the light with the window light guide, then read the full profile. Choosing between two? Put them in the comparison tool.