33 Plants That Can Grow in Water Indoors

Many common houseplants are naturally able to grow roots from cuttings when kept in continuous moisture. Indoor gardeners can leverage this characteristic to cultivate their favorite houseplants without soil, using glass jars or vases.

Plants that thrive in water are a great addition to kitchens, since they don’t bring in any dirt, or bathrooms, as their propagated appearance adds a minimalist, soothing look. Various flowering plants, such as orchids, lotus, and paperwhites, can live and thrive hydroponically for their entire lifespan.

When grown hydroponically, the plants listed here can enhance botanical decor or be used to expand your houseplant collection.

How to Grow Plants in Water

• Choose a container: Any container that holds water will work. Glass jars and vases are visually appealing since they show the plant's roots. However, because glass can foster algae growth, consider an opaque vase for less maintenance.
  
• Consider light needs: Check the plant's light requirements before placing it on a windowsill. Different plants need varying levels of sunlight or shade.
• Change the water: Regularly rinse and refresh your plant’s water (use chlorine-free water if possible), especially if it becomes cloudy. Use a water-soluble fertilizer at 1/4 strength to provide the nutrients the plants would normally get from soil.

Tips

If your tap water is heavily chlorinated, let it sit for a day or two before placing your plants in it. Use a water-soluble fertilizer to keep your plants lush and healthy. You can also add activated charcoal to the bottom of the container to help maintain clean, clear water.

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African Violet

Growing African violet (Saintpaulia ionantha) leaves in water is a great way to clone the parent plant. However, some multicolor violets may produce plants with solid color flowers.

Choose young, healthy African violet leaves to start new plants. Cut the leaf with about two inches of stem and place the leaf in a narrow-necked bottle that keeps it suspended and dry.

Roots take about a month to form, and eventually, a tiny plantlet will appear, complete with its own crown.

Baby's Tears

Baby's tears (Soleirolia soleirolii) plants have numerous tiny leaves on creeping stems that form a dense, delicate trailing mat.

Pinch off a cluster of stems, with or without roots, and watch how easily this plant adapts to growing in water. Given the dense foliage, leaves that are constantly submerged may start to rot.

Change the water weekly to remove any floating leaves and allow the water level to drop once roots are well-formed.

Begonia

The thick, succulent stems of begonias (Begonia spp.) are quite forgiving when harvested for growing in water.

Start with hardy wax begonias, which have knobby leaf nodes that form roots easily. Even fancier varieties like rex begonias and tuberous begonias will grow in water, and a single leaf is sufficient to start a new plant.

Roots can take a couple of months to form. It’s wise to perform weekly water changes to prevent bacteria that can lead to rot.

Coleus

With many new coleus (Plectranthus scutellarioides) varieties on the market each spring, designing a garden around this tropical plant's colorful leaves is easy.

As coleus plants have grown in popularity, so have their prices. Fortunately, coleus is easy to propagate and grow in water, allowing you to create a colony of attractive plants.

Take a six-inch cutting and remove the leaves from the bottom four inches. Place the cutting in a glass or vase of water, and roots will begin to form in several weeks.

Adding a bit of compost tea to the water during monthly changes will help your coleus plants thrive.

Impatiens

Impatiens (Impatiens spp.) are a garden staple for shaded areas but can be challenging to keep moist enough. They can grow as marginal pond plants, demonstrating their love for water.

Snip off a few stems at the end of the growing season and overwinter them in a vase, where they will root and grow as clones of the parent plant.

You'll have a free supply of impatiens in the spring to plant in your shady garden.

Lucky Bamboo

The hardy stalks of lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) can become a living centerpiece with no soil required.

Growers often train the stalks of lucky bamboo into spirals or woven shapes. While these forms don’t affect the plant's ability to grow in water, plants can become top-heavy and may need additional support.

Surround your lucky bamboo with colorful gravel or rocks for support and added ornamental value.

Philodendron

Remember that trailing philodendron (Philodendron spp.) stem your mom had in the windowsill that seemed immortal? This ultra-easy houseplant is a no-fail introduction to growing plants in water.

An established philodendron won’t mind donating several stems for water cultivation, and they look charming scattered about in various sizes and colors of vases.

Philodendron plants thrive in all types of sunlight conditions, but if there seems to be more stem than leaf growth, brighter light will produce more leaves.

Spiderwort

Spiderwort (Tradescantia zebrina) plants, also called inch plants, fill a color gap in your houseplant collection like no other low-maintenance plant can. Both the zebra-striped variety and the purple-leafed cultivar are well-adapted to indoor living and make a handsome focal point in rooms with moderate light.

Look closely at the leaf nodes along a spiderwort stem, and you’ll see root nubs waiting to grow. Add some stems to a mason jar or vase of water, and you will soon have spiderwort babies to add to your collection.

Spiderwort is an aggressive grower and needs to be pruned regularly, especially when grown in a water-only medium. If left untended, the plant can get top-heavy and topple out of its vase.

Tip

Once your plants have grown roots at least an inch in length, they can be moved into potting soil if desired.

Pothos

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a trailing vine with pointed, heart-shaped leaves that come from the South Pacific. Its leaves sometimes have variegated striations of white, yellow, or pale green.

Cut a length of pothos vine with three or four nodes. Remove the leaves on the lower part of the vine because any leaves left in the water will rot.

Pothos grows quickly; it can grow over a foot in a month.

Chinese Evergreen

Despite its name, the Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum) is not an evergreen tree but a tropical plant with floppy green leaves native to Asia.

To grow it in water, use sterilized pruners to cut a healthy six-inch stem from the plant. Place the cut end of the stem in water and remove the bottom leaves that are underwater. Roots should appear in three to four weeks.

Put the plant in indirect sunlight and change the water every three days or so when the water becomes dirty or cloudy.

Give the plant a few drops of water-soluble liquid fertilizer monthly to encourage growth.

English Ivy

English ivy (Hedera helix) is a climbing vine and invasive species, renowned for its evergreen leaves.

Ivy cuttings are easy to root in water, usually taking about two to three weeks for roots to appear. Trim off any bottom leaves and place your cutting in a jar on a well-lit windowsill.

Spider Plant

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) has long, spindly leaf blades, making its name apt. Take cuttings or plantlets from the parent plant. Spider plants produce tufted growths at the ends of their stems. Cut the plantlet from the stolon with clean, sharp scissors.

Cuttings root quickly. Change the water every three to five days and add fertilizer once a month. Keep the plant in bright, indirect light, ensuring only the roots are submerged in water. Add rocks to the bottom of the glass for the roots to grab onto.

Dracaena

Take a stem cutting from a healthy, established dracaena (Dracaena or Cordyline spp.). Keep only a few leaves at the top of the stem, removing all leaves below the water line. Change the water weekly, especially if using a clear glass container as light encourages algae growth. In 60 days, the plant will have a complete root system.

Dracaena prefers bright, indirect light and temperatures between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. During the growing season, provide liquid fertilizer every two weeks at one-fourth the recommended strength.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) have glossy green leaves that bloom with a white spathe or "flag of surrender," hence the name.

You can use narrow vases to grow peace lilies in water or a tall glass to suspend the plant's base above the water, holding the stems at the container's mouth. The base must stay above the water to prevent rot.

Gently remove the plant from its pot and clean off the roots with running water. Submerge only the roots in water. Replace the water as needed and change it completely every two weeks.

Place the plant in bright, indirect light. Add a few drops of hydroponic fertilizer during water changes to nourish the plant. The ideal temperature range is 65 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

Pancake Plant

Also called the Chinese money plant or coin plant for its coin-shaped foliage, the pancake plant (Pilea peperomioides) is easy to grow in water.

Transfer an established plant with roots into a water container or take a stem cutting and submerge the newly cut stem in water. Roots will form after several weeks.

To replenish nutrients, use houseplant or hydroponics fertilizer monthly. Change the water every two weeks or sooner if it appears murky.

Lotus

Lotus flowers (Nelumbo spp.) are known for their round, radially notched appearance, often floating above water.

The plant's root structure grows below the muddy surface. You can mimic this with a dwarf lotus plant in a shallow, six-inch bowl with pea gravel to hold down the rhizome.

Provide hydroponic nutrients in regular growing seasons, stopping during the dormant months. Change the water every few weeks before it gets murky.

The plant thrives in bright, full sun with temperatures above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing temperatures can kill the plant.

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