What Plants Don’t Need Drainage Holes? | Update 2024

In this post, I will tell you about the three main groups of indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes and the all things you should know.

I’m a horticultural consultant and here want to share with you my experiences with plants that don’t need drainage. Some indoor gardeners prefer to plant in pots without holes. Do you know why? I discussed it in my previous article (Are pots without drainage holes bad?) and showed you how to plant in ceramic pots without holes to prevent of root rot.

And now, I want to tell you about the plants that can grow in planters without drainage holes. But before diving into it, let’s review the importance of drainage for indoor plants.

 ➡ You can also hear the audio version of this article.

Why Do My Potted Plants Need Drainage Holes?

To answer the above question, allow me to tell you about the importance of drainage for potted plants:

•  ➡ Do you know the root breathes? They exchange oxygen and Carbone dioxide in holes of soil. Hence, in soggy soil, the roots cannot breathe. So, the airflow in the soil environment will increase the extension of the root system. In the soils without drainage, the airflow will be decreased too.

 

•  ➡ Another point that I want to note is while watering with tap water or fertilising our plant, we are adding salts to the soil. The high level of salts will poison the roots. How we can solve this Problem? Based on my experience, good drainage will prevent the accumulation of salts in the soil. 

So, my plant in soil with low drainage will get weak and sensitive to root rot-causing bacteria and fungi. Are you thinking “If drainage is critical for plants why do some plant pots not have holes?” let me tell you although one of the best ways to create drainage in potting soils is holes in the bottoms of planters, there are ways to create drainage in pots without holes. I discussed it in my other post (How to prevent root rot in pots without drainage holes?)

In addition, several plants can thrive in pots without holes and I want to discuss them in the following. Keep reading to talk with you about them.

Plants that Don’t Need Drainage Holes.

And now, let me tell you indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes. Three types of indoor plants can live without drainage holes:

• House plants that are adapted to live in soggy soils (water-loving indoor plants)
• Plants that grow in water
• Houseplant that needs a little water for growing (drought tolerant indoor plants).

People often ask me “How both water-loving and drought-tolerant houseplants can survive in pots without holes?” and I answer them “It is dependent on your watering manner. How? Keep reading.

I always say to gardeners: “If you are an indoor gardener with a heavy hand in watering, you should select your favourite plants among the water-loving house plants. But if you know the water intake of plants and can control the amount of watering, you can choose among the drought-tolerant houseplants.”

You must know that after planting a drought-tolerant houseplant in a cachepot, you have to do light watering and avoid overwatering.

In the following, I will discuss the three above plant groups (plants that don’t need drainage) in detail. Keep reading.

A: Water (Moisture) Loving Plants: Ideal for Pots without Holes.

water-loving houseplants that can tolerate overwatering are perfect for planting in pots without drainage holes. The soggy soils increase the risk of root rots because the roots cannot easily breathe and get weak. This situation is very common in planters without drainage holes but water-loving indoor plants can tolerate the overly moist soils better than others.

Hence if you are interested in planting in a pot without holes but have a heavy watering hand, you should choose your plants from the below list.

• Birds-of-paradise
• Carnivorous plant
• Elephant ears
• Ferns
• Lucky bamboo
• Zebra plant
• Umbrella papyrus

B: Plants that Can Grow in Water: Ideal for Glass Jars

You have ever seen plants that root from cuttings in water? Several indoor plants grow in water without soil. they are perfect for pots without holes such as hanging glass jars. In the below, you can see a list of house plants that grow in water.

You must change the water regularly and fertilize them with water-soluble fertilizers.

• Baby’s Tears (Soleirolia soleirolii)
• Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
• Philodendron (Philodendron spp.)
• Spiderwort (Tradescantia zebrina)
• Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
• Mint (Mentha spp.)
• Arrowhead Vine (Syngonium podophyllum)
• Paperwhite Narcissus (Narcissus papyraceus)
• Caladium (Caladium spp.)
• Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)

C: Drought-Tolerant Plants: Plants that Don’t Need Drainage

In this part, you can see a list of drought-tolerant houseplants. You can plant them in pots without holes, although you have to improve drainage with:

• Adding drainage rocks in the bottom of the pot.
• Avoid overwatering, I often reduce the watering frequency and do a light watering at every turn.
• Improve the soil drainage by adding perlite and other soil improvers.

I also recommend reading my other article The Best Practice for Watering Plants in pots without drainage.

Ok, below there is a list of drought-tolerant indoor plants that can grow in pots without holes:

• Aloe Vera
• Burro’s Tail
• Jade Plant
• Ponytail Palm
• Pothos
• Snake Plant
• Spider Plant
• Succulents
• ZZ Plant

In the following, you can find various plants in different practical categories that can grow in planters without holes. You can use them in different means for example for planting in your small pot or hanging from your wall. Click on your favourite group of plants.

• Flowers that don’t need drainage holes
• Herbs that don’t need drainage.
• Small indoor plants without drainage holes.

Conclusion

In this article, you got familiar with plants that don’t need drainage holes and found out that depending on your watering habit they can be among the drought-tolerant indoor plants, Plants that grow in water or water-loving indoor plants.

I provided you with lists of plants in every above group and guided you to valuable sources for being successful in planting pots without holes.

Have you ever experienced planters without drainage holes? Have you been successful or failed? Can you add other new plants to your lists? Please share your knowledge and experience with us below this page.