Small Indoor Plants That Don’t Need Drainage Holes | Update 2023

If you are searching for small indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes for your small house, keep reading to find and how to care for them.

In this article, I will introduce you to 6 small houseplants that you can you plant in pots without drainage holes but before diving into it, I want to ensure you know about the importance of drainage in houseplants.

In previous articles, I talked with you about the advantages of planting in a cachepot (Why do some plant pots not have holes?) and told you why some plants can survive in pots without drainage holes (what plants can grow in pots without drainage holes?).

💡 Before Starting to Plant in a Cachepot: If you want to be successful in your gardening, you should be known that almost all plants need drainage and you have to create it even without holes, how? if you don’t know how to do it, before starting to plant I strongly recommend reading the following articles: Are pots without drainage holes bad? In this article, I will provide you with tips that help you be successful in planting in a cachepot. How to plant in ceramic pots without drainage holes? Ceramic pots are very popular among gardeners and have a lot of benefits for your plant. In this article, you will find tips that are not only practical in planting in Ceramic pots without holes but also are useful for other planter types such as plastic and terracotta. How to have good drainage in pots without holes? I strongly recommend you read this article before starting to plant because creating perfect drainage is a golden key to winning in your gardening, especially pots without holes. What to put in the bottom of the planter without drainage holes? It is a critical factor in building practical drainage for your plant, hence I discussed this issue in detail here. The best practice for Watering plants in pots without drainage. Watering is a double-edged knife, read this article to do it correctly.

Anyway, if you are knowledgeable about the above issues, let’s find small indoor plants that can thrive in containers without drainage holes. Let’s get going.

Small indoor plants that can grow in pots without drainage holes

Small plants are perfect for those whose love a greenery house but don’t have enough place to put pots. If you are one of those, you should know almost all plants are small when they are babies, but most of them get larger and larger and you have to repot to transfer them to the larger pots.

So, you must select plants that have one of the below characteristics:

• They stay small in older stages 
• They are slow-growing plant
• Indoor plants that can keep them small by pruning, like Pothos. you create new small houseplants with cut foliage. 

Here, you will find 5 small indoor plants that not only have one of the above characteristics but can also survive in pots without drainage holes. I will give you tips about caring for these plants including their watering, lighting and fertilizing requirements.

1- Succulents that don’t need drainage

Succulents are one of the best indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes. They have thick leaves that can store water for drought-like situations. Most indoor succulents are small plants with variegated shapes and colours. 

If you are interested to find out all things you should know about caring for succulents, read “Ultimate Guidelines on how to plant, water and Care for succulents in a pot without drainage”.

Some of the most popular succulents that you can plant in pots without drainage holes are:

• Snake plants
• Aloe vera

Let’s know more about them.

Aloe vera

Scientific name: Aloe vera

As mentioned above it is a succulent that doesn’t need drainage. It also can consider a small plant that can grow up to 40 cm.

Watering requirements: you should water Aloe vera deeply but infrequently and let the top soil dry out between watering.

Lighting requirements: it needs 6 hours of bright filtered sunlight every day.

Fertilizing requirements: use a liquid 10-40-10 houseplant mixes, or specific fertilizers for succulents every month.

Snake Plant

Scientific name: Dracaena trifasciata

Another indoor succulent that you can find from tall to small varieties. Some of the famous small indoor snake plants that can grow in pots without drainage holes are:

• Birds Nest Sansevieria (Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Hahnii’)

• Sansevieria gracilis

• Sansevieria fischeri

Watering requirements: water it only when the top soil dries out. Avoid overwatering because it hates the soggy soils.

Lighting requirements: this plant prefers a place with bright indirect sunlight, although can thrive in low-light places.

Fertilizing requirements: this plant is native to poor rocky areas hence avoid over-fertilizing. Feeding twice of year in spring and summer with a 10-10-10 fertilizer is enough.

2- Other indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes

Pothos: Can thrive in pots without holes

Scientific name: Epipremnum pinnatum or E. aureum.

This houseplant is also known as Devil’s Ivy. It can grow up to 10 feet but you can keep it as a small indoor plant by pruning the foliage. It can be a stunning hanging plant in your room or a beautiful climbing indoor plant on your shelf without worrying about drainage holes.

Watering requirements: let the top soil dry out between watering and avoid over watering

Lighting requirements:  put its pot in a place with bright indirect sunlight.

Fertilizing requirements: fertilize your plant with a half-strength fertilizer monthly.

Spanish Moss: a small indoor plant that doesn’t need drainage holes. 

Scientific name: Tillandsia usneoides

This beautiful hanging plant is a kind of air plant that can grow in pots without drainage holes. It is a slow-growing plant that lets you use it as a small indoor plant too. It prefers humid areas.

Spanish Moss can be a perfect choice for those who prefer plants without soil, drainage hole and high-maintenance caring for.

Watering requirements: it likes a humid area, you should water it once a week in summer.

Lighting requirements:  avoid putting it in direct sunlight. a humid place with bright indirect sunlight is perfect for it.

Fertilizing requirements: fertilize your plant with a High-phosphorus liquid fertilizer every two weeks

Venus Fly Trap: strong small plant

Scientific name: Dionaea muscipula

It is a perfect small plant that can grow in pots without drainage holes because it loves to live in soggy soils. Venus fly traps can grow up to 25 inches and prefer a place with indirect sunlight although can grow in low-light places too. this plant loves you water it with rainwater.

Fuego Sky Plant: small sky plant in pots without holes.

Scientific name: Tillandsia ionantha

A wonderful plant that doesn’t need soil to absorb food and water. Its root system is only to keep it stable on a surface. This plant needs you to soak it in water to provide its humid needs.

Hence, it can be an ideal small plant for planting in pots without drainage holes. This small plant has stunning flowers and prefers to grow in a place with bright, filtered light.

Conclusion

In this article, I showed you 6 small indoor plants that don’t need drainage holes including Aloe vera, Snake Plant, Pothos, Spanish Moss, Venus Fly Trap and Fuego Sky Plant. You can find other succulents that can grow in small pots without holes.

Do you know other small plants that can thrive in a cachepot? Have you ever experienced planting in pots without drainage holes? Please share your experience and idea with our readers below this page.