Why is it that a houseplant living indoors is so sensitive to humidity, water hardness, watering schedule, sunlight… when the same plant has grown outdoors in wild conditions and thrives there?
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There is some survival bias to work through, literally. Wild shrubs, plants, and flowers you see outside thrive because their seeds, saplings, and young plants are optimized for the spot. You didn’t see the thousands of seeds that didn’t thrive.
But this is about houseplants, and the good thing about them is, as long as you provide conditions close to what they like in the wild, they’ll be happy.
As you might imagine this varies significantly depending on what species you’re trying to grow. Far and away the biggest issue is: not enough light.
Lots of houseplants grow in dappled shade in the wild, which is still ~4 hours of direct sunlight. A plant in a pot in an interior hallway won’t come anywhere close. A south-facing window is ideal, and anything else may not provide the right conditions for the plant to thrive.
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