These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring

Thinking of giving up on your plants? These pics will definitely change your mind

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 2

Taking care of plants is far more difficult than it looks, especially for those who are not born with a green thumb. Since there’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to growing plants, a lot of first-time plant parents are easily disheartened when their babies don’t flourish the way they’re supposed to. This, however, shouldn’t make them throw in the towel just yet, because sometimes plants just need more time to adapt, mature, and fill out. If you’re looking for some inspiration to continue being a plant parent, below are photos of neglected plants that have recovered amazingly after getting another shot at life.

#1 Chinese Evergreen

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 3
Credit: Reddit coralcatmeow

Abandoned in an office for five long months, this Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema Stripes) was uprooted from its original pot and was brought home in a box by its new owner. The plant was then potted into a well-draining soil and was let to dry every after watering. A year later, all its wilted leaves had bounced back splendidly. The plant also grew several new ones and even pushed out a flower at one point.

#2 ‘Dead’ plant with fern

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 4
Credit: Reddit Woowar

Left by its new owner’s former roommate, this seemingly dead plant had fully recovered with a bonus fern after almost a year. A newbie to plant parenting, the owner said that the plant’s impressive comeback was probably due to beginner’s luck. But in case you’re wondering what he had done to rescue the plant, the owner said that he simply cut off all the plant’s dead branches and made sure that it would get enough sunlight every day. He also kept the soil moist at all times but not soaked.

#3 Spider plant

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Credit: Reddit liisaispurple

Though spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are known for their remarkable resilience, they still need some attention in order to survive. For instance, the wilted spider plant in the above photos was about to be thrown away when its original owner’s roommate decided to adopt it. The plant’s new caretaker changed its soil, watered it regularly, and placed it next to the window to get sunlight. Seven months later, the plant looked a lot healthier with its bright and shiny green leaves waving happily to onlookers.

#4 Chinese Money plant

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Credit: Reddit teddybear4545454

A year after being nearly killed, this Chinese Money plant (Pilea peperomioides) had an unbelievable glow-up. The plant started to look healthier after the owner replaced its soil with 40% regular potting mix, 40% succulent soil, and 20% perlite. The caretaker also watered it every 10-14 days and put it under CFL grow lights for five hours daily.

#5 Rubber plant

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This rubber plant (Ficus elastica) was found in the trash with all of its leaves shriveled up. But five days after being rescued, the plant looked fully hydrated with its variegated leaves showing off its healthy glow.

#6 Thai Constellation

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Credit: Reddit plantichrist

After enduring a three-week trip in a smashed box as a sprout several years ago, this Thai Constellation (Monstera deliciosa) suffered from a house fire. Six weeks after the incident, the plant lost all of its leaves. But less than a month later, the plant was able to push out a single leaf, giving the owner hope that it would fully recover soon.

#7 Giant White Bird of Paradise

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 9
Credit: Reddit readit_reddit_reedit

This pot of Giant White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) was rescued from the trash. Two and a half years after that, the once undernourished plant had grown majestically and was about to reach the ceiling of its new owner’s apartment.

#8 Tokyo Sun

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Credit: Reddit bbattlestargalactica

This neglected Tokyo Sun (Sedum japonicum) was adopted by the partner of its original owner. And after two months of trial-and-error care that included frequent exposure to sunlight, minimal watering, and plant food consumption, the plant had grown very well and was about to fully occupy its original pot.

#9 Devil’s Ivy

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Credit: Reddit sillybard

Bought at a discounted price from Walmart, this seemingly dead Devil’s Ivy (Scindapsus aureus) unbelievably regained its vigor in less than a day. Right after purchasing, the owner snipped off the plant’s dead parts, watered it thoroughly, and set it in a spot where it could get a fair amount of sunlight. Fifteen hours later, the plant already looked healthy and was ready for its close-up.

#10 Jade plant

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 12
Credit: Reddit kimpressive

This Jade plant (Crassula ovata) was adopted by its new owner from an old co-worker. The plant was parched and dusty at the time of the adoption, but grew magnificently six months later. This happened after the new owner repotted it with a 50-50 mix of perlite and soil, and implemented a regular watering schedule. The caretaker also believed that the plant’s frequent exposure to the sun made a big difference in its stunning growth.

#11 Echeveria cuspidata var. gemmula

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Credit: Reddit 84-175

This Echeveria cuspidate looked a bit wonky when it was purchased from a hardware store, so the owner was delightfully surprised when it began growing flowers a year after. The caretaker admitted that he didn’t do anything special. He just potted the plant in a succulent-appropriate, well-draining soil, watered it regularly, put it on a sunny windowsill, and let it do its thing.

#12 Fittonia

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Credit: Reddit TaylorMariiee

Thinking that this Fittonia was already dead, Lowe’s employees sold it for half of its original price. The buyer knew, however, that the plant would spring back to life by simply giving it a good amount of water. And he was right, in less than 24 hours, the Fittonia had fully recovered and was looking more alive than ever.

#13 Rex Begonia

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Credit: Reddit mitchellered

Bought from Home Depot, this Rex Begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum) flourished beautifully with rich red-violet leaves in a span of seven months. The owner kept the plant’s soil moist but let it dry out between watering. The caretaker also made sure that the plant was getting a lot of sun daily.

#14 A plot of succulents

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 16
Credit: Reddit unknown

After getting utmost care from its owner for two years, this plot of succulents grew to a mini garden masterpiece. Featuring a beautiful composition of assorted plants, this plot included Aeonium arboretum, Jade plant (Crassula ovata), round-leafed navel-wort (Cotyledon orbiculate), Blue Chalksticks (Senecio serpens), Fuzzy Hens and Chicks (Echeveria setosa), and some sort of sedum and kalanchoe.

#15 Succulents

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Credit: Reddit teak-decks

These three succulent plants were literally brought back from the dead. Six months before the “after” photo was taken, these succulents were in individual pots, all looking really bad due to the lack of water and sunlight. But after the owner put them under a grow light and flourished nice and compact, they were all transferred together in a larger pot.

#16 Dwarf Umbrella tree

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 18
Credit: Reddit geekwiththeglasses

This collage shows how a tiny little nub of Dwarf Umbrella tree (Schefflera arboricola) can grow into a proud full-fledged plant in just a span of four months. Set in a mix of perlite and potting soil, the nub achieved its impressive glow-up after being watered every other day and misted daily.

#17 Ctenanthe setosa

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Credit: Reddit dangerpickle89

While some plants require special needs, others thrive without demanding too much from their caretakers. For instance, this droopy Ctenanthe setosa flourished beautifully in just three weeks without getting any special attention from its owner. It was even positioned far away from the window but managed to grow just fine.

#18 Banana tree

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Credit: Reddit Squidtown

This banana tree was literally dug out of the owner’s yard before it was moved to another state. The tree didn’t only survive the move between states; it also managed to flourish indoors as seen in the “after” photo. The owner admitted that he’s not sure if he’s taking care of the tree perfectly, but he did say that he only watered the plant when the soil was dry and deliberately positioned it near a south-facing window for sunlight.

#19 Lemon tree

These before-and-after photos of rescued plants are unbelievably inspiring 21
Credit: Reddit Warm_metal_revival

Lemon trees are notoriously tricky to please, so this 10-month before-and-after case is a miracle of sort. After being neglected for a long time, the lemon tree in the above photos was transferred to a bigger pot. Its old purple container had a drainage hole, which was not ideal for lemon trees that thrive in moist soil and humidity. The tree was set into a new pot with 3-4 inches of vermiculite as well as fresh soil, citrus fertilizer, and pine needles as mulch. The tree was left outside all summer and was positioned in a sunny east-facing window when it was brought indoors.

#20 Jeweled Crown

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Credit: Reddit sunecas

Would you believe that the cute jeweled crown (Pachyveria Scheideckeri) in the photos above was just a tiny stem cutting a year ago? The stem cutting stayed in a cup with water for more than two weeks to develop roots. After that, the stem cutting with all its baby roots was carefully transferred to a pot and was placed near a window. Though the caretaker didn’t mention how often he watered the plant, it’s pretty obvious that the gorgeous jeweled crown got just the right amount.

#21 A wall of green plants

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Credit: Reddit KingGristle00

The photos above prove that even plants have their favorite spots at home. When the first photo was taken, that corner of the house still had a lot of white space left. But a year later, the spot became much cozier with green and shiny leaves of Peace Lily, Pothos, and Cornstalk plant (Dracaena fragrans) covering the majority of the wall.

#22 Fiddle Leaf Fig

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Credit: Reddit ashmichi

The owner of this Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrate) was over the moon when the plant sprouted his first-ever leaf after losing all of its old ones. Though the plant was basically just a stick for at least a month, the owner didn’t give up on it. The caretaker started giving the plant filtered water, and after some weeks, it sprouted a cute baby leaf, saying hello to the world for the first time.

#23 Field Maple

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Credit: Reddit peter-bone

The first photo was taken on the day the Field Maple tree was collected from the forest, while the second one was captured over two years later. The bonsai tree was first set into a large container to help it develop at a quicker pace. When the tree started to grow branches and leaves, it was transferred into a shallower container to slow down its growth and start pushing out smaller leaves.

#24 Echeveria

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Credit: Reddit heydoughnuts

After getting pretty stretched out, this Echeveria was cut two inches deep from the top so there would be enough stem to plant them after they were calloused for a few days. The owner then watered the main plant using aquarium water and kept it outside as much as possible to get a ton of sun. Though this was the caretaker’s first time to behead an Echeveria, the stunning “after” photo shows that he did a very good job.

#25 A bunch of succulents

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Credit: Reddit Tasle

These group of succulents were originally lined up along a windowsill. But after the owner thought that they were not growing to their full potential, they were transferred outside the house under a shade. Seven months later, the once baby succulents had matured strikingly with thick and vibrant leaves.

#26 Pothos

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Credit: Reddit mitchellered

With completely dried out leaves, this hanging pothos looked like it was on the brink of death. But in less than a day after watering, the plant had fully recovered, with its leaves looking lovelier than ever.

#27 ‘Shower’ plant

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Credit: Imgur

After looking gloomier than the usual, this plant was placed inside the shower room by its owner, hoping for some kind of intervention. Eighteen days later, the plant appeared more fabulous with longer stems and thicker foliage.

#28 Mini Monstera

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Credit: Reddit PSPlants

This cutting of Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma) grew to a full-fledged plant in just a span 35 days. After developing its roots in a container with water, it was transferred to a pot and was placed in an east-facing window. The owner said that he was excited for it to get bigger so he could root more cuttings and make its foliage thicker.

#29 A succulent stem stump

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Credit: Reddit rich____mahogany

This stem stump started to push out cute baby leaves 19 days after chopping off the succulent’s terminal head. Though stumps usually do this even without any interference, the owner made sure to keep the stump’s good root structure and put it under a grow light. After being away for 10 days, the owner returned home and saw these tiny yet marvelous outgrowths.

#30 Echeveria Cubic Frost

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Credit: Reddit mitchellered

The five-month progress of this Echeveria Cubic Frost is truly amazing. Though succulents in general don’t need much attention to thrive, this lucky Echeveria Cubic got special care from its owner. The plant was put under a grow light for about 14 hours daily and was only watered when its leaves started to shrivel.

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