Ever looked at your empty glass jar or old soda bottle and thought, “This could be more beautiful”? Forget soil and mess. This list is about stunning plants that thrive in just water, making your home greener with less hassle.
We’re showing you ten gorgeous, easy-to-find options perfect for our Kenyan spaces. From air-purifying picks to those that love our light, you’ll learn how to bring life to any corner, pole pole.
What Makes This List
This isn’t just any list of water plants. We’ve picked these ten for being truly beautiful, easy to care for, and readily available in many Kenyan nurseries or even from a friend’s cuttings. They stand out because they suit our local conditions—handling our light and warmth while cleaning our air. Each one offers a unique look to transform your space without the dirt and fuss of traditional potting.
1. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
This isn’t a true bamboo, but its graceful, twisting stalks in a simple vase of water are a global symbol of luck and prosperity. It’s incredibly forgiving, thriving in indirect light and needing only fresh water every few weeks to prevent algae. Its resilient nature makes it perfect for beginners.
You’ll see Lucky Bamboo everywhere in Nairobi, from garden centres in Karen to small kiosks in Westgate Mall, often sold with red ribbons for good fortune. It’s a popular gift for new businesses or homes, believed to attract positive energy and growth.
Use filtered or rainwater to avoid brown leaf tips from our sometimes harsh tap water. Change the water every two weeks.
2. The Mighty Snake Plant in Water
Known for being nearly indestructible in soil, the Snake Plant’s striking, upright leaves can also propagate and live long-term in water. It’s a champion air purifier, removing toxins like formaldehyde, and grows slowly, making it low-maintenance. Watching its orange roots develop in a clear container is part of the fun.
Given the dust in many urban areas like Mombasa Road or Thika, having this plant in your living room or office helps clean the air you breathe daily. It’s a practical beauty for Kenyan city life.
Start with a healthy leaf cutting, let it callous for a day, then place it in water. It requires very little fuss.
3. Colourful Coleus (The ‘Mayai’ Plant)
Coleus is a riot of colour, with leaves in vibrant purples, reds, and greens. It roots astonishingly fast in water, often showing little nubs within days. You can create a stunning, mixed-colour water garden from different cuttings, making it a dynamic and ever-changing display.
Many Kenyans know it as the ‘Mayai’ plant, as the leaves sometimes resemble patterned eggshells. It’s commonly found in homesteads across counties like Kiambu, and propagating it in water is a cost-effective way to share with neighbours.
Pinch off a 4-6 inch stem tip, remove the lower leaves, and pop it in a jar. It loves bright, indirect light.
4. Peace Lily for Cleaner Air
The Peace Lily is elegant, with dark green leaves and iconic white blooms, but its superpower is filtering indoor air pollutants. It grows happily in water alone, though it may flower less frequently. Its dramatic drooping leaves will tell you instantly when it’s thirsty.
In newer apartments in areas like Kilimani or Ruaka, where ventilation can be limited, a water-grown Peace Lily acts as a natural air freshener and toxin remover, complementing modern living spaces beautifully.
Transfer a soil plant to water by thoroughly washing the roots. Use a opaque container to discourage algae growth on the roots.
5. Pothos (Devil’s Ivy) – The Unkillable Creeper
Pothos is the ultimate survivor, with heart-shaped, marbled leaves that trail beautifully. It propagates effortlessly in water and can grow for years in a simple bottle. It’s famous for its rapid growth even in low light, making it ideal for darker corners or office spaces.
You’ll find this plant in countless Kenyan offices, banks, and waiting areas, often in water-filled containers on filing cabinets. Its ability to thrive with minimal care amidst busy work schedules is legendary.
Take a cutting just below a node (the little bump on the stem) and submerge that node in water. New roots will emerge from there.
6. Fragrant Mint for Your Kitchen
Growing mint in a jar of water on your windowsill is both decorative and functional. It provides fresh, aromatic leaves for your chai or salads year-round. The plant roots quickly and vigorously, offering a constant, renewable supply of flavour without needing a garden.
Imagine having fresh mdudu (mint) for your evening tea or to garnish a fruit salad, picked straight from your kitchen in estates like Buruburu or Lang’ata. It saves those quick trips to the local greengrocer for a small bunch.
Use stem cuttings from a healthy plant. Ensure it gets good light and change the water weekly to keep it fresh and odour-free.
7. The Architectural Spider Plant
Spider Plants are fantastic for water culture, producing cascading “pups” or plantlets on long runners. These baby plants are designed to root easily. Having a mature plant in water creates a fountain of green and white striped foliage that is visually striking and very easy to share.
This is a classic plant in many Kenyan school compounds and community halls, often grown in old containers. Propagating the pups in water is a common science project for kids and a great way to foster a love for gardening.
Snip off one of the plantlets, place its base in water, and watch it develop its own root system independently of the mother plant.
8. Philodendron Heartleaf
With its charming, heart-shaped leaves on trailing vines, the Heartleaf Philodendron is a symbol of love and brings a soft, lush feel to any room. It adapts superbly to water, where its roots develop into a fascinating tangled web inside a glass container, adding to the display.
Its easy-going nature makes it a favourite in Nairobi’s rental apartments, where tenants want to add a personal, green touch without the commitment or mess of large potted plants that are hard to move.
Choose a vine with several leaves and nodes, and place the cut end in water. It will happily climb or trail from a shelf or hook.
9. Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium)
The Arrowhead Plant has beautiful, arrow-shaped leaves that often change shape and colour as the plant matures. It’s a vigorous grower in water, pushing out new leaves regularly. Its versatile growth habit allows it to be a bushy centrepiece or a trailing vine.
You can find varied Syngonium cultivars at major plant fairs like the one at the Nairobi Arboretum or from sellers along Limuru Road. Their adaptability to water makes them a popular, low-cost option for interior landscaping in offices.
Provide bright, indirect light for the best leaf colouration. You can train it up a moss pole even in its water container for vertical interest.
10. Sweet Potato Vine – Edible Decor
Don’t throw away that sprouting sweet potato from the market! Place it in water, and it will grow a cascade of vibrant green or purple heart-shaped leaves. This is a fast-growing, edible ornamental where you can enjoy the foliage and even harvest the tender leaves (like terere) for cooking.
This is the ultimate budget-friendly, Kenyan hack. That forgotten potato in your kitchen in Nakuru or Kisumu can become a beautiful, sprawling centrepiece for your dining table, connecting decor directly to local food culture.
Suspend the potato with toothpicks over a jar so only the bottom third touches water. Place it in a sunny spot and watch it take off.
Start Your Water Garden This Weekend
You now have a list of ten stunning, low-fuss plants that can turn any jar, bottle, or vase into a living piece of decor. The beauty is that you don’t need a garden or expensive supplies to begin.
Your first step is simple: look around your home for a suitable glass container and check if you or a friend already has one of these plants for a cutting. Head to a local nursery like those in Jamhuri or along Ngong Road to find specific varieties. For guidance, join active Kenyan gardening groups on Facebook, such as ‘Gardening in Kenya’, to ask for cuttings or share your progress.
Transforming your space with these living artworks is not only easy but a rewarding way to bring a bit of calm and natural beauty into your daily routine, starting today.
The Bottom Line
Growing plants in water is a simple, clean, and accessible way to bring nature indoors, perfect for our Kenyan lifestyles where space and time can be limited. It proves you don’t need a big garden or a green thumb to enjoy the beauty and benefits of greenery. The key is starting with the right resilient plants and a bit of curiosity.
So, pick one plant from this list, find a container, and start your own soil-free garden today—it’s easier than you think.
Frequently Asked Questions: Top 10 Beautiful Plants That Grow in Water with No Soil now in Kenya
Which plant on the list is the absolute easiest for a complete beginner?
For a total beginner, Pothos (Devil’s Ivy) is the champion. It’s incredibly forgiving, grows fast in low light, and roots so easily you can’t go wrong.
You can find cuttings almost anywhere, and it will thrive even if you forget to change the water for a couple of weeks, making it perfect for a busy schedule.
Are these water plants suitable for Kenya’s varied climates, from coastal areas to the highlands?
Absolutely. Most plants listed, like Snake Plant and Lucky Bamboo, adapt well. The key is managing light and water temperature based on your local climate.
In hot, coastal areas like Mombasa, keep plants away from direct afternoon sun. In cooler highland areas like Limuru, ensure they get enough bright, indirect light to grow well.
Where is the best place in Kenya to find these specific plants or cuttings?
Start with local nurseries in your county or major plant fairs. For a wider variety, visit large nurseries along routes like Limuru Road or in areas like Karen, Nairobi.
Don’t underestimate your network! Ask friends, family, or colleagues for cuttings; sharing plant cuttings is a common and cost-effective practice in many communities.
Do I need to add any fertilizer or special nutrients to the water?
For long-term health, yes. While plants can survive in plain water, adding a weak liquid fertilizer every 4-6 weeks during growth periods will keep them lush and vibrant.
You can find suitable water-soluble fertilizers at agrovets nationwide. Use only a quarter of the recommended strength to avoid burning the delicate water roots.
What’s the most common mistake people make when starting water plants?
The biggest mistake is using a container that’s too deep or not changing the water regularly. This leads to rotting stems and algae growth, which can kill the plant.
Use a container where only the nodes or roots are submerged, and refresh the water every one to two weeks to keep it clean and oxygenated for healthy growth.
