I am a Phal. (moth orchid) orchid killer! I'm sure it related to watering as I can grow just about anything else. For now no more phals for me.

I can not grow African Violets for the life of me LOL, I gave up trying years ago because I felt so bad killing them. Other than them I can grow almost anything.
Christine

I can't grow Boston fern or African violets! I think it is a humidity thing with the fern. It does great outdoors during the summer and is dieing now that it is indoors.
I think it is a watering issue with my AVs.
TJ

Though not a houseplant, the first thing that came to mind is rosemary. I winter over a lot of other plants successfully, but I seem to be able to murder poor rosemary in no time at all.

Oh, that's easy, and its not for the want of trying but I am unable to bring to bloom a Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily).
I have one now sitting in my living room, another in a bedroom and neither, after about ten years, has ever bloomed. I shake my head everytime I see one with flower and I turn away lest I think to steal it.
They grow wonderfully well--that's why I keep them. I remind myself that plants don't necessarily have to bloom to be appreciated.

Tommy, I would guess you problem is likely either a watering issue or a media issue or both. It's the most common reason for orchid death.

TJ, have you ever considered trying a terrarium? I find AVs to be a breeze in terrs though I tend to kill them out of terrs.

I don't think I've ever run into anyone who has much success growing rosemary as a houseplant.

As for myself, Ming aralias are dismal failures. I can keep them going for a little while but then they go through rapid decline and croak.

Medinilla magnifica. I can grow other medinillas but not the magnifica which I think is one of the prettiest varieties. I've tried 2 or 3 times but none have lasted longer then a year.

Lithops rot! Literally. Don't think I will try again.

Christopher

I kill my African Violet like every other year. And it's technically the same one I've had for like four years now, thanks to the wonders of being really easy to propagate. It/they're in proper potting soil now, and I'm also making sure to not forget to water them for months at a time (which didn't actually kill them -- it was rot when I did start watering them again).

Also Coleuses though I think I have an idea what I was doing wrong last time I tried.

What no ivy killers...are you serious! then does anyone have some tricks of the trade for ivy because i think it is beautiful but it hates me :(

Ivies are spidermite magnets, IME. As such they aren't worth growing indoors to me.

I have had enough with growing Violets and Begonias...

The leaves keep turning brown starting from the tip and rot back to teh nain stem..Water can never hit the leaves of these plants because some dang disease eats the leaves up..I just threw them all away today.

This same problem is a major problem with the nurseies from what I have been told..I don't feel so bad now..It is the same problem that attacks grape leaves and the like..I think it's called Botritis and uncurable..So out they went:-(

Mike

i think the trick to the trade with african violets is first they are in a clay pot with violet mix and water about once a week. not in direct sun or the leaves burn but they definately like sun. i do water mine from top although mom always said from the bottom...i just use a water can with a thin long nozzle and dont get it on stems or leaves just in dirt, but i dont freak if gets on stems. that is all i do to mine and they bloom all the time...i fertilize when i think of it in summer with special violet fertilize which probably is the same as anything else i would have to look, sometimes you just pay for the name have had it a long time so i use it. i really do nothing with mine...if they not happy one place i move them until they get happy. usually what i do with all my plants though, move them until they find their happy spot.

"Ivies are spidermite magnets, IME. As such they aren't worth growing indoors to me."

I never have much issues with spidermites, you know? I mean, my plants get them, but it's never a big enough outbreak to... really do any damage, and if it does get that big it's nothing a blast of water hasn't taken care of.

No, MY eternal nemesises would be mealies and scales.

Also I should probably mention Alocasias here, although I've never seen any Polly x African Masks that weren't completely rotting out even in the store, so I don't feel too bad about this.

Poinsettas. I know they're generally treated as an annual, but one day I hope to be able to keep one alive and have it rebloom. So far they only last until the beginning of spring, having been bought at around Christmas time.

And anything that flowers really. If it flowers, chances are good it won't last long.

Paul, I am completely in agreement with you about ivy (Hedera, I mean). I can't keep one alive for more than, perhaps, a month.
As for parsley aralia (Polyscias balfouriana), I found that, the larger mine got, the less picky it became about watering. Mine's now about a 2 foot tall "tree" which came to me in a 1.5" pot about 11 years back. When it hit about a foot tall it became more tolerant of some dry soil, and sometimes it will even wilt, and bounces back easily. In their youth, one wilt and BANG they're dead.

Geraniums, although I tended to get spider mites on ivy too and gave that up.

I expect there are lots of other things but I haven't tried them or forgot about them!

Diana

I find African Violets very easy. Water from the bottom then let dry out and repeat. Bright, Indirect Sun or an east window. Feed every watering with 1/4 strength orchid food.

African Violets, and Orchid. Two plants that keep taking my food money at the grocery store. LOL

Oh I can keep ivies alive, I just don't need the spidermites infesting everything else -- they are often a pain as it is. They love the low humidity over the winter it seems.

My AVs in my terrs get water dumped on their leaves all the time with no issues. I suspect for some folks the issue may be either having the leaves wet and then the sun shining on them or the temp of the water being too cold.

Marquest, the orchids at the grocery stores and BBS -- IME -- are often potted in incredibly crappy media or so badly mistreated (usually by overwatering) that the plants are already in bad shape when you get them.

Paul you are probably right, They look so pretty but what is below the crappy soil is what counts.

Bunnygurl, I'm surprised you haven't had better success with the pointsettia, they really are a wonderful plant to keep going after they lose their color. And they can go outside all of late spring and summer, into fall, before bringing back indoors.
I had one, until recently, for about 8 years...and a couple of the leaves did change color...but that's not necessary, cut back they charm you with their little size.

I've had a lot of difficulty with Impatiens indoors, due to spider mites. Also, any fern that can't deal with my perpetual underwatering habits. That means most of them. I usually just grow them in closed candy jars to solve the water issues.

Euphorbia milii.

First one lasted a week.

Second one lasted at least two months.

Maybe on the third try I'll get it to not lose all it's leaves ... I kept the soil at a dry-er level, but not enough to wither any leaves. Plenty of light. Heat. They just don't like me.

Hi Jordan,

A suggestion if I may.

Euphorbia miliis are quite thirsty plants, take a surprising amount of water & do not want to be too dry. Even tho' they're succulents, some of the best advice I'd ever gotten was to give them more water then one would think a succulent would want & that they are heavy feeders. After I adjusted for that, mine stay in growth year round & the ones which bloom tend to do so for about 9 months of the year. Also, I grow them in plastic, not clay to help them dry out a bit more slowly.