I love sharing my growing collection of houseplants with my friends. At this point, I’ve given away a snake plant, some air plants, and a handful of aloe veras, all of which grew from one “mother” plant.

One of the questions I get quite often are “What’s a plant that I can’t kill?” There’s no shame in admitting it – caring for houseplants isn’t for everyone. Sometimes, no matter how much a vendor promises that a plant is “low-maintenance” and “thrives in low light”, you end up neglecting it too much (or not enough), and it wilts and dies.

If you’re one of those “gangrene thumb” people, don’t lose hope! My favorite thing to recommend to any houseplant serial killer is the marimo, also known as a “moss ball”.

That’s actually a misnomer. This plant resembles a ball of moss, but the literal translation for “marimo” is “seaweed ball”. It’s technically sphere-shaped algae – no seed or stone or anything in the middle. These exotic-looking cuties are naturally found in lakes in Japan, Estonia, Iceland, Scotland, and Australia. They’re truly low-maintenance and can live for over a hundred years!

I first came across Mariimo Co on Instagram. At that point, I already had one moss ball for which I threw together a kind of DIY enclosure from an old pasta sauce jar and some rocks. What caught my eye was their pretty setups, complete with substrate along the bottom. They even sold little lights to stick to the inside of the lid!

I placed an order for myself and one for my friend Marie whose birthday was coming up. They delivered pretty quickly, and everything was carefully packaged to keep all the components clean and intact.

See the setup process below:

Marimo care is ridiculously easy. Put it somewhere with a little (low to medium, indirect) sunlight. NOT direct sunlight – they might turn brown. Remember they’re used to living in cold lakes. Change the water every two weeks or so. That’s it!

If you want one for yourself (or to gift to a loved one!), check out their website. They’re also on Facebook and Instagram. Follow them for tank inspo and updates on their latest promos! Let them know that Kim sent you.