The best water for houseplants (and what each kind does to them)
The best water isn't the purest. Plants need minerals from their water and none of the chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and sodium that come with most taps. Here's the honest comparison.
- Removes chlorine, chloramine and fluoride
- Adds back 20+ minerals
- 30-day money-back guarantee
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Is your current water the problem?
Brown tips or crisp edges on more than one plant.
White crust on soil, pots or saucers.
You're on city water, a softener, or a well with a lot of iron or hardness.
Two of three and it's worth switching:
What's in tap water
US city water is treated with chlorine or, increasingly, chloramine, and most of it is fluoridated. Old pipes can add lead. Softeners add sodium. Each is fine for you at those levels and hard on plants at every watering.
Distilled and reverse-osmosis water contain almost no minerals. Plants also use calcium, magnesium, potassium and trace minerals.
The options, compared
| Option | Removes chlorine | Removes chloramine | Removes fluoride | Keeps minerals | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tap (unfiltered) | No | No | No | Yes | Depends on your city |
| Sitting overnight | Partly | No | No | Yes | Removes some chlorine only |
| Distilled | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Contains almost no minerals |
| Reverse osmosis | Yes | Yes | Mostly | No | Contains almost no minerals |
| Bottled spring | Varies | Varies | Varies | Yes | Mineral content varies |
| Rainwater | Yes | Yes | Yes | Some | Mineral-light and chlorine-free |
| Softened | No | No | No | Adds sodium | Avoid |
| Filtered and remineralized (the can) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, adds 20+ back | Filters and remineralizes tap water |
Watering Can With Filter and Remineralizer for House Plants
Filters chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and lead as you fill it, then adds back 20+ minerals
Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
plus sales tax where applicable
How to switch without shocking plants
Just switch. Plants don't need a transition; they need the next watering to be better than the last.
Start with the next can. The water change is immediate.
Flush pots that have a crust.
A full can of filtered water through the soil rinses old salts out the drainage hole.
Watch new growth.
Old damage will not reverse. Watch the leaves that open after you change the water.
The Tap Water Plant Guide
Which 12 houseplants react to tap water, how to tell water damage from overwatering, and four ways to fix it — including the free ones.
Watering Can With Filter and Remineralizer for House Plants
Filters chlorine, chloramine, fluoride and lead as you fill it, then adds back 20+ minerals
Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
plus sales tax where applicable
When the water isn't the problem
Yellow lower leaves and sour soil are overwatering. Pale, leggy growth is light. Sudden leaf drop is a draft or a move. Fix those on their own terms.
Frequently asked questions.
Better water, tonight's watering.
- Free shipping · 30-day money-back guarantee
- Free shipping
- 30-day money-back guarantee
- Replaceable filter packs