Which plant for kids favors?

[projectpeace]

Looking to send home a group of 10-12 kids with little potted plants. But which plant is easiest for them to care for? We are all city dwellers so something indoors is best. Also, something that is not poisonous is probably good too. Suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

[Perennialnorthernmichigan]

I would say violets. They don't require much sun and they like light watering. I keep mine on my kitchen sink, and just splash it under the faucet like 2-3 times a week. They are small too. Mine is called an African Violet

http://www.******************************

[Chris]

Indoors is a problem because most plants need light, and indoors does not have much of it. Plants that do well in shade, they don't do well in light. So without knowing the light conditions (window/patio/whatever) each kid has, it is going to be hard for you to pick one plant.

If you knew they could grow it in full sun I'd suggest mint. It is very hardy, easy to grow, and they can snack on it.

Of house plants, succulents can be the easiest to grow, if you have sun, but it is hard for beginners to know how much to water them.

Pothos is one of the easiest most common houseplants to grow, takes low light conditions and high indirect light fine, easy to divide, easy to water, good at cleaning interior air... poisonous, especially to pets.

Most decorative plants are in fact bad if ingested, which is why we don't eat them ourselves.

Purslane (http://www.gardeningblog.net/2009/06/26/purslane-weed-or-feed/) is an edible weed, cultivated in many parts of the world, it is very healthy to eat, grows well, doesn't need much watering so hard to kill, prefers sun but will tolerate some shade.

I do think an edible herb of some sort would be best for children, I know my kids love herbs, they're always eating them from the garden, but most herbs and edibles require sun.

Radishes, also needing sun for full potential, are often used to introduce children to gardening because they germinate fast, grow fast, and can be harvested only a few weeks after planting.

[Chris]

African violets are poisonous too I believe

[AdamBorzy]

Children at a very young age can be easily discouraged and one of the easiest plants for them to germinate indoors is broad beans.
That is a lot easier to manage for the kids. On the other hand, if you want a flowering plant, I suggest Marigolds.