35 Easiest Houseplants To Care For

This attractive, spiky succulent – whose gel and latex are used to make a variety of topical medications – is popular for another reason: It’s incredibly resilient and low-maintenance. It can grow for years in the same container without needing repotting, and prefers to dry out between scant waterings.

The Amagris variety of the fishbone prayer plant is not to be confused with the prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura), which is a complicated beauty that needs attentive care and high humidity. Amagris is a great substitute, as its delicate herringbone stripes and purple undersides are a handsome addition to any collection, and it can handle most lighting situations. Its leaves will indicate when it is getting too dry, as they curl slightly inward.

The most upright of the indoor begonias, angel wings are robust growers and can thrive without the high humidity needed by Rex begonias. Because of their vigorous cane growth – which can reach six feet tall in some varieties – they may require consistent pruning or stabilization.

Arrowhead vines are notable for their tolerance of low lighting conditions, and can even thrive in artificial light. Their intricately variegated, arrow-shaped leaves will retain their color no matter how little light they get; just don’t place them in direct sunlight.

There are a wide variety of colorful and attractive houseplants in the Peperomia genus. The baby rubber plant is one of the easiest Peperomias to care for, as this succulent variety stores water in its glossy leaves, making it relatively drought tolerant. Native to tropical areas as an understory plant, it can handle low lighting conditions.

The easiest of all indoor begonias, this wax variety has shiny, dark green leaves with contrasting veins and iridescent burgundy undersides. Beefsteaks grow quickly and heartily in the right conditions. They are simple to propagate and a smart choice for novice indoor gardeners, as they are hard to kill. Fans of frequent watering and humidity, their leaves will start to droop if they’re drying out, but will bounce back up after being watered.

This trailing succulent loves bright direct light and is a top choice for hanging window baskets and high shelves, where its branches can drape down freely and out of the way. The key to a successful burro’s tail is to handle it as little as possible, as its leaves have a tendency to fall when jostled.

This nearly indestructible plant can handle low light, low humidity, and temperatures down to 50 degrees, which makes it great for offices as well as dark corners. It prefers to be underwatered rather than overwatered, and its green leaves stay deeply colored as long as it is never placed in direct sunlight. Although the cast iron plant can reach one to two feet high, it is a slow grower, so start with a large plant rather than a cutting.

The deeply variegated, lance-shaped leaves of the Chinese evergreen can range from dark green to seafoam to frosty silver. These hardy plants will tolerate low light, low humidity, and drought, although higher temperatures and humidity will keep them happier. When they become overgrown, trimmed leaves can be easily rooted in water to start new plants.

This compact cutie is native to southern China and grows along the foothills of the Himalayas, but has been popular in Scandinavia since it was brought there by a missionary. It prefers indirect light and weekly waterings with time to dry out in between. This Pilea often produces shoots which are easy to cut off and root in water or soil to start new plants.

This tropical cactus is known for flowering in December, with blooms that can come in shades of white, peach, fuschia, red, or purple, depending on the variety. It makes a great hanging basket or windowsill plant, where its long branches have room to drape. While Christmas cacti need more consistent watering than desert cacti, they still prefer for their soil to dry out between waterings.

With tall, skinny trunks and leaves edged in red, dragon trees are ideal for adding interest and depth to plant arrangements. They also stand alone well in corners and behind sofas, as they can reach a height of as much as seven feet. Low maintenance and drought tolerant, dragon trees don’t require regular fertilization. They do prefer warm, humid environments but can survive in a variety of settings.

This lush, tropical houseplant can grow from one to six feet high and can handle lower light and artificial light conditions. It gets its name from its poisonous sap, which can cause tongue swelling and temporary speechlessness if ingested. Dumbcane likes consistently wet, but not soggy, soil.

The key to growing this trailing vine is simply light. Ivy needs medium or bright light to thrive, and to keep its leaves bright and vibrant. It is perfect for sunny window sills and hanging baskets, and its long tendrils can be trained around windows or pruned to maintain a bushier shape.

Also known as laceleaf or painter’s palette, the flamingo flower plant has extremely long lasting red flowers, while hybrid varieties can bear blooms in pink, white, purple, and green. A great air purifier, this plant is known to remove ammonia and formaldehyde from indoor spaces.

Nearly impossible to kill, golden pothos, or Devil’s ivy, can survive in extremely low light conditions and is drought tolerant. It will, however, thrive with more frequent waterings and will drop its oldest leaves if underwatered. A quick-growing vine, pothos is ideal for training over doorways or along bookshelves.

This low maintenance vining plant adapts well to low light conditions and loves humidity, making it a great choice for bathrooms. The more indirect light it receives, however, the faster it will grow. It can be trained to climb up a trellis or allowed to cascade down over shelves or from hanging baskets.

Also known as spiderwort, this vigorous vining plant has silver and green variegated leaves with deep purple undersides. Well suited for windows, spiderwort needs bright light to maintain its color, and moderate watering to stay full and bushy. When treated right, it will grow quickly and need occasional pruning. Luckily, the cuttings root easily in water and are perfect for sharing with friends.

Popular for their ease of care, jade plants need only a sunny room and the right amount of water to stay happy. While soggy soil will rot their roots, extended dry conditions will harm the leaves. Allow their soil to dry out about halfway before rewatering, and they will stay plump and verdant.

Not actually related to bamboo, this cane plant, native to Africa, is in the asparagus family. It can grow in water without soil and is commonly grown in clear glass containers with or without pebbles in the bottom. Use filtered or distilled water to keep the leaves from browning, and clean the container once a week, refilling it with fresh water to keep algae at bay.

This popular, stand-alone house plant has been cultivated since the Victorian era. It thrives in indirect light and is able to survive in lower light conditions than most palms. Parlor palms only need repotting every two to three years, and can reach heights of 10 to 12 feet.

Tolerant of low humidity and low light, the peace lily is an exceptionally easy indoor plant to care for. Peace lilies prefer to be underwatered, so rather than watering on a schedule, check on them once a week and only water if the top of the soil feels dry. The leaves will also droop if the plant is getting too dry, but will perk up after a watering. In order to generate blooms, ensure that the plant is in a bright room.

This dramatic and lively plant features variegated purple leaves on tender stems that grow from bulbs. The three-lobed leaves open wide during the day and close up at night. Although the leaves may wilt and die back if the plant dries out, the bulbs will sprout new leaves to replace them, making oxalis a particularly forgiving plant for inexperienced owners.

Rubber trees aren’t fussy but they do need medium or bright indirect light, and may grow spindly and leggy in low light rooms. With large, waxy leaves in deep shades of green and red, these showy plants are hearty growers and can reach the ceiling if not pruned. To keep the leaves glossy, wipe them down with a wet cloth if you notice dust accumulating.

This climbing succulent shrub is a native desert plant and loves bright, direct light. Placing it on a sunny patio in the summer is a great way to keep it healthy and growing. Giving it a trellis or support to climb on will encourage its upward growth, but it will also grow well in a hanging basket.

One of the most popular plants in homes, offices, and businesses, snake plants are virtually indestructible. They can thrive in bright light as well as in dark corners, and appreciate very scant watering. With upright, lance-shaped leaves in shades of green, yellow, and white, these hardy house plants can grow up to four feet high.

These prolific growers are especially suited for hanging baskets, where their “babies” will have space to trail down around the pot. Considered incredibly adaptable, spider plants can live in a wide range of conditions with few problems, and enjoy cooler temperatures. Their offshoots are easy to propagate into new plants.

This unusual succulent is a vigorous grower, with long stems that cascade down around the pot. Although it may need pruning once in a while to keep the stems attractive, this drought tolerant beauty rarely needs to be repotted, and even produces clusters of white flowers with colorful stamens.

Despite its name, Swedish ivy is native to southern Africa and is not a true ivy. Its vining branches are well suited for cascading down from hanging baskets, and will need periodic pruning. Although primarily grown for its scalloped foliage, Swedish ivy will bloom once a year with small, attractive clusters of white to mauve blossoms.

Monsteras are sought after for their large, iconic split leaves. Although these tropical plants prefer bright light and warm, humid conditions, they can tolerate low light situations. They are natural climbers, and will grow upright if given stakes or supports to climb, often developing large aerial roots that act as extra supports.

Reaching heights of eight to 10 feet indoors, umbrella trees are suitable for large, bright rooms with high ceilings. Their leaves form radial clusters and are usually solid green, although variegated varieties exist. Although they don’t like soggy soil, they do prefer humidity. Place an umbrella tree pot on a tray of rocks with water in it to keep the air around the plant moist.

Also known as the purple passion plant, this unusual house plant has bright purple hairs over its serrated green leaves. Problems with the plant often stem from water issues. To prevent root rot, let about a quarter of the soil dry before rewatering. Avoid getting water on the foliage, as it can become trapped in the hairs and cause the leaves to rot.

Also known as hoyas or porcelain flowers, these hardy vines feature thick, shiny foliage and will occasionally produce fragrant blooms. They can live for decades if treated well and will snake around an entire room if given wall supports or trellises. Hoyas prefer drier soil but high humidity and take well to occasional misting.

Weeping figs are incredibly easy to care for as long as you follow one rule: after you’ve placed your ficus in an ideally bright location, never move it again. Weeping figs are very sensitive to changes in their environment and may drop their leaves if they are moved. These trees will stay green and healthy with occasional waterings and warm rooms that are free of drafts.

Thriving in most light settings except for direct sunlight, Zanzibar gems, or z-z plants, are a forgetful gardener’s dream. They are incredibly low maintenance and drought tolerant, only needing water if their soil has completely dried out – possibly as infrequently as once a month. Occasional dusting with a wet rag will keep their waxy leaves shiny.