Sometimes, caring for houseplants feels like a daunting task — one that has many people filling their homes with artificial plants instead. This swap is unnecessary though, because there are plenty of hard-to-kill plants available.
The real deal is always the better choice when it comes to plants. Artificial plants may look nice from a distance, but they can make a space feel tacky. Plus, unlike real plants with their air-purifying qualities, the artificial version only collects dust.
These 24 houseplants are common and easy to care for. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you will have a hard time killing these.
Silver Inch Plant
The silver inch plant, also known as tradescantia, is easy to keep happy because it thrives in various environments. You can place it on your windowsill or an out-of-the-way side table because it can handle direct and low-light areas.
Water your silver inch plant once a week if the soil feels completely dry to keep its purple-and-green striped leaves looking their best. That’s it! It can’t get easier than this.
Money Tree
Now, this plant is fun! Who wouldn’t want a money tree in their home? Given how easy it is to maintain, it won’t make you money, but it will save you some. The money tree has a distinctive twisted, knotted trunk and feathery leaves and loves warmth and humidity.
If your place faces south, avoid putting this plant in direct sunlight, and remember to water it roughly every ten days. Besides, money trees aren’t toxic to pets, so you can be a pet and plant parent if you pick them.
Ponytail Palm
The ponytail palm is also safe for pets, so you can use it to decorate your home alongside your money tree. Ensure you give your palm lots of sunlight — placing it by a window or on the windowsill will help.
Like the money tree, the ponytail palm makes do with little water. You’ll only need to water it once a week or every ten days. If that’s not sturdy, we don’t know what is!
Devil’s Ivy
Devil’s ivy or pothos is an attractive plant with broad, vibrant green leaves that will grow easily if you put it in an indirect light location. The plant grows fast, only needs watering once a week, and is resilient enough for any home.
Not sold on it yet? Devil’s ivy is also one of the best air-purifying plants you can get. It can eliminate nasty chemicals like formaldehyde from the air, so getting one (or more) is a no-brainer.
Herbs
Growing herbs in your home is an easy way to have some greens around the house and enjoy healthy, delicious meals. If the idea of having your windowsill taken over by pots of basil and parsley is too much for you, you can use a gardening kit that’s completely maintenance-free.
It doesn’t need space on the windowsill; you only have to provide water. The accompanying app will let you know when to add water, so you don’t have to put an item on your mental to-do list.
Fiddle-Leaf Fig
Fiddle-leaf figs can grow into beautiful trees if you re-pot and prune them to encourage root growth. Don’t be intimidated, though! A tabletop-size fig is as easy to care for as giving it a sunny spot and plenty of water.
As you learn more about plants and your green thumb starts showing, you can experiment with this plant and turn it into its fashionable tree form. As such, it’s a great plant to invest in if you want to become an expert one day.
Bird of Paradise
A bird of paradise isn’t for everyone, but if your home faces south and gets plenty of sun during the summer, don’t be afraid to get one of these unusual-looking, elegant plants.
Birds of paradise love sunshine and only require infrequent watering — once a week will do — to grow as tall as five feet and look their best.
ZZ Plant
ZZ plants, thus named because of their official name (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), originate from drought-prone Africa, so they’re hard to kill and hardy. They don’t need a lot of light, and you can catch some z’s during your watering duties occasionally.
The downside? ZZ plants are toxic to pets and young children and can irritate your skin when handled, so always wash them after touching your plant. With that in mind, you can decide whether this easy-to-care-for plant is a good choice.
Echeveria Succulents
Echeveria succulents look like green and pink roses, so they’re unforgettable once you lay eyes on them. You’ll be happy to know they’re also hearty and easy to grow. These succulents originated in the punishing heat of southwest Texas and Central and South America, so they can brave any conditions.
The only thing to be mindful of with echeveria is to give it great drainage, like an unglazed clay pot. Otherwise, their roots can rot. Keep them warm year-round, and they’ll reward you with vibrant, beautiful “roses.”
Snake Plant
Snake plants have amazing variegated, sword-like leaves and are as eye-catching as they come. They love direct light, so they can thrive close to a window. Besides infrequent watering, you’ll only need to dust the leaves off occasionally as part of caring for these plants.
Moreover, studies have shown that snake plants can improve air quality in the home. Although they don’t do as much as air purifiers with HEPA filters do, it’s better to have them around than not.
Bamboo
Bamboo has a reputation for being a luck bringer. Well, we’re here to tell you it does bring luck, especially if you’re an indoor plant novice looking for an easy but attractive plant for your home.
The plant likes indirect sunlight and thrives when you keep it away from cold drafts and don’t water it with hard water. It only needs water every week, so it’s an unfussy plant that can brighten any room of your home.
Air Plants
If you’ve never heard of air plants, prepare to be amazed! These whimsical greens don’t grow in soil, so you can place them anywhere you like — from your bookshelf to a terrarium.
Air plants can add style to any room and only need to be soaked in water once a month for about ten minutes. We can’t think of anything lower maintenance than these awesome plants!
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is a succulent that people have used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. This plant doesn’t need watering often because it holds water in its leaves. Only water it when the soil is completely dry.
Its low water requirements make aloe vera as low-maintenance as they come, and it can adorn any space in your home as long as it gets bright, indirect sunlight. It may also come in handy if you get a scrape or minor burn — you can use the gel from its leaves to relieve the pain.
Juniper Bonsai
Juniper species are great for use as bonsai, and bonsai arrangements can make any room more serene and conducive to concentration, so they’re great for your home office.
Once you wire and style your Jupiter bonsai, which is a bit of extra work you can avoid by buying it already styled, all you need to do is water this beautiful plant once a day during the summer and once every three to four days during winter. If watering is something you forget to do, though, definitely skip picking up this plant.
Swiss Cheese Plant
Monstera, or Swiss cheese plant, is immediately recognizable because of the holes in its broad green leaves. It’s also a lookalike of a palm tree, so if you want some tropical decor in your home, it’s a low-maintenance plant that can achieve that look.
Monstera isn’t picky when it comes to light and watering requirements. The plant loves indirect light and only needs water once a fortnight. Pretty good for a holey plant, eh?
Jade
The jade plant is another succulent that can fit into any space and make your home look lush with its plump, green leaves. While jade loves bright light, so you can’t put it just anywhere, it’s very forgiving if you forget to water it.
As with all succulents, don’t overwater your jade plant, which can rot its roots. With the right care, you’ll enjoy your beautiful plant for years!
Cactus
Cacti are the ultimate unkillable plants, so they’ll change your mind even if you’re dead scared of killing a plant. Cacti don’t like attention, only need water every three weeks, and just want to be left alone — plus, there are so many varieties to choose from!
The only downside of these thorny plants is that they’re slow growers. Nevertheless, small groupings of cacti can be decorative and give a sophisticated air to your home.
Prayer Plant
Prayer plants do great in bright, indirect sunlight, which allows their leaves to stay flat during the day and only fold up at night. When they do, you’ll notice they resemble praying hands, which is adorable.
Besides being pretty, the plant only needs water every one to two weeks, making it ideal for the forgetful owner. Prayer plants love air humidity, too, so don’t get one if you live in a dry area.
Yucca
If you have high ceilings and want a plant that grows fast, yucca is perfect for you. This plant is tolerant and resilient — its only demand is bright, indirect light, so it won’t fare well inside a bedroom.
Since yucca is native to hot and dry climates, it doesn’t require a lot of water. Only water your yucca when the top of the soil is completely dry, and cut off yellow and brown leaves to encourage new leaves to grow. That’s it!
Rubber Plant
Rubber plants love cool spots and dim lights. However, if you want your rubber plant to grow rapidly, set it in direct light and watch it grow like the proverbial fairytale prince. Before you know it, you’ll seek ways to prune and propagate it.
Unfortunately, rubber plants aren’t ideal for pet parents because they can contain latex, which can be toxic and cause skin irritation.
Chinese Evergreen
Chinese evergreen plants are the ultimate “can’t kill” plants. They don’t need much to thrive — keep them out of direct sunshine and give them water every fortnight, and they’ll be a happy companion for years.
Besides being sturdy, Chinese evergreens are also great at purifying the air in your home. Research by NASA has shown it removes formaldehyde and benzene from the air, making it a welcome addition to any space in your home.
Spider Plant
Spider plants are great for beginners because they can grow anywhere if you keep them out of direct sunlight. While they need light to grow and prefer extra humidity, they’re not fussy and can survive in dimmer light.
Consider a humidifier to help your spider plants grow shoots that you can then pot separately and enjoy in different areas of your home.
Heartleaf Philodendron
Heartleaf philodendrons look like devil’s ivy, but their leaves are heart-shaped. These climbing vines are as hardy as devil’s ivy and tolerate neglect and low indoor humidity well.
Like many entries on this list, this plant only needs watering when the soil is dry and appreciates bright, indirect light. Don’t place it directly in the sun, or its leaves will become scorched.
Peace Lily
Peace lilies are beautiful and dead-easy to care for. They prefer indirect light and can do well in low-light environments. Nevertheless, if you want to enjoy its beautiful white blooms, keep your peace lily warm and give it lots of water, but don’t overwater it.
Like Chinese evergreens, peace lilies are also good at improving the air by removing pollutants and giving off moisture, so place them in your bedroom to take advantage of their health benefits.