You’ll hear a common refrain from people who live in a plant-free home: “Oh, I’ll kill all of them.” In some cases, this is a legitimate excuse, because many houseplants require water, care, and a specific climate to thrive. The best plants are not difficult to maintain, so by neglecting them it is nearly impossible to kill them. The hardy plants can tolerate drought, near-constant shade, and weeks of inattention with ease, proving that anyone can enjoy some chlorophyll in their home.
Below are 15 houseplants that can survive almost anything.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
A native of tropical West Africa, the snake plant has a striking appearance that seems more demanding than it actually is. Although it prefers bright light, snake plants will also thrive in partial shade, and they do not require specific humidity levels. Snake plants will thrive in any part of the house. It is a succulent, so it stores water in its thick leaves, and prefers to be neglected rather than overwatered.
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
A parlor palm is a popular choice for house plants, and for good reason. Native to Central and South America, this shade-tolerant native grows two to three feet tall at maturity, tolerates low light, and requires little to no watering. Those features make it a good choice for novices and forgetful plant owners. Parlor palms are also sometimes called bamboo palms because of their bamboo-like stems, and they produce inedible fruits (although fruiting indoors is rare).
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
When it comes to infrequent watering and artificial light, the spider plant, also known as the ribbon plant, is one forgiving houseplant. They grow well in pots or hanging baskets and can be propagated by division, allowing you to grow many plants for the price of one. Its leaves have distinctive light green stripes, and its white, star shaped flowers make it a showy houseplant, even if it doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica ‘Decora’)
Often overwatered, and with its dark green leaves that make it look like a jungle plant, the rubber plant is a variety of fig tree which is a popular houseplant as well as a common office plant. It can thrive in low light, but tends to dislike being moved around a lot, so it might prove to be a blessing in disguise for less-attentive plant owners. Cleaning the leaves on a regular basis is important, as they attract a large amount of dust.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
Christmas cactus gets its name because of the showy flowers it produces in winter. Although this plant is a true cactus, it is native to the rainforest, not the desert, and prefers more moisture than other plants of its kind. When properly watered, this is a rewarding houseplant that doesn’t require much else. In partial light, it performs best in a potting mix or cacti mix. To encourage more growth, plant it in a hanging container whose limbs can drape.
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
Adding croton plants to your house can be a bit daunting for first-time plant owners due to the colorful, variegated leaves. Because it doesn’t like to get moved, don’t be surprised when it drops its leaves at first. Keep it well-watered, and they’ll bounce back no problem. Once established, this tropical, Southeast Asian native is easy to take care of, especially if you can find a warm, sunny corner for it.
Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)
If you’re looking for an entirely hands-off houseplant, look no further than the unique air plant, which requires no soil — and almost no water. Epiphytes are alive only because they are attached to the air and they collect the nutrients they need through transpiration from the air. An air plant will still need to be misted or dunked in water to mimic its natural habitat unless you have a misty, humid environment where it can thrive nearly every day.
Eternity Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)
In spite of its name, the eternity plant thrives in less than perfect conditions, outlasting poor plant care. Despite being able to exist in rooms with mostly artificial lighting, it needs little water and low to medium light. You should still water it, but as it likes its soil to be completely dry between waterings, you can water it as infrequently as once a month.
Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
The corn plant is a hardy houseplant that can be grown in shadier areas in your house. It tolerates inattention fairly well and is easy to monitor because its leaves will turn brown if they need more water. Since it can grow four to six feet tall at maturity, it makes a good choice as a large floor plant. Growing slowly, it has canelike stalks that can be cut back to train the plant to the size you desire.
Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
A golden pothos plant is a forgiving, vining plant that will grow in any room in your house without much input from you. This plant grows very quickly, sometimes up to a foot in a month, and can thrive even in artificial light situations. Unlike most vines, though, it grows long and wide. The heart-shaped leaves may be trained onto shelves, or left to fall naturally.
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
Another popular vine that thrives in a wide variety of conditions is the English ivy. A few species even thrive in bathrooms. They prefer moist, shady conditions. If you find that English ivy looks good to you, it’s easy to propagate it by cutting, which makes it easy to grow in different places throughout the house. It is worth noting that it is also an aggressive invasive species in the United States, and shouldn’t be grown outdoors or thrown into the compost pile.
Jade Plant (Crassula argentea)
It is a large succulent that has a woody stem that resembles a tree once it reaches a certain height. Water is retained well by its thick, waxy leaves, so overwatering is usually easier than leaving it too dry.
It might reach five feet in height, but you’ll need to grow it slowly. It has heavy, fleshy leaves, and you have to trim them to promote vertical growth. It also reveals its unique trunk when you trim it, since the thick foliage would otherwise conceal it.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Among novice plant owners, peace lilies are highly recommended as a gift for their ease of cultivation. Growing in three feet and preferring partial sunlight or shady corners, it’s an easy plant to take care of. If its leaves become pale or begin to curl, they may be receiving too much sunlight. The peace lily is a tropical native that likes high humidity conditions. If humidity is an issue in your home, placing the pot on a tray of moist pebbles can help to mimic a more humid climate.
Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa)
Wax plants are slow-growing, vining plants that make a good houseplant. It’s popular for its waxy leaves and the fact that it can handle a wide range of conditions. It produces star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer, but is tough to grow — which makes it a fun challenge for budding gardeners. The best potting mix for it is one with high drainage, and which also contains material such as perlite and pumice to promote airflow.
Aloe (Aloe barbadensis)
House plants such as aloe thrive on little water and are used for their medicinal properties, such as treating burns and cuts.
Aloes are members of the succulent family that retain water in their thick leaves and prefer dry soils. You can take a cutting from your own plant to use in this manner. Since it prefers direct sunlight, you will probably find that it grows best in the brightest window you can find.
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