8 Easy Houseplants for Your Home

What makes one houseplant easier than another?

All potted plants on our list are easy to care for and largely foolproof. Nevertheless, some may be trickier than others. For this reason, we have divided the list into two categories: Very easy and Light (with a twist).

Whether a plant is “easy to care for” or not depends on the conditions the plant can tolerate and how much attention it needs:

• Does it thrive in both strong and weak lighting?
• Can it be flooded one week and submerged the next?
• Is it sensitive to tap water, low humidity or other factors that come with being indoors?
• Does it need special care during the winter?

…and so on!

Easy-care houseplants for your home

With that in mind, here is our list of some of the easiest houseplants for both beginners and fanatics.

Very easy

These plants are pretty much bulletproof. They are easy to find in the store (and thus easy to replace if it is worst) and do not require much more than a basic level of care. They also have the ability to bounce back from common problems such as overwater or underwater, improper lighting and fluctuating temperatures.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Thanks to its hardy and productive nature, the spider plant is a long-standing staple among potted plant lovers. They thrive in strong, indirect light, but also grow happily in a weaker place. After a while, spider plants will produce a chain of white flowers and “cubs” – baby plants that hang down from the mother plant and add another element of interest.

See our spider plant cultivation guide for more information on caring for these plants!

Spider plant. Photo by t50 / Shutterstock

Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)

Have you ever seen those bundles of live “bamboo” for sale at the local supermarket? It is happy bamboo – a popular potted plant that is said to bring happiness. In fact, this plant is not a type of bamboo at all, but has a similar appearance to the real thing and is almost as difficult to kill. (When it comes to happiness, we let you be the judge!)

What makes lucky bamboo so easy is its toughness and adaptability. It can survive in a vase with just a little water and a layer of pebbles, or it can live comfortably planted in a pot with moist soil. It also does not mind low light, although it looks best when stored in a bright area and watered regularly.

Read more about the happiness that this plant can bring!

Lucky bamboo

Pothos or Devil’s Ivy (Epipremnum aureum)

Another classic, this vine looks best when it is allowed to drape down a bookshelf or extend around a bright window. With good care, it just seems to grow on forever! Easily accessible, tolerant of almost all lighting and forgiving of most watering habits, pothos is a fantastic potted plant to begin with. In addition, it is super easy to make cuttings of pothos to share with friends.

For increased interest, look out for varieties such as “Marble Queen” or “Pearls and Jade”which has attractive green-white leaves.

Pothos

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

The name says it all – these plants are tough as cast iron! This hardy potted plant will thrive in parts of the home where others would not. Obstacles such as low light, low humidity and less than ideal watering habits are removed by the cast iron plant.

Cast iron plants produce large, dark green leaves on thin stems, giving them a very tropical look. Varied types – either with off-white stripes or spots – are also available for extra interest.

Light (with a twist)

These plants, although still considered lightweight, can sometimes cause problems for beginners due to their sensitivity to certain aspects of care, especially watering. But as long as you can adapt your watering habits to their watering needs, these plants are otherwise worry-free!

Jade plant (Crassula ovata)

The jade plant is a long-lived, slow-growing succulent that is well used in hot, dry environments, such as the inside of a home. With proper care, jades tend to form a thick, tree-like trunk, grow no more than a few feet long, and live for generations.

The great thing about the jade plant is that it does not require much – just strong light and the occasional deep watering. It also does not mind being pot-bound (in fact, keeping jades a little contracted will keep them smaller and more manageable), so repotting should be a rare practice.

What sets jades a step above “very easy” is that they are quick to drop their leaves if they are watered incorrectly, kept in too little light or exposed to cold temperatures. Jade plants require rare but deep waterings to thrive. Read more about their care in our Jade Plant Cultivation Guide.

Some species of jade plants can develop colorful foliage in bright light. Photo by Mauricio Acosta Rojas / Shutterstock.

Snake plant or mother – in – law’s tongue (Sansevieria spp.)

Simple, yet stately, the snake plant is a hardy potted plant that tolerates low light and prefers rare watering. Place it in a dark corner where no other plant will survive and it will stand there, upright and happy as always (even if a bright place really brings out its true colors).

Thanks to its pointed, tongue-shaped leaf, this plant is also commonly known as mother-in-law’s tongue. Snake plants come from semi-arid parts of Africa, where the climate is temperate and somewhat dry, so keep in mind that “less is more” when it comes to watering this plant.

Today there are quite a few odd ones Sansevieria available. “Whale Fin” (S. masoniana)for example, produces large, mottled leaves that resemble fins protruding from the water. Sansevieria cylindrica has – you guessed it – cylindrical leaves that look like green nails emerging from the ground.

Read our cultivation guide for snake plants for more advice.

Snake plant. 

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Thanks to its predilection for withering when it is thirsty, this plant has been branded as a drama queen by some. We, on the other hand, realize that the peace lily only knows what it likes and happens to be very expressive about it.

The peace lily is a moisture-loving potted plant, which prefers not to dry out too much and withers quite extremely if it is “neglected”. It bounces easily back to life, however, when it is moisturized.

With its love of moisture and humidity, and the fact that it does very well in areas with dim lighting, the peace lily is a fantastic potted plant for a dark bathroom or kitchen. At the same time, its pickiness can be a source of frustration for those of us who are not compatible with irrigation.

See our Peacy Lily Growing Guide for more information on this attractive plant.

Photo by Georgina198 / Getty Images

Cacti & Succulents (inclusive Aloe vera)

When you live in a dry environment, you must be very good at storing water. Cacti and succulents have excelled in this by developing thick, fleshy foliage that is perfect for retaining moisture during periods of drought. This makes them an excellent choice of potted plant for those of us who may be a little forgetful when it comes to watering (we have all been there), as they thrive on neglect.

Provided you store these desert plants in a warm, bright area and pay attention to watering too much, they provide very simple houseplants. Overwatering is by far number one with houseplants in general, but especially with cacti and succulents. They should be stored in well-drained soil and only watered when the soil has mostly dried out.

You will find many, many types of cacti and succulents available today, in all colors and shapes. One of the most popular is Aloe verathanks to its easy-care and healing properties.

Aloe vera. Photo by Sunwand24 / Shutterstock

Other simple houseplants for your collection

There are lots of simple houseplants out there! If none of the above piqued your interest, consider trying one of these instead:

What is your favorite easy-care houseplant? Let us know in the comments.

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Find more potted plant types and care tips: