29 Hard-to-kill houseplants for beginners 💪
New to houseplants and worried you will kill them? Start here. These are the plants whose own care notes describe them as forgiving, low-maintenance or hard to kill - the ones that put up with a missed watering and average light while you find your rhythm. Anything fussy or temperamental is deliberately left off.
Even tough plants have one weakness, and it is almost always overwatering. When in doubt, wait a few more days before you reach for the watering can.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is the houseplant that earns its keep.
Crassula Perforata (String of Buttons)
Crassula perforata - the "String of Buttons" - is a charming, easy-going succulent whose small t…
Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
The Croton is the most colorful foliage plant you can grow indoors.
Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)
The Crown of Thorns is a tough, sun-loving succulent shrub that does something remarkable: it ca…
Dischidia (Button Orchid / Ant Plant)
Dischidia is a genus of small, trailing epiphytes from the same family as the Hoya - and if you…
Fishbone Cactus (Epiphyllum anguliger)
The Fishbone Cactus - Epiphyllum anguliger - is a trailing jungle cactus grown above all for its…
Gasteria (Ox Tongue)
Gasteria is a small, tough, slow-growing succulent from South Africa, best known for its thick,…
Haworthia (Zebra Plant & Window Plants)
Haworthia is the small, tough, charming succulent that fits almost anywhere - a desk, a windowsi…
Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
The Heartleaf Philodendron is, for many growers, the single easiest trailing houseplant in exist…
Homalomena (Queen of Hearts)
The Homalomena - sometimes sold as "Queen of Hearts" - is one of those quietly excellent housepl…
Hoya (Wax Plant)
The Hoya, or Wax Plant, is a long-lived, easy-going trailing and climbing plant beloved for two…
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
The Jade Plant is a small, sturdy succulent tree that can become a lifelong companion - often ou…
Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
The Flaming Katy Kalanchoe is the cheerful, easy succulent that you buy already bursting with fl…
Kimberly Queen Fern (Nephrolepis obliterata)
The Kimberly Queen Fern is the tidy, well-behaved cousin of the classic Boston fern.
Lithops (Living Stones)
Lithops are among the strangest and most fascinating plants you can keep on a windowsill.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky Bamboo is the green stalks you see growing in a vase of water and pebbles on desks, shop c…
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
The Money Tree is the houseplant of good fortune - instantly recognizable by its distinctive bra…
Monstera Siltepecana (Silver Monstera)
Monstera siltepecana - the "Silver Monstera" - is one of the most rewarding aroids for someone w…
Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid)
The Phalaenopsis, or Moth Orchid, is the orchid for everyone.
Philodendron Brasil (Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil')
The Philodendron Brasil is a trailing heartleaf philodendron whose glossy green leaves come spla…
Polka Dot Plant (Hypoestes phyllostachya)
The Polka Dot Plant is pure cheerful color - a small, bushy houseplant whose green leaves are fr…
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
The Ponytail Palm is one of the most charming and characterful houseplants there is - a swollen,…
Portulacaria Afra (Dwarf Jade / Elephant Bush)
Portulacaria afra - known as Dwarf Jade or Elephant Bush - is a fast-growing, bushy succulent sh…
Rabbit's Foot Fern (Davallia fejeensis)
The Rabbit's Foot Fern - Davallia fejeensis - is a delicate, lacy fern grown for two things: its…
Rhipsalis (Mistletoe Cactus)
Rhipsalis - the "Mistletoe Cactus" - is a cactus that breaks all the rules you think you know ab…
Schefflera (Umbrella Plant)
The Schefflera, or Umbrella Plant, is a classic, easy indoor tree - fast-growing, glossy, and fo…
Tradescantia (Inch Plant / Wandering Dude)
Tradescantia is the fast, lush, colorful trailing plant that fills a hanging pot almost before y…
Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
The Watermelon Peperomia - Peperomia argyreia - is a small, compact South American houseplant gr…
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ Plant is the houseplant for the darkest, most neglected corner of your home.
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Choosing a plant for a home with pets? We keep toxicity off Plantvale on purpose - see Pawholt's pet-safe plant list.