12 Best Houseplants for Beginners That Are Low Maintenance
Are you wanting to get some houseplants for your space and looking for houseplants for beginners? If so, you are in the right place! I was in that space just a while ago. I’ll go over some of the best houseplants for beginners that are low maintenance and hard to kill. A few plants I started out with as a new plant parent is the snake plant, rubber plant, aloe, ponytail palm, and the dragon tree. I still have all of these plants (2-3+ years old) and they are thriving!
These houseplants are great for beginners are most of them need minimal watering and can thrive in medium to bright light. Some of them don’t mind being moved around the house and don’t mind if you forget about them for a week or three!
Snake Plant (Sansevieria ‘Laurentii’)
The snake plant is such a classic houseplant for beginners. This plant adds warmth, height, and uniqueness to any room in your house. The leaves of the snake plant can grow anywhere from 6″-4′ tall. Be careful with this plant, if a tip gets broken, that leaf will stop growing.
The snake plant likes medium to bright indirect light, however, it can do okay in low light or bright light. If this plant is in low light, it will grow a lot slower. If this plant is in bright direct light, it can burn the leaves. So a happy medium is where the snake plant will thrive. This plant needs its roots to stay dry, it doesn’t do well if its roots are wet all of the time. In order to water it, check the soil 2-4″ deep and make sure it is dry before watering. Then “completely water the plant”, meaning pour water on the soil until it starts to drain out of the bottom. After watering, the plant should be noticeably heavier.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
The spider plant is one of the easiest houseplants to grow which is why it’s an ideal houseplant for beginners. This plant thrives in hanging baskets so the spider plant babies that grow from the mother plant can cascade over the plant and multiply. It’s great at purifying the air in your home and if you have furry friends at home, this plant is pet-friendly!
The spider plant likes low to medium indirect light. Water when the soil feels dry. Keep the spider plant in a spot in your home that has moderate humidity and keep the temperature between 70-90F.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)
The ZZ plant excels in growth when it is left alone with little water. This plant is great for beginners as it does not need a lot of attention. It can grow up to 3′ tall and about 2′ wide so be sure to place it in a spot in your home where it will have room to grow. This plant is toxic to pets so don’t place it on the floor if you have nibbling or curious cats or dogs.
Avoid direct sunlight with the ZZ plant as this can scorch the leaves. Medium indirect light is best. Based on the light you have in your home really determines your watering schedule for this plant. If you have a lot of light, it will need watered more often. If it’s in low light, you can water it less often. Sounds easy and a perfect houseplant for beginners, huh?
Golden Pothos (Epipremnum Aureum)
The pothos plant is a notoriously easy to care for houseplant and not to mention a popular choice, especially for a new plant parent! It’s almost unkillable which received the nickname of Devil’s Ivy. Plant this in either a hanging basket so the leaves can trail over or plant it in a regular plant and set it on a shelf to let if cascade down. You can also train this plant to climb if you get a moss or coconut coir pole.
The golden pothos needs medium sunlight to thrive and trail over its pot. This plant needs little water so only water when the top of the soil is completely dry. It will also tell you it’s need water when the leaves of the plant start to curl. This plant does like a humid environment, so mist its leaves often or you can put it under a pebble tray.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
A Peace Lily is one of the best houseplants for beginners as they will grow and thrive for years. Peace lilies are great at filtering the air in your home, which could be one of the reasons that intrigued you into getting houseplants in the first place. In addition to the air purifying qualities of the peace lily, it can also reach as tall as 3′ feet in height.
Peace lilies like partial shade as a houseplant. When it’s time to water, your peace lily will tell you by slightly drooping its leaves. But to keep it moist, mist it a few times a week. Be sure to use distilled water when watering since peace lilies are very sensitive to the chemicals in tap water. Keep peace lilies away from cats, dogs, and children since if ingested, the plant is toxic.
Aloe (Aloe Vera Barbadensis)
Aloe vera is a beautiful succulent that thrives in tropical climates with bright indirect sunlight. It is an attractive and easy plant to take care of, making it a perfect houseplant for beginners. It’s great to use the juice from the aloe leaves in the summer when you get burnt from the sun or even year round if you get a scrape or burn elsewhere. succulent, these plants thrive in bright light with few waterings. Succulent are always a great plant for beginners.
This plant likes dry air, bright light, and not much water. When you go to plant your aloe vera, choose a porous container and make sure it has a drainage hole to ensure optimal drainage. A terra cotta pot works great for aloe!
Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)
The dark green and sometimes purple foliage the rubber plant gives off makes it a spectacular and elegant houseplant. Looking at the gorgeous leaves of this plant makes it seem like it would take someone who knows a thing or two about houseplants to get this plant to thrive, but the exact opposite is true. If you situate this plant in a bright indirect spot in your home and don’t move it around too much, it will indeed thrive!
Be sure to dust off the leaves on this Rubber Tree so the plant can soak up the sunlight and water when the soil is dry. The easiness of this plant and beautiful foliage make it a great plant for beginners.
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea Recurvata)
Ponytail Palm was one of the first houseplants I ever bought. They are part of the agave family, and the ponytail palm is actually a succulent. This plant stores water in its large trunk, meaning you don’t have to water it often. Another true set it and forget it houseplant for beginners!
These plants look great on top of tables with their long trunks and curly leaves. Water this plant when the top of the soil is dry and give it a sunny spot to live. This plant likes dry environments, but be sure to not put it in front of any vents in your home. Trim this plant with sterilized scissors when the tips of the leaves start to get brown.
Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata)
Yes, another succulent! Succulents are such good houseplants for beginners as they don’t require a lot of attention in regards to water and just want a sunny spot to enjoy. The jade plant has beautiful foliage and stores water in its leaves. Overwatering this plant is one of the main reasons jade plants die.
This plant grows about 2″ per year, but if living in ideal conditions can grow as tall as 5′ and live for generations to come!
Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
The dragon tree is a hard-to-kill houseplant. It just needs bright, indirect light to really thrive. The dragon tree is another good houseplant that purifies the air. Monitor the top of the plant and when it looks dry, give it a water. Sounds like an easy plant to take care for, huh?
Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
The Dumb Cane is another great plant for beginners. The dieffenbachia is accommodating to different environments. The striking variegated leaves on this plant make it a truly unique living decor piece!
This plant likes to be in warm environments, with bright indirect sunlight. Make sure the soil is dry before watering this plant, as over watering is a common reason why these plants die.
Majesty Palm (Ravenea Rivularis)
The Majesty Palm is one of my favorite houseplants for beginners. It adds height to any room, making it perfect for corners. Majesty Palms can get 3′ – 5′ tall, but grow a bit slower when they are indoors. This is one of those plants that would love to go outside for the summer!
This plant likes bright light and for its soil to stay moist as it’s a tropical plant, after all! It can be tricky to get the right humidity inside your house for this plant to thrive, so if you are going to invest in the majesty palm plant as one of your first houseplants, think about getting a humidifier so this plant can thrive.
