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21 Best Indoor Houseplants Make Plant Parenting Easy
Want a stand-out plant that doesn't take a lot of work? We've got the list.
Whether you're brand-new to wide world of houseplant care or are simply looking to add another plant to your growing collection, there are a lot of reasons to look for unfussy houseplants.
While some plants can be pretty touchy—looking at you, Boston fern—turning brown or dropping leaves at the slightest change, others can be nearly impossible to kill by even the most inattentive caretaker.
But you (hopefully) don't just purchase a plant because it's tenacious. You want something that is fun to look at, that you enjoy seeing grow, flower—or even possibly fruit! (More on that, below.)
To that end, we've put together this list of the all-around best indoor plants. These are the plants that strike a balance between being beautiful or interesting, and being easy to care for, without a lot of fussy needs. While some, like the snake plant, you could put in a dark corner and literally forget to water for weeks (trust us, we’ve done it), others will require a little more care, but offer wild shapes, striking colors, and even flowers or fruit. There's an orchid on list, for instance, but it's one of the easiest to grow. And we've included links to our in-depth growing guides for each of them, so you can learn a little more about what they're like before you decide to get something. Happy plant parenting!
More Great Houseplant Stories from Country Living:
Money Tree (Pachira glabra)
With its twining stems and dark green, money-like leaves, this little tree is surprisingly easy to care for. It prefers medium to bright, indirect light, but it can tolerate low light levels, too. Rotate the pot weekly to ensure more even growth. Note: These are often sold as Pachira aquatica, but almost all available in the U.S. are P. glabra.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: If you grow in light that's too dim, the plant will stretch and become gangly.
Related: How to Care for a Money Tree
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Nicknamed for its ponytail-like leaves, this palm stores moisture in its base so it’s more forgiving if you forget to water for a week or two.
Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: To avoid overwatering, wait for the top few inches of soil to dry out before watering it again.
Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
Succulents such as the popular jade plant are perfect for houseplant newbies. They're durable, need very little water, and remain green all year long.
Sun Exposure: Bright indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant can live for decades with proper care.
Calamondin Orange (Citrus × microcarpa)
Want a houseplant that fruits? This tiny citrus tree is your best best! It produces fragrant flowers and tiny sweet-tart fruits—when still green, they're much more like limes or lemons than oranges, but they're still quite sour when fully ripe. You can use them in sauces and vinaigrettes, to make jam or to garnish cocktails.
Sun Exposure: Bright, direct sunlight
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Use a grow light if you don't have a brightly lit window with direct sunlight exposure for most of the day.
Try it in: Orange-Clove Marmalade
Paddle Plant (Kalanchoe thyrsiflora)
"This little-known succulent deserves to take American living rooms by storm," says Tovah Martin, author of The Unexpected Houseplant. Paddle plant boasts wavy, red-tipped leaves that appear as one massive bloom. "It's also practically unkillable," Martin adds.
Sun Exposure: Bright light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Place a layer of pebbles and activated charcoal in the bottom of your container before filling it with potting soil to aid drainage; then let the soil dry out a bit between watering
String Of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
This trailing indoor plant happens to be a favorite of master gardener and Instagram influencer Melissa Lallo Johnson (@fancyflowerfarmer). "My string of hearts drapes over multiple levels of my bookshelves and then hangs freely around 5 feet down from the lowest shelf," she says.
Sun Exposure: Bright indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Direct sunlight will cause the leaves of this plant to burn.
String of Pearls (Curio rowleyanus)
This charming succulent looks exactly like a pearl necklace! Its long, draping stems make it totally Instagrammable.
Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect or direct light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant prefer direct sunlight but will do fine in a room with bright, indirect light as long as it's within a few feet of a bright window.
Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)
Air plants, as you may have guessed, don't need soil, just bright, indirect light. With more than 600 varieties, you'll find one you love! They need to be dunked or soaked occasionally.
Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: Display in a hanging terrarium, mounted on a piece of decorative wood, or in a ceramic vessel.
Related: How to Care for Air Plants
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ plant is aesthetically striking and tolerates incredibly low light levels. Water sparingly, and only when the top few inches of soil are dry.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant will tolerate low light, but if it seems to be struggling, move it to a brighter spot in your home.
Related: How to Care for a ZZ Plant
Phalaenopsis Orchid
Once you know how to care for orchids, they're easy to grow. Their flowers last a long time, and if you are patient and provide the right conditions, they will put out new flower stalks.
Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: Feed your plant regularly with an orchid food to encourage blooms.
Related: How to Grow Orchids and Keep Them Blooming Year after Year
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium superbum)
This striking indoor plant rose to fame on Joanna Gaines's Instagram in 2022. You'll also find staghorn ferns mounted on wood for a unique, living wall decoration. In USDA hardiness zones 9 and warmer, you can grow this outdoors in dappled shade, as long as it doesn't freeze.
Sun Exposure: Bright indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: These plant are happiest in warm, humid conditions, so keep them out of the a/c.
Related: Here's Your Guide to Staghorn Ferns
Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
No green thumb? No problem: The snake plant is practically indestructible. In fact, we'd be impressed if you managed to kill this one. It likes medium to bright, indirect light, but it's amazingly adaptable to low light levels.
Sun Exposure: Low, medium or bright indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Overwatering is the only sure way to kill this plant. Let it dry out almost completely between waterings.
Related: How to Care for a Snake Plant
Baby Rubberplant (Peperomia Obtusifolia)
You definitely have room on your desk for this cute, pet-friendly plant with thick, glossy green leaves. We also love it in a small bathroom, as long as there's sufficient light.
Sun Exposure: Bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: The fleshy leaves retain moisture, so let the soil dry out between waterings.
More: 28 Pet-Friendly Houseplants You Can Grow Without Worry
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
While your plant might start out just a wee thing under one foot, over the years your parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) can grow large—up to 6 feet tall. It's been popular since Victorian times because it's one of the less fussy indoor palms to grow.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright indirect light, tolerates low indirect light
Toxic to Pets: No
Helpful Tidbits: Don't overwater. Allow it to dry out between waterings.
Get the Guide: How to Grow Palm Plants Indoors
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema spp.)
If you're looking for pretty pink foliage, this is the plant for you! It's one of the easiest houseplants to care for, seemingly thriving on neglect and low light.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Water every ten days or so when soil is mostly dry.
Get the Guide: How to Care for Aglaonema, AKA Chinese Evergreen Plant
Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera Deliciosa)
This is a plant that begs for attention! With huge leaves that split as the plant matures, Monstera is a great floor plant for any room with adequate light. Give it a moss pole to climb, and it's even happier.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: Make sure you have plenty of room for this plant because it can become quite large in a matter of a few years.
Learn More: Monstera 101: Your Guide to Healthy Swiss Cheese Plants
Little Monstera Plant (Monstera adansonii)
Little monstera (Monstera adansonii) is a vining plant with leaves that split to resemble Swiss cheese, which is another of its common names. It's a great option if you don't have space for a full-sized Monstera deliciosa.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: The leaves will grow larger and more dramatic if you give it something to climb.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia spp)
Forget about fussy fiddle leaf fig. Bird of paradise is incredibly low maintenance and makes a much less finicky (and less expensive!) floor plant.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant prefers it on the dry side, so don't let it get too soggy.
Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)
Heartleaf philodendron is one of the easiest-care plants you'll ever grow. With darling heart-shaped leaves, this makes a great plant for tabletops and bookshelves.
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant will do okay in low light levels, though it will not grow as vigorously.
Keep Reading: 11 Philodendron Types Houseplant Lovers Find Easiest to Grow
Silver Vine (Scindapsus pictus)
Also called silver satin pothos (although it's not really a pothos; it just looks like one!), this vining plant has pretty, silvery splotches and a vining form. It's super-easy to grow!
Sun Exposure: Medium to bright, indirect light
Toxic to Pets: Yes
Helpful Tidbits: This plant adapts okay to low light levels, though it will grow less vigorously.
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