30 Easy Houseplants for Beginners (Species Guide)

Are you looking to grow some indoor plants in your house, but don’t exactly have a green thumb? No worries!

Today we’ll tell you about 30 easy houseplants for beginners that you can take home and care for with confidence. Each of these plants is beautiful, easy to maintain, and will forgive you most of the time if you happen to miss the occasional watering.


Easy Houseplants for Beginners – Our Top Picks

  1. Air plants – Tillandsia family
  2. Aloe Vera – Aloe barbadensis miller
  3. Arrowhead Plant – Syngonium podophyllum
  4. Cast Iron Plant – Aspidistra elatior
  5. Coffee Arabica
  6. Fiddle Leaf Fig – Ficus lyrata
  7. Flaming Katy Houseplant – Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
  8. Flamingo Flower – Araceae anthurium
  9. Grape Ivy – Cissus rhombifolia
  10. Guzmania Bromeliads
  11. Heartleaf Philodendron – Philodendron hederaceum
  12. Hindu Rope Plant – Hoya Carnosa
  13. Holiday Cactus – Schlumbergera bridgesii
  14. Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata
  15. Lucky Bamboo – Dracaena sanderiana
  16. Madagascar Dragon Tree – Dracaena marginata
  17. Moth Orchid – Phalaenopsis Blume
  18. Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum wallisii
  19. Peperomia – Peperomia obtusifolia
  20. Ponytail Palm – Beaucarnea recurvata
  21. Pothos – Epipremnum aureum
  22. Prayer Plant – Maranta leuconeura
  23. Purple Shamrock – Oxalis Triangularis
  24. Red Aglaonema – Aglaonema commutatum
  25. Rubber plant – Ficus elastica
  26. Snake Plant – Sansevieria trifasciata
  27. Spider Plant – Chlorophytum comosum
  28. Spiderwort – Tradescantia Zebrina
  29. Zebra Plant – Haworthiopsis Fasciata
  30. ZZ Plant – Zamioculcas zamiifolia

Air plants – Tillandsia family

Tillandsia ionantha

Our first entry is one of the easiest, the most diverse, and the most fun. Air plants are found most often in South America and New Mexico, clinging to rocks or bits of trees, where they simply anchor themselves and draw the nutrition that they need from the surrounding air.

Spot hosting for air plants is not for absorption of nutrients, but rather for keeping them in place. This is a plant that will live just fine wherever you hang it, even on a fridge-magnet!

Air plants come in over 450 natural varieties (and that’s not even counting the hybrids) and they range in size from a few inches to longer than 15 feet in length. Tillandsias also come in an assortment of colors (such as pink, yellow, purple, and red) – there’s Tillandsia species out there to fit just about every requirement.

Taking care of your Air plants

Keeping your own Air plants is pretty easy, but first and foremost they are going to need a lot of air. This means that the plants should be placed somewhere with good air circulation. Put them close to the doors that get used a lot for best results.

As far as watering, a quick dunk of water in a bathtub or bin once a week will help make sure that your plant stays hydrated. Air plants are a little sensitive to sunlight – put them in a brightly lit room, but try to keep them out of direct sunlight.

Aloe Vera – Aloe barbadensis miller

Aloe barbadensis

The white-speckled, spiky green leaves of the Aloe Vera plant are recognized by many and known for their healing properties. Incidentally, they are also quite easy to take care of should you decide that you would like one in the house. That’s because Aloe Vera is part of the succulent family, a group of hardy plants with thick, fleshy leaves which thrive just about anywhere that you plant them.

These are plants which have evolved to grow in deserts, semi-deserts, and other dry areas around the world. To give you an idea of how hardy Aloe is from the get-go, you should know that it occurs naturally in Africa, Asia, America, and Europe, thriving in dry places due to the succulent-superpower of capturing and holding water.

Aloe Vera plants will grow up to 20 inches in length. If you have a minor cut, scrape, or sunburn, you can take some leaves for use (just don’t use more than 1/3 of the plant) and your Aloe will regenerate the loss in 3 – 5 months.

Taking care of your Aloe Vera

Aloe does best in a terra cotta pot, with a half and half mixture of potting soil and sand. It needs to be located in a spot where it will get lots of direct sunlight – otherwise it will go into ‘survival mode’ and stop growing.

This is a good plant for beginners because you only have to water it heavily every 2 weeks, which is basically as long as it takes the soil to dry out. You can tell if you are watering it too much by browning in the leaves.

When moving it to a sunny place, do it gradually so that your plant doesn’t get too much sun at once. Once it’s comfortable, it will require very little maintenance to thrive.

Arrowhead Plant – Syngonium podophyllum

Syngonium podophyllum

Arrowhead plants are another low-maintenance option to spice-up the house. As the name implies, the leaves are arrow-shaped and typically green in color, sporting cream-color or white highlight patterns. You can also find pink and burgundy variants if green and white is not your thing.

As far as placement goes, these plants will do just fine on your shelf or hanging somewhere that you can get a good look at them. We should note that they shed their leaves on occasion, which can cause skin irritation or vomiting. It’s best to put them somewhere easy to clean where the leaves won’t drop near pets or curious children.

Arrowhead plants will be about 3 – 6 feet when fully mature, so make sure that it had enough headroom to grow.

Taking care of your Arrowhead Plant

Your arrowhead plant should be in a bright room, but not in direct sunlight. An all-purpose potting soil is perfect for this plant and you should water it once a week, so that the soil gets partially dried out between watering sessions.

Cast Iron Plant – Aspidistra elatior

Aspidistra elatior

If you want a plant that’s hard to kill, then look no further than the aptly named Cast Iron plant. This plant occurs natively in China and Japan and can live up to 50 years.

The broad, green blades of this plant are simple and pleasing, though you won’t find it in any fancy colors. The Cast Iron plant is there to add green to the room and that’s it – although some varieties do come with white speckles if solid green isn’t your style.

Cast Iron plants are hardy, but slow growers. They don’t need a lot of space because they max out at about 2 feet in height. It’s also slow about producing extra leaves, so you can place it where you like with little worry that it will need to be moved anytime soon.

Taking care of your Cast Iron plant

Cast Iron plants don’t need a whole lot of light, so don’t keep them in direct sunlight. As far as soil, they’ll do well in all kinds, even clay, but standard potting soil is the easiest and will work perfectly.

This plant doesn’t mind if you miss the occasional watering, but is sensitive about overwatering. Try to water every 2 or 3 weeks.

Coffee Arabica

Coffee Arabica

If you love coffee, you might be interested to know that it can do more than a morning energy boost – it can actually help make you home more beautiful! Coffee Arabica plants are easy to take care of, although you’ll need to trim them from time to time. They mature at about 5 -6 feet in height, but can grow up to 15 feet if left unchecked!

As a bonus, one plant can produce up to 2000 ‘cherries’ with 2 coffee beans each, which amount to 1 or 2 pounds of homegrown coffee! If you’re looking for a hardy, unique houseplant that’s guaranteed to be a real pick-me-up, then Coffee Arabica might just be a perfect fit.

Taking care of your Coffee Arabica

Add a little sphagnum peat to your potting soil to increase the acidity and you’ve got the perfect soil for your Coffee Arabica (just make sure that it drains easily). Low or medium levels of sunlight will work, but it will grow faster in medium sunlight. Weekly or biweekly watering is best, to keep the soil moist. If your plant droops, water it just a little more and it will spring right back.

Be sure to keep your plant warm – Coffee Arabica doesn’t like temperatures under 65 degrees.

Fiddle Leaf Fig – Ficus lyrata

Ficus lyrata

You may have seen the Fiddle Leaf fig in a number of magazines, as this is currently a popular plant for home décor. It’s dark green Violin-shaped leaves are shiny and they don’t cluster much, so this is not a ’bushy’ plant. It gives a little classiness and color to corners of your house that might otherwise be a little dull.

The Fiddle Leaf Fig looks quite spectacular as it grows with a max height of around 6 feet. Despite its flashiness, the Fiddle Leaf Fig is actually surprisingly easy to care for.

We should note that a humidifier nearby is a good idea, as this is a tropical plant. If that’s not an option you should provide extra water to compensate.

Taking care of your Fiddle Leaf Fig

A mix of 2/3 peat along with 1/3 perlite provides a superior medium for growing your Fiddle Leaf Fig as it will drain well while providing a little extra on the organics side to encourage healthy growth.

Water it heavily every 10 days, as this mimics their natural rainforest patterns of deluge and drought quite nicely. As far as sunlight, you don’t have to be shy with these guys… full sunlight is best so a spot by a south-facing window is optimal.

Make sure that temperatures are consistently warm, never dropping under 55 degrees, as these tropical plants will not tolerate the cold very well at all.

Flaming Katy Houseplant – Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Flaming Katy is a succulent that looks beautiful in any home. With as many as 50 small flowers per head, it’s also quite colorful, as these tiny blooms come in orange, red, lilac, and yellow.

While this succulent won’t take a lot of watering, you will want to very careful with the leaves as the tips can be prone to breakage if handled roughly.

This plant is perfect for decorating a nook on your desk or another place where you spend a lot of time. Fully grown at just 12 inches, but this little succulent can definitely brighten up the room despite its small size.

Taking care of your Flaming Katy

This plant requires bright sunlight and temperatures around the 65-to-70-degree range. Watering your Katy should be done at the base, rather than from the leaves down.

Once a week in the summer and once every 2 or 3 weeks in the winter should be plenty of water to keep your Flaming Katy happy and healthy. Be sure to use a sandy potting soil mix and you’ll be enjoying your Katy for many years to come.

Flamingo Flower – Araceae anthurium

Araceae anthurium

With rich, green leaves and heart-shaped red flowers protecting a bright yellow spadix, the Flamingo flower is a lovely choice for the home that you are sure to enjoy. If you see roots coming up, then don’t worry – your plant isn’t trying to escape, it’s just one of the quirks of this plant that the roots will sometimes make a surface appearance.

This plant does like humidity, but don’t let that stop you. It’s worth the extra pennies in electricity and refilling that humidifier from time to time.

Flamingo flowers will be 12 to 18 inches when fully mature. The only caveat with this choice is that the plant is quite toxic, so this is not a good choice if you have children or pets.

Taking care of your Flamingo Flower

You should water your Flamingo flower every 3 days, meaning it’s a little more maintenance than some of our previous entries.

You’ll want your Flamingo Flower in bright but indirect sunlight, as these plants are sensitive to prolonged, direct sunlight.

Finally, your soil should be equal parts perlite, potting soil, and peat moss for best results.

Grape Ivy – Cissus rhombifolia

Cissus rhombifolia

Grape ivy is a pretty vine that can cling to a trellis or look beautiful in a simple hanging basket. These pretty vines produce berries and flowers in the wild, though when growing them indoors you will likely not see these. Even without them, it’s an attractive plant that’s quite easy to take care of.

Be sure to trim you Grape Ivy from time to time, as these can grow to be about 8 feet – sometimes a little longer if unattended.

Taking care of your Grape Ivy

Your soil mixture should consist of peat, perlite, and calcined clay and you’ll want indirect, but bright sunlight. Don’t leave your Ivy in direct sunlight for prolonged periods and water it once a week during the spring and the summer, and a little less frequently in the winter.

The easiest way to test if this plant needs watering is a quick touch of the topsoil – you want it to be slightly moist. If it’s completely dry, your vine needs a little water.

Guzmania Bromeliads – Many varieties

Bromelia

Guzmania Bromeliads are related to pineapples and make beautiful additions to any home. You can find them with yellow, purple, white, red, and orange blooms and they are ridiculously easy to take care of.

The height will vary based on the type that you select, but the largest Guzmania Bromeliads tops out at about 2 feet. You definitely won’t need a whole lot of space to host one in your home.

Taking care of your Guzmania Bromeliads

For the soil, you can use a standard orchid medium or you can use Bromeliaceae soil mix, with the latter being the preferred medium of choice.

Guzmania like bright, indirect sunlight, so you can place one close to a window as long as the room is not going to be below 65 degrees. Watering is the best part with these plants, as they only require a once-a-month watering schedule.

No fertilizer or pruning is needed – just place it, water it once a month, and enjoy the ambience it brings to the house.

Heartleaf Philodendron – Philodendron hederaceum

Philodendron hederaceum

Another easy houseplant for beginners is the Heartleaf Philodendron. This plant has green, heart-shaped leaves and snakes out like vines, making it a perfect plant for hanging or placing on a table.

The vine-like stems should grow to be about 4 feet long, so not a lot of maintenance is going to be required on your part to enjoy this plant in your home.

Taking care of your Heartleaf Philodendron

African Violet potting mix is a perfect soil for this plant. If you want to whip up something on your own, just mix a peat-based soil and your Heartleaf Philodendron will be quite comfortable.

During spring and fall you’ll want to add a water-soluble fertilizer every 6 to 8 weeks, as this is when it will be producing new leaves. This plant requires a moderate to high amount of indirect sunlight, although it will also thrive under fluorescent lights if you like. Water it every 1 or 2 weeks and let the soil dry out in between these sessions for best results.

Hindu Rope Plant – Hoya Carnosa

Hoya carnosa

With long, vine-like stems, waxy green leaves, and pink star-shaped flowers, the Hindu Rope plant definitely has a lot going for it in the way of aesthetics. They are also quite easy to take care of and don’t mind staying in the same pot for many years, so you can pretty much place them and water from time to time while enjoying those amazing flowers.

Although it take about 3 years for the first flowers to start blooming, this plant is only going to change slowly during this time. They grow very slowly, reaching a fully-mature height of only 15 inches.

Once they do start blooming, however, flowers will bloom sporadically at different times throughout the year!

Taking care of your Hindu Rope plant

Hindu Rope plants plants will grow quite well in regular potting soil with a little perlite mixed in. They prefer bright, but indirect sunlight.

These plants are considered semi-succulents, and thus store a bit of water, so you can water them every 2 – 3 weeks. Just check the top 2 inches of soil to make sure that it is dried out before you water it again as these plants are very sensitive to overwatering.

Holiday Cactus – Schlumbergera bridgesii

Schlumbergera bridgesii

This plant may not look like a typical cactus, but the Holiday cactus is a member of the same rough and tumble family – it’s super-easy to care for!

This plant is a winter-bloomer, so when it gets chilly you’ll be greeted by amazing pink or red flowers. The leaves, by contrast, are dark green and spiky.

You can trick this plant into blooming early by putting it near a chilly window – temperatures around 55 degrees in November should get the blooming process started. Just cut off the heat when you go to work one day and see what happens (but don’t let it go below 50, as this is dangerous for the plant).

Schlumbergera bridgesii ranges between 12 – 24 inches tall at full maturity.

Taking care of your Holiday Cactus

Regular potting soil with about 20% perlite and some coarse sand mixed in are ideal for the Holiday cactus. It also prefers full, direct sunlight, so you’ll want it right by a window. Water it once a week during the spring and summer months and closer to every 2 weeks in the winter and fall.

Jade Plant – Crassula Ovata

Crassula Ovata

This succulent looks tiny when you first bring it home, but don’t be fooled – the Jade plant can grow to be over 5 feet tall! The shiny, waxy green leaves of this plant are a pleasure to look at and it’s a great addition to any home that could use a little of nature’s magic.

Jade plant care is easy, with the biggest problem is finding exactly the right watering schedule for your plant. Too much water can rot the roots, while too little will get the plant to drooping on you. Not to worry, though, as we’ll cover proper care in the section below.

Taking care of your Jade plant

Since this plant is a succulent, you should water it every 2 to 3 weeks. As we’ve mentioned, this plant is a little picky about over or underwatering – test the top 2 inches of soil and do not water it unless these top 2 inches are completely dry.

Use a soil specifically formulated for Cacti or Succulents or mix in 3 parts coarse sand, 1 part peat, and 1 part organics. As far as sunlight, your Jade needs 4 hours of direct sunlight daily, so place it in south or west facing window and you should be good to go.

Lucky Bamboo – Dracaena sanderiana

Dracaena sanderiana

Despite the name, Lucky Bamboo isn’t actually real bamboo – but it certainly looks like it is! These plants mature at 1 – 3 feet tall and they look good as centerpieces with other plants, or all by themselves. You can even do a little research and learn how to shape the stems growth into spirals or artfully-chosen bends – it’s very unique.

While you can grow this plant in water, once you see roots it’s better to go ahead and give it some soil – but whatever you choose this is definitely a hardy plant. If it looks like it is wilting, just add a little water!

Taking care of your Lucky Bamboo

When you decide to take it out of that glass of water and pot it, you’ll only need regular potting soil and your faux-bamboo will do just fine. Until then, a vase with water and marbles is really all you need for a sharp display in the household.

When you are just keeping it in water, change that water 3 times a week to avoid algae developing, and once it’s in soil keep it out of direct sunlight and water it once a week. For best results, a little water soluble fertilizer every 2 months will make your Lucky Bamboo very happy!

Madagascar Dragon Tree – Dracaena marginata

Dracaena marginata

From the same family as Lucky Bamboo comes the Madagascar Dragon Tree. It looks like just like a tiny palm tree and while it can reach as high as 10 feet, that won’t happen anytime soon. This show-growing tree will make it to 6 feet tall over a growth period of approximately 10 years!

Leaves on this little ‘palm tree’ are generally light green with either a red and yellow stripe through the center or a little red around the outer edges. This tree is easy to grow, but you will need to do a little pruning and pay attention to any leaves which fall since they are considered mild to moderately toxic.

Taking care of your Madagascar Dragon Tree

A 50/50 mix of regular potting soil and perlite is a perfect fit for your Dragon Tree. While you only need to water it once a week, keep a water bottle handy so that you can mist the leaves from time to time as well. These trees can adjust to live in low to medium indirect sunlight, though they will do best with bright, indirect light.

Moth Orchid – Phalaenopsis Blume

Phalaenopsis Blume

Moth Orchids are one of the most beautiful choices on our list. This species will live decades if you take care of them, blooming twice a year for periods of up to 4 months!

Despite their striking good looks, these beauties are not high-maintenance, and can grow to a mature height of anywhere between 1 and 3 feet.

You also have a good selection of colors. Depending on the orchid that you choose, you can have white, blue, red, green, pink, or even orange flowers… you can even put different colors in different rooms. When you see how easy they are maintain, some people opt to do exactly that!

Taking care of your Moth Orchid

These orchids should not be planted in regular soil, but rather a base of clay pellets, sphagnum moss, or fir bark. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight can burn them, so you want to give them lots of indirect sunlight.

You should water them once every 1 or 2 weeks. Check their potting medium and only water the plant when this is fully dry.

Do NOT mist the leaves of this orchid or you risk fungal issues – simply water at the base of the plant and your orchids will do just fine.

Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum wallisii

Spathiphyllum wallisii

If you love lilies, the Peace Lily is one that you can host at home with very little effort. The Peace Lily is an instant classic, with dark, green leave and a white, elongated flower that smells like Calla lilies.

These pretty flowers will mature at a height between 1 and 4 feet, although one variety called ‘Sensation’ grow to be as much as 6 feet tall!

The only caveats are that the leaves are toxic to pets and children and these lilies like a little humidity, so this plant should be part of your ‘humidifier collection’ in a dedicated portion of your house.

Taking care of your Peace Lily

The best potting medium for a Peace lily will be an equal mix of sand, peat moss, and loam, though these plants will grow in any soil that drains properly and holds moisture.

Bright, indirect sunlight is best for these plants and you should water them once a week through every season except winter, when you may water it once every 14 days.

The leaves will droop if it’s not getting enough water, so you’ll be able to tell quite easily if you’ve got the schedule right. If your leaves start browning, try switching to distilled water, as the fluoride in tap water can affect these plants.

Finally, fertilize 3 times during the spring, spaced 6 to 8 weeks apart, and your Peace Lily will be happy, healthy, and absolutely stunning!

Peperomia – Peperomia obtusifolia

Peperomia obtusifolia

Peperomias only grow to be about 12 inches tall and come in a multitude of colors, such as green, gray, purple, and red-marble. There are around 1000 varieties, actually, and their diminutive size and range of color options makes them a perfect little desk companion or a centerpiece on your living room table.

Best of all, they are not only pretty, but very tough – this is a plant that will forgive you if you forget to water from time to time. The beautiful, waxy leaves are designed to resist the occasional drought and thus a perfect fit for the new or forgetful keeper.

Taking care of your Peperomia

Regular potting soil and perlite is all that you need for Peperomias. These plants prefer bright, but indirect light. They can adjust to medium or even low light but this will greatly slow their growth rate.

These plants also like their soil to dry out between waterings, so you can water your Peperomia every 2 weeks without any trouble.

Ponytail Palm – Beaucarnea recurvata

Beaucarnea recurvata

Desert natives, the Ponytail Palm’s are pear-shaped structure helps maximize water storage at the base of the trunk. The leaves are rather like straggly-green hair and can reach lengths of up to 3 feet, while the ‘tree’ itself can reach up to 6 feet.

Despite the name, the Ponytail Palm is a succulent, which is good news for beginners and busy-bees who spend a little too much time at work and might forget the occasional watering.

If you want a houseplant that looks great and can take up a corner on it’s own, then look no further than the Ponytail Palm – it’s got the looks and some serious character!

Taking care of your Ponytail palm

A clay pot with equal parts perlite, sand, and potting soil are all that this succulent needs to thrive. The Ponytail Palm also likes direct or indirect, bright sunlight, though lower light will be tolerated and just slow down growth.

A water-soluble fertilizer once in the summer is all you need (don’t overfertilize it, they’re sensitive to this) and you should water it every 3 to 4 weeks.

Test the upper 2-3 inches of topsoil to make sure it’s fully dried out before watering.

Pothos – Epipremnum aureum

Epipremnum aureum

Simple, green, and easy to care for, Pothos plants are a popular choice that are sometimes called ‘Devil’s Ivy’.

There’s nothing nefarious about them, however, other than that fact that they like things a little humid. These should be close to a humidifier or maybe in your bathroom where the occasional shower will give them some refreshing humidity as they brighten up the surroundings.

You will need to prune your plant from time to time, as they can grow anywhere from 20 – 40 feet long unchecked, and you’ll have to repot it once it gets too big for the current one. Beyond this, Devil’s Ivy is a breeze to maintain and it looks great!

Taking care of your Potho’s plant

These plants can simply be housed in a container full of water. If you prefer to pot it in soil it will do well in regular potting soil. This plant like bright, indirect light, but will tolerate lower levels. This slows the growth, so you’ll have less pruning to do.

Pothos should be watered every 1 to 2 weeks, letting the soil dry out between each watering for the best results. A quick test is to check the top half of the soil. If it’s dry, it’s time to water your Pothos.

Prayer Plant – Maranta leuconeura

Maranta leuconeura

If you like your plants to include a little patterning, the Prayer plant is an easy houseplant that you are going to love. This plant actually comes in a variety of colors, with one of the most popular varieties having leaves with light and dark green pattering on top and pink and gray patterns on the bottom.

Wider than they are tall, Prayer plants top out at about 12 inches in height. With their amazing foliage, this plant is the perfect choice for a home office as you’ll want to look at it every day.

Keep a spray bottle handy, not for watering, but to clean the leaves – these houseplants can attract pests if you aren’t careful.

Taking care of your Prayer plant

Regular potting soil is fine for Prayer plants. Try to add some coarse sand or some perlite in order to facilitate proper drainage.

Medium to bright indirect sunlight is best. You’ll want to water this plant every 1 to 2 weeks. Just check the top 25% of soil – if it’s dry, then it’s time for you to water the Prayer plant.

Purple Shamrock – Oxalis Triangularis

Oxalis Triangularis

Tiny, purple, attractive, and animated – these are all accurate descriptions of the Oxalis triangularis, whose deep purple star-shaped leaves open and close every night! They also have blooms, which are a delicate white to light pink that contrasts quite nicely with the purple leaves.

Despite all this color and motion, the Purple Shamrock is a diminutive plant which will only grow to be about 6 inches tall. It is also non-toxic, being considered an edible perennial plant, so if the dog or one of the kids takes a nibble you won’t have to worry in the slightest.

If you forget to water, the plant will droop and the top leaves will die but don’t worry – it stashes a bulb beneath the surface and when you start watering again, your Shamrock will spring back to life. It’s pretty, forgiving, and a great plant for your favorite nook or cranny in the house.

Taking care of your Purple Shamrock

Purple Shamrock likes a sandy soil mix, with the aim being that it drains easily so that the roots don’t get waterlogged and thus prone to rot.

Bright, full sunlight or at least partial exposure is best, but this plant will work with you on a little less. As far as watering, 2 or 3 times a month should be fine.

Red Aglaonema – Aglaonema commutatum

Red Aglaonema

Also known as ‘Philippine Evergreen’ or the ‘Chinese Evergreen’, the Red Aglaonema has mild green and pink leaves until you give it a dose of bright light – at which point the color explodes and you get rich red with light green on the top of the leaves and a delicate pink on the undersides.

These slow growing plants will get 2 to 3 feet tall at the most and will add a lot of color to any home.

Taking care of your Red Aglaonema

These plants will do well with a bark-based mix (like you would use for orchids) or you can mix potting soil, perlite, and peat.

Bright or medium-level indirect sunlight is best for the Red Aglaonema and you’ll want to water it every 5 to 7 days, but check the soil first – if 50% of the soil is dry, then proceed with the watering, but otherwise wait until it dries out a little more.

Rubber plant – Ficus elastica

Ficus elastica

This plant occurs natively in Sumatra, Java, and the Himalayas. You will have to prune it from time to time, because Rubber plants can grow to be as tall as 50 to 100 feet high! Despite this, they are commonly used as ornamental houseplants due to their overall hardiness and their simple beauty.

The leaves of the Rubber plant are a dark green, although when new leaves are coming in they will be rosy in hue.

Aside from the pruning, you’ll want to keep the leaves as clean as possible, as they tend to attract dust quite easily.

Taking care of your Rubber plant

Rubber plants like their soil to drain easily, so a perfect mix for potting this plant is 1 part pine bark, 1 part peat, and 1 part coarse sand. These plants like bright light, just no indirect sunlight, as they can burn easily.

As far as watering goes, once every 1 to 2 weeks should be fine, but just be sure to check the soil. You want to let it dry out between waterings for best results, as this plant is sensitive to overwatering.

Snake Plant – Sansevieria trifasciata

Sansevieria trifasciata

The Western African Snake plant comes in a few varieties, with popular ones being ‘Hahnii’ and ‘Laurentii’. Depending on the variety that you choose your plant can grow to be anywhere from 8 inches to as much as 8 feet tall!

Snake plants are pretty, easy to take care of, and quite long-lived, typically displaying long and dark green leaves with light yellow speckles or stripes.

It’s a hard plant to kill, frankly, making the Snake plant a great beginner houseplant for those who occasionally forget to water their plants due to a busy lifestyle.

Taking care of your Snake plant

Commercial cactus or succulent soil is best, as this plant is sensitive to overwatering – mixes such as these incorporate sand to help ensure proper drainage.

Snake plants can survive in low light, but this will make them grow quite slowly. At least 5 hours of indirect, bright sunlight per day is going to be optimal.

Watering your plant should be done every 14 days, unless it’s winter, at which time watering once a month will suffice. Let the soil dry out between waterings and your Snake plant will be more than happy.

Spider Plant – Chlorophytum comosum

Chlorophytum comosum

Spider plants are great for hanging baskets with their dangling green and yellow striped leaves.

While they will grow to be only 2 to 3 feet long, on occasion the dangling leaves are going to come with a little present – if you see new sets of roots from these ‘babies’, you can transplant them to a new pot and you’ve got a new spider plant that you can place somewhere in the house or even gift to a friend.

They also produce tiny white flowers quite often that will bloom during the spring, summer, and the fall.

Taking care of your Spider plant

Spider plants like good drainage – a nice trick is to place peat moss or orchid bark at the bottom of the pot before adding regular potting soil.

You’ll get the best color out of these plants by providing them with bright but indirect sunlight, although they will still grow in lower light condition.

Water you Spider plant once a week, provided that the soil has dried out. This can be scaled back throughout winter, during which you only need to water every 1.5 to 2 weeks.

Spiderwort – Tradescantia Zebrina

Tradescantia Zebrina

Native to Mexico and more commonly known as the ‘Wandering Jew plant’, this variety of Spiderwort if quite colorful and easy to maintain. New leaves are a deep purple color, with thick white striping, which turn green as the leaves get a little older.

It is also a flowering plant, so during the spring or early summer you can expect to see blooms of white, purple, or pink that are sure to delight. While the blooms are beautiful, they do not have a fragrance – but don’t let this dissuade you – these will look amazing in your home.

These plants will grow slowly over time to a maximum height of around 6 feet, so this is a good plant for a corner or a warm window.

Taking care of your Tradescantia Zebrina

Spiderwort will grow in standard potting soil, but if you really want this species to thrive you can mix in a little perlite and coarse sand. It’s a little closer to what they are used to in the wild and your plant will grow a bit faster. These plants also like bright, indirect sunlight and a temperature range between 50 and 80 degrees, so they are pretty tolerant of a good range of temperatures.

Tradescantia Zebrina like humidity, so you should mist the leaves 3 times a week (or invest in a humidifier or humidity tray). Ideally, you should keep the top inch of soil moist and weekly watering should accomplish this quite nicely.

Zebra Plant – Haworthiopsis Fasciata

Haworthiopsis Fasciata

The Zebra plant is native to Brazil. This succulent has very pronounced white stripes and spiky leaves that instantly attract attention (despite its small size). These lovely little succulents will reach a mature height of 5 to 8 inches when fully grown, making them a perfect desk companion or even a nice way to spice up a kitchen corner.

Aside from being quite cute, this plant is also non-toxic – so you don’t need to worry if your cat give it a chew.

Taking care of your Zebra plant

Like most succulents, Zebra plants thrive in soil that is neutral to acidic, so you should be fine potting this in some commercial cactus soil with an equal part perlite to encourage proper drainage.

These plants are used to getting their sunlight under a canopy of trees, so give them bright, but indirect light. If you see the leaves getting yellow or white, move them away as this is a sign of too much sunlight.

Check the soil to ensure that it is dry before watering. You will typically only need to water your Zebra once every 2 to 3 weeks, and even less in the winter. During winter months, watering once every other month is sufficient.

Fertilize your Zebra plant once a year with a water-soluble fertilizer and you’ve got a recipe for one of the easiest maintenance schedules that you will find in any houseplant.

ZZ Plant – Zamioculcas zamiifolia

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

With it’s spiky, deep green leaves and the tiny white flowers that it blooms in midsummer, the Zamioculcas Zamifolia or ‘ZZ plant’ is a popular low-maintenance choice for houses around the world. This lovely bit of decorate foliage stops growing at around 3 feet tall, making it the perfect height for adding a little color in a corner or even ‘naturing-up’ a home workspace.

While beautiful, this may not be a good choice if you have children or pets, as the leaves from this are toxic if ingested (it is even recommended to wash your hands after touching it). If children or pets are not part of the equation, this is definitely a plant to consider for beginners since it naturally adjusts to low light environments and missed waterings.

It doesn’t need fertilizer, either, so if you want a pretty ‘place and enjoy’ type plant that won’t ask a lot of you, the ZZ plant might just be a perfect fit.

Taking care of your ZZ plant

Mix commercial potting and either succulent or cactus soil at a ratio of 2/3 potting soil to 1/3 cactus or succulent mix. Bright and indirect sunlight is best for your ZZ plant, but low light is also okay – it will make do and just grow a little more slowly as succulents do.

Watering every 2 to 3 weeks is going to be standard fare with this plant – just check to make sure that the soil has dried out first. As far as fertilizer, you CAN give it a little water-soluble fertilizer once a year, but that’s up to you. These hardy plants seem to do quite well all on their own!


Some Final Words

Today we’ve explored 30 easy houseplants for beginners. As you can see, bringing a little nature home is a lot easier than you might think!

For the plants which require humidity, you’ll want to invest in a humidity tray or a humidifier, or place them somewhere such as a bathroom where your daily showers will provide a little misting.

Pay careful attention to the soil requirements, as a proper foundation is going to be a key to keeping your plants happy and healthy. Finally, just make sure not to water any of these plants too frequently. They have all been carefully selected to have minimal water requirements so that they won’t demand very much of your time.

All of that said, what are you waiting for? Go out to your local nursery and bring home a few of your favorites from this list. They really do make a world of difference inside your home!

About The Author

Teri Tracy

Hi, I'm Teri! I am a plant collector and former botanist who's spent years learning about and caring for plants from all over the world. I'm passionate about biodiversity and rainforest preservation, and I love to study newly discovered plants in my free time. 

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