These 15 Plants Will Stay Alive and Thrive Even Without a Green Thumb
Gorgeous plants without the hassle!
You’ve got a lot on your plate, and high-maintenance decor can oftentimes be too much to handle. That’s not the case with these trendy easy care indoor plants because they’re all next to impossible to kill and many of them are under $20!
1. Golden Pothos
Also known as Devil’s Ivy, between the beautiful rich leaves and cascading appearance, you’d think these plants would need tons of maintenance to keep them beautiful but they require minimal upkeep. This plant does well whether it’s in a pot or a hanging basket, though we think they look best high up on a shelf where the vines can dangle down naturally.
- Conditions they love: Low to medium light and watering only when soil is dry.
- Make it your own: Golden Pothos in 6″ Grower Pot
2. Snake Plant
The name sounds a tad frightening, but this plant is sneakily easy to care for. Also known as Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, these plants stand tall with thick, robust green leaves speckled with yellow accents that will do well in most conditions. Perfect for a corner decor piece in any room of the house or even at your office!
- Conditions they love: Low light and watering once a month.
- Make it your own: Laurentii Snake Plant
3. Shamrock Plant
Shamrocks – they’re not just for St. Paddy’s Day! These fun and festive plants can grow in shades of green to purple and will bloom periodically with little white or pink flowers — you won’t even believe how beautiful they become. The best time to get your hands on one of these plants is in the spring around (you guessed it) St. Patrick’s Day!
- Conditions they love: Bright, indirect light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: 4-in Green Shamrock Oxalis Plant
4. Peace Lily
This plant looks as tranquil as it sounds. A simple bloom of a white with golden center lily is the perfect easy care indoor plant as it requires minimal light and watering. It even detoxifies the air! But in light of all its great qualities, this plant may be better suited for the office if you have pets as it’s poisonous to dogs and cats if eaten.
- Conditions they love: Low to medium light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Peace Lily in 15″ pot
5. Spider Plant
Don’t let the name fool you, these plants are actually quite festive looking. The long green and white shoots only resemble the shape of spider legs, though they’re perfect for hanging pots due to the flowing leaves. Plus, it’s the greenery that keeps on growing since mature plants will grow small plantlets at the end of their stems that you can re-pot for an additional plant!
- Conditions they love: Medium to bright light and watering at the base every few days.
- Make it your own: Spider Plant in 4″ pot
6. Aloe
Also referred to as aloe vera, you’re probably already familiar with this plant’s name if you’ve ever had a sunburn before. These easy to care for indoor plants are not only visually pleasing, but they also serve a purpose. Whenever you want to get some of the soothing gel from a stalk, simply snap it off and apply it!
- Conditions they love: Medium to bright light and watering once a month.
- Make it your own: 11 oz. Aloe Vera in Metal Pot
7. English Ivy
This simple and elegant looking vine is pretty versatile — planted indoors, it will trickle down toward furniture from a pot. Planted outside, and you’ve got some serious ground, wall, or tree cover (but if it’s not maintained, it will aggressively spread). What’s really great about this plant is that you can technically get it for free (with permission from the plant’s owner). Just ask for trimming from an existing live vine and stick it in some soil. The roots will regenerate on their own.
- Conditions they love: Medium to bright light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: English Ivy Trailing Vine Plant
8. Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen)
Eye-catching with their huge white-speckled dark green leaves, these plants will also visibly dictate what they need. The lighter varieties love brighter rooms (though the light should be indirect), and you’ll notice a bit of drooping whenever they need more water.
- Conditions they love: Medium-light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Chinese Evergreen in .9 qt. pot
9. Rubber Plant
This plant looks too good to be real! It features large deep green and burgundy leaves with some serious shine. Plus, by sticking it outside in the summer to really soak in some light, it can mature to a full-on Rubber Tree, adding a sharp “wow” element to any room!
- Conditions they love: Low to medium light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Rubber Tree in 6″ pot
10. Fiddle Leaf Fig
Appropriately named for its large waxy leaves that resemble a fiddle, this tree will make a big impact on any room’s decor — literally, as they can grow up to 6′ tall! If you need something to make a statement without having to fuss over it, the Fiddle Leaf Fig is your new best friend.
- Conditions they love: Medium to bright light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Fiddle Leaf Fig tree in 6″ pot
11. Heart Leaf Philodendron
The gorgeous heart-shaped leaves on this plant cascade over the edge of any pot making it another great hanging option, which is also frequently mistaken for the Golden Pothos that we shared above. This plant will also tell you when it needs to be watered — yellow leaves mean too much watering and brown leaves mean the soil is too dry.
- Conditions they love: Low to bright light (indirect) and watering weekly.
- Make it your own: Heart Leaf Philodendron in 4″ pots
12. Jade Plant
Part succulent, part tree, all glamour. The thick, dense leaves can have a range of colors from green to deep ruby. These trees have been known to symbolize luck and good fortune, and fortunately for you, they’re pretty easy to care for! Overwatering leads to root rot, so just test to see when the soil is dry as an indicator for some water.
- Conditions they love: Bright light and watering when dry.
- Make it your own: Jade Plant in 4″ pot
13. Peperomia
You could make a mini forest of peperomia with all the color and shape options available! These low-maintenance potted plants do well with basic care, and their pet-friendly nature makes them a great plant for any home!
- Conditions they love: Low to medium light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Pilea Peperomia with 2″ pot
14. Ficus
These popular indoor trees are great to fill large spaces as their canopies stretch out much further than their thin trunks. While most enjoy bright indirect light, there are some varieties that grow just fine in lower lit spaces. These easy care indoor plants don’t require much tending to, though if yours starts to lose its leaves, try relocating it to a brighter spot with a stable temperature and only water when the soil is dry.
- Conditions they love: Medium to bright light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Costa Farms Ficus Bonsai 6″
15. Parlor Palm
This air purifying tall palm gives any space a fresh tropical vibe. Plus, they’re great for beginners as they adapt to low levels of light and humidity. They’ll even sprout flowers if given enough light!
- Conditions they love: Low to bright light and watering once a week.
- Make it your own: Parlor Palm in 4″ pot
Save even more with these home and garden shopping tips at The Home Depot.
Snake plants and pothos are very good beginner plants. Aloe and succulents as well, as long as you don’t overwater and they get plenty of sun.
Fiddle Leaf Figs however are extremely finicky and need the exact right temperature, light and water to thrive long-term.
I have Those plants for over fifteen years indoor
I strongly disagree with this article! I have personally killed over half of the plants on this list! 😂😂😂
Oh darn! Sorry to hear that, JES! Hoping you have success if you decide to give any of these another try!
Me too JES!!
Yes me too!!! 🤣
Recently killed a snake plant…
Me too. So sad. My 3rd aloe plant is about dead now. Not sure what i did wrong this time.
Fiddle lead figs are know for being finicky and hard to care for. But, I have one in my living room by a bright window and I just leave it alone. Water it every two weeks. Never move it. My mother in law killed hers taking it inside and out and overly caring for it.
The fiddle leaf fig is definitely picky and not great for beginners! I tried to keep mine alive and it just didn’t like anything. But the lily and palm are great as I have both!
I just bought my second pothos plant! I LOVE them and highly recommend them. I’ve even killed succulents before so the fact that my first pothos plant has survived 2 years and looks as beautiful as it does is a miracle!! I got mine from amazon.
Oh awesome! Thanks so much for the recommendation, Laura! Glad you have had success with the Pothos plant!
Ive killed almost all of these plants when starting my plant obsession. But definitely agree that golden pothos, aloe and snakes are the very best for beginners and black thumbs. Do not overwater!
Thanks for the helpful tip, Lisa!
Donkey’s tail is an easy succulent to care for and grow. It grows very fast and you can keep cutting or taking leaves and stick back in the soil to make a fuller plant or new one.
How neat! I love it when you can grab small clippings from a mature plant to start new ones! Thanks for the suggestion!
Peace Lily is very difficult to keep alive. I don’t know why people says the oposite
I have killed a couple of peace lillies. They just dont like me.
I would like to suggest growing coleus as they are very easy to grow and care for. They come in a wonderful range of shapes and colors.
Only living thing I’ve managed to keep alive is the child. My priorities are fine. But plants? Nope. Love ‘em – can’t keep them alive!
Thanks for sharing great tips and great deal of information!
You are very welcome, Arthur!
I’m surprised a ZZ plant is not on your list. They almost thrive on neglect. That being said they are a great plant for beginners who might forget to water.
Thanks for the recommendation, CarrieB! I’ll keep my eye out for one of these plants! I sometimes forget to water mine. The only one I’ve had personal luck with is a Peace Lily! 🪴💕