23 Indoor Houseplants for Beginners That Are Cute—And Hard to Kill
So you want to be a plant parent? Instagram loves to show homes packed to the gills with complicated-looking plants, but what about houseplants for beginners? You know, the type of greenery that can bounce back after a few mistakes?
We called on three experts for guidance on how to navigate the nursery as a new plant parent: Agatha Isabel, founder of Planting for Progress and owner of Plant Ma Shop; Richard Pham, manager at Little Shop of Soil in Brooklyn; and Maryah Greene, plant stylist and consultant and founder of Greene Piece. Here's what they told us about keeping plants alive, plus 23 suggestions for your first plant purchase.
What makes good houseplants for beginners?
Our experts all agreed: Being able to witness frequent growth from your plants is key for any beginner. In other words, you want to see that your effort is paying off—fast.
“I think anyone who's a first-time plant parent is looking for a plant that is going to give them the satisfaction of seeing that they're doing something well,” Greene says. What's more, Pham suggests looking for dramatic, communicative plants that curl up their leaves, droop, and fan out when they need water and sunlight. “I love any display of body language from plants, because it's your cue to care for it,” she says. “There's no guesswork.” Surprisingly, not all plants make it obvious when they need care, which can make your job a little more difficult.
Beginners looking for plants should go for something that's relatively hardy and can adapt to different environments and water types. Easy-care houseplants should tolerate a variety of light conditions, but it's always ideal to analyze the light in your space before you head to the plant store.
How do you examine your light condition?
Knowing what kind of light your space has is of utmost importance when it comes to sustaining your indoor garden. The words “bright indirect light,” “direct light,” and “low light” are thrown around a lot in conversation—but what do they actually mean?
Direct light is ideal for cacti, plants with thicker foliage, and most succulents. “Whenever you see the ball of the sun, that means that you're getting some hours of direct light,” Pham says. Direct light can be harsh for some plants and can result in discoloration and burning.
Bright indirect light is suitable for most houseplants. “If you look out your window and only see the sky—not the actual sun—that means you're just getting bright indirect light,” Pham says. You can also do a shadow test, so if you stand in your room and see a soft haze around your shadow, that most likely means that it's bright indirect light. If you see that hard shadow, that means you have a direct light. The softer the shadow, the less light you have in your room.
If you can see outside a window, but can't see the sky, that's low light. Some plants, like snake plants and ZZ plants have adapted to tolerate low light, but most plants will not thrive under low-light conditions because less light equals less energy, and thus less food.
How do you know when—and how much—to water your houseplants?
Once you get used to having a few green gals, you'll learn to speak their language and know the signs of thirst. But until you reach that stage, it's good to get your hands a bit dirty. Stick your finger in the soil to gauge the moisture level, or invest in a soil probe. (See our other plant-care product recommendations here.) When you decide to water your plants, check to see if your pot has a drainage hole. If it does, saturate the soil until water comes out of the hole. You can never give too much water at one time if your plant has drainage, Greene explains. If your pot doesn't have a drainage hole, use as much water as the volume of the pot.
This houseplant guide is here to serve as a resource for you throughout your journey toward a green thumb. Each of the plants below comes recommended by the pros, with tips about keeping them happy. You’ll be an armchair plant expert in no time.
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1Heartleaf Philodendron
For something a little different than your average pothos, Pham suggests a heartleaf philodendron. “I like vining philodendrons because they have that kind of cascading, lush effect,” he tells SELF. This kind of philodendron likes medium indirect light—but can tolerate lower-light conditions—and likes the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
2Mini Monstera
“I find that the best beginner plants are the ones that grow quickly,” Greene tells SELF. Mini monsteras are among those fast growers. They're epiphytes, meaning they like to climb, and they grow up a single vine, producing smaller leaves with splits. If you give your mini monstera something to climb up near bright indirect light, it’ll be happy and continuously push out new growth.
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Red Aglaonema
Aglaonemas are excellent easy-care houseplants that give a pop of color without extra maintenance. “Aglaonemas are low-light tolerant but also appreciate a medium bright light,” Pham says. Wait for the soil to fully dry out between waterings. Their foliage will wilt downward when they're really thirsty, so once you give them a thorough watering, they'll perk back up. What's more, when aglaonemas are really happy, they can produce flowers.
4ZZ Plant
ZZ plants are statement makers, with thick, waxy leaves. When given more light, they shoot up new fronds quickly, but they can also tolerate lower-light conditions. Just be aware that they will grow more slowly in lower light. ZZ’s are resilient, and like the soil to dry up completely between waterings.
6Fairytale Cactus
Hands-off plant parents, cacti are the ideal plants for you. Fairytale cacti look a bit like castles, so though they don’t push out lush foliage, they’re still satisfying to observe. Fairytale—and most cacti—love lots of direct sunlight and occasional watering. When you do water them, water them thoroughly, and then let them dry out for weeks or months on end.
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Marble Queen Pothos
Pothos plants are staples for a reason. They’re resilient, give satisfying growth, and come in lots of different varieties. Marble queen pothos plants have flecks of white variegation on the leaves and have the same care requirements as other varieties. “You could leave pothos plants alone and they’re totally fine—they can grow and stay alive,” Isabel says. “But you can also be high-maintenance with them and they’ll thrive and produce bigger leaves.”
8Variegated Umbrella Tree
“Honestly, umbrella trees are such easy plants, and no one gives them enough credit,” Pham says. These fun plants produce umbrella-esque foliage and turn quite lush and bushy when they’re exposed to bright indirect light, and can even tolerate some direct light. The variegated variety adds a nice bit of color too, and they’re pretty economical.
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Bird of Paradise
“If I had to recommend a big, statement plant for a beginner, I would suggest a bird of paradise,” Greene says. “I find that they're fairly forgiving, as long as they're getting lots of light.” They don't need frequent watering, and their bold, massive leaves and towering heights make them excellent plants for tall ceilings and spacious rooms.
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Snake Plant
“A lot of people recommend the snake plant because they are so forgiving,” Greene says. So if you’re worried about killing a plant, this one might be your go-to. While it doesn’t push out rapid growth, a snake plant can withstand pretty much any light condition and is drought-tolerant. Plus, snake plants come in dozens of shapes, colors, patterns, and sizes.
12Tradescantia Nanouk
This purple beauty makes a statement in bright windows, shelves, or sills. The tradescantia nanouk will get more purple if it’s given more light, and the leaves even get a bit fuzzy (which Pham says acts as a kind of sunscreen for plants). It likes the soil to fully dry out between watering to prevent root rot and brown spotting on the leaves.
13Monstera Deliciosa
You’ve likely seen this plant a million times on Instagram, and for good reason. The more light you give a monstera deliciosa, the more gorgeous fenestrations (a.k.a. leaf splits) you’ll see. One of the more accessible tropical plants, the monstera deliciosa does well in medium to bright indirect light, and can withstand some direct light.
14Philodendron Micans
“One of my favorite MVPs—most valuable plants—that everyone should have is the philodendron micans,” Isabel says. With velvety orange-green leaves, this type of philodendron is fun to have in your collection. Micans are climbers, and as they climb, they can get moisture from the air itself. So even if you're a bit neglectful with your watering, if your space has decent humidity, that’ll sustain this hearty plant until you remember to break out your watering can.
15Prayer Plants
Prayer plants have a reputation for being dramatic because their leaves curl up and droop when they need water, but that’s precisely what makes them good beginner plants for attentive plant parents. They also fan out their foliage during daylight to soak up as much sunlight as they can. Place prayer plants in medium to bright indirect light, and water them when the top layer of soil is dry.
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Cast Iron Plant
For the neglectful beginner plant parents, consider a cast iron plant. “Cast iron plants are seriously one of the most indestructible plants,” Pham says. “I have a big one, and I’ve watered it maybe three times in a year.” They don’t like direct light and will even tolerate low light, which is excellent news for light-starved apartment dwellers.
17Succulents
Once again, we suggest a succulent collection only if your space is sunny and your watering can is gathering dust. With succulents, you can generally tell when they need water if their foliage is squishy or wrinkly. Bright sunlight is ideal, along with a solid, well-draining soil mixture.
18Spider Plant “Bonnie”
Spider plants: The one plant that every single person recommends for beginners. “Sometimes spider plants have more of a straight leaf, but ‘Bonnie’ has more of a curly-leaf structure that I think is a bit more whimsical but still easy,” Pham says. You can go without watering for months on end, and they’ll bounce back—though we don’t recommend it. Let the soil dry out in between watering, and give them medium to bright indirect light.
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Peperomia Ginny
“I love peperomias; I think they're really fun, because they're easy to propagate,” Isabel says. “They’re not super expensive, and if you break a leaf, you can literally stick it in the dirt and it’ll grow from the leaves.” The peperomia ginny is outlined in pink with splashes of white and light green. Its leaves are thick and semisucculent, and the plant thrives in medium to low indirect light.
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Dragon Tree
Dragon trees, named after their Hydra-like heads, are fast-growing and easy houseplants for beginners. These trees can work with almost any kind of light condition, according to Pham. They’re communicative plants; their fronds grow limp when they need water and spike up when they’re hydrated. “Fun fact: This is related to a snake plant, so if you have a snake plant already, this could be a fun addition to your collection because you already know how to take care of it,” Pham says.
22Hoya Carnosa
“Hoyas are easy in that they're so hardy that their semisucculent leaves act almost like a tuber to hold in moisture,” Isabel says. They like indirect light conditions and to dry out between watering. If your hoya is extremely happy to be under your watchful eye, it might even produce light pink and red star-shaped flowers—but don't fret if it doesn't flower.
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Faux Golden Pothos
Killed one too many plants to want to try again? There’s no shame in sprucing up your home with a faux plant or two. And even if you have a green thumb, placing realistic faux plants in spots with no sunlight might be more economical than buying grow lights.
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