Plants can brighten up any place, but it can be hard to choose the right one. We have found 20 low-maintenance indoor plants for your home. If you want to add a color pop to your dull rooms or need low-light plants that can survive in less-lighted apartments, here are some amazing choices you can make. We have included some pretty common ones that you probably come across in your day-to-day lives and some less-known gems that will surprise you.
Something to remember? How much light does each plant need? Whether your windows face north, south, east, or west, or if you don’t have any windows, our indoor plant lighting guide will clear up the confusion. The safety of young children and pets is another thing to think about. If you have cats or dogs, be sure to check out our list of flowers that are safe for them.
If you can provide the right growing conditions, there are no limits to what you can do with indoor gardening (well, except your roof). There are a lot of easy-care houseplants to look into, such as indoor trees and plants for beds, bathrooms, and kitchens. Who can say? You might find that you love growing plants and cacti indoors or even growing vegetables in your home. Happy home planting! It’s always nice outside.
Staghorn Fern
In 2022, Joanna Gaines’ Instagram made this sculpted houseplant famous. For unique, live wall decoration, you can also find staghorn ferns fixed on wood. It needs indirect, bright light.
Jade Plant
Beginners should start with succulents like the famous Crassula ovata, also called the jade plant, the lucky plant, or the money tree. They last long, need bright light, don’t need much water, and stay green all year. They also live for a long time, which makes them a great “first friend.” This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
Hearts On A String
Melissa Lallo Johnson (@fancyflowerfarmer), who has a lot of followers on Instagram and is a master gardener, loves this indoor plant that grows along the floor. She says, “My string of hearts goes over several levels of my bookshelves and then hangs freely about 5 feet below the lowest shelf.” This plant is easy to handle, looks lovely, and needs indirect bright light for survival.
Calamondin Orange
Even though it’s small, it sure is strong! This tree grows fruit that smells good and can be picked and used to make jams and other treats. If you give this to someone who cans at home, they’ll give you jam for years to come. Give this plant bright light and it will give you so many fruits! Note: This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
Paddle Plant
“This little-known succulent deserves to take over American living rooms by storm,” says Tovah Martin, author of The Unexpected Houseplant. Why? The paddle plant, also called Kalanchoe thyrsiflora or flapjack succulent, has leaves with red tips that look like one big flower. It will give a living room or bedroom a touch of luxury, and best of all, “it’s almost impossible to kill,” says Martin. Put a layer of rocks and activated charcoal at the bottom of your container before you fill it with potting soil. Then, between waterings, let the soil dry out a bit. Keep this plant in bright light. This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
The Passion Flower
Most gardeners think of flower plants as athletes who can be taught to grow fences and walls outside. Climbers can also break windows from the inside if you give them something to climb (a few nails and fishing wire will do). Tovah Martin, the author of The Unexpected Houseplant, has even put an upside-down vintage egg basket on top of a potted Passiflora caerule plant inside to make a “tendril jungle gym” for the plant. Take note: Both people and animals can get sick from passion flower, but it is rarely a problem because it tastes so bitter. This plant needs bright light to flourish.
Necklace of Pearls
This unique plant will add even more lush greenery to the room as it grows. It’s starting to fight with the fiddle-leaf fig to be the “most Instagrammable” plant on the block. Average water and bright light are all it needs. This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
Air Plants
There are more than 600 different kinds of these small garden gems. They can grow almost anywhere with bright indirect light. They don’t need soil, just a little water from a spray bottle every now and then. Some types, but not all, also like a weekly soak. You can put them on a shelf or in a bowl, a shell, or an aquarium. You can even use them to add a live touch to a wreath. Try putting one in the bathroom, where the extra wetness will be great for it. Bright, indirect light is needed. Avoid direct sunlight.
Ponytail Palm
What’s not to like about this cute, slow-growing palm? It’s easy to take care of, safe for pets, and has a trunk that looks like a bonsai. The Beuacarnea recurvata gets its name from the way its leaves look like ponytails. It saves water in its base, so it doesn’t mind if you forget to water it for a week or two. Light needs: bright to medium light from the side.
ZZ Plant
Yes, the ZZ plant is beautiful, and yes, it can live with a very low amount of light. But if it looks like it’s having trouble, move it somewhere with less direct light. Only water when the top few inches of the dirt are dry. Medium to bright indirect light is best, but low indirect light is okay.
Phalaenopsis Orchid
Orchids are easy to grow once you know how to care for them. Their flowers last for a long time; if you are patient and give them the right conditions, new flower stalks will grow. Bright to medium indirect light is needed.
English Ivy
If you talk about hardy plants, you have to mention English Ivy at least once. This easy-care plant does well in pots, hanging baskets, or shared pots with other bigger flowers. It does need a certain amount of bright to mild indirect light. In the spring and summer, it needs modest light; in autumn and winter, it needs bright light (or more electric light). But other than that, it’s a safe bet for anyone who has never had a plant before. This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
Snake Plant
No green thumb? Don’t worry, the Snake Plant is almost impossible to kill. In fact, it would be a big deal if you could kill this one. It needs bright light or can deal with low light also. It can grow with little light and can dry out between waterings. This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
‘Nana’ Juniper
This evergreen ground cover is a staple in landscaping, but Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’ can also do well in the living room in a brightly lighted spot. The trick is to find a pot that lets the juniper’s roots grow out. To get this look, as described by Tovah Martin, author of The Unexpected Houseplant, reuse a two-foot-tall industrial barrel with a drain hole at the bottom.
Peperomia Obtusifolia
You can fit this cute plant with thick, shiny green leaves on your desk. It’s safe for pets. Even in a small bathroom, we love it. Make sure the dirt is dry before you water it. It needs bright indirect light and can handle low indirect light.
Parlour Palm
The Sill says that your parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans) can grow to be up to 6 feet tall over time and with many repottings. At first, your plant might be just a small thing under a foot tall. Plus, pets are welcome! Don’t water it between times you let it dry out. Medium to bright indirect light is best, but low indirect light is okay.
Shield Of Persia
A Persian shield, or Strobilanthes Dyerianus, has beautiful purple flowers that will make any place look better. Give it light from the side and wet dirt. Light needs: light from the side
Frizzle Sizzle
This strange plant, which is called Albuca spiralis by scientists, is fun to grow and looks great even when it isn’t growing. But when it does bloom, it gives you beautiful flowers that smell almost like vanilla. It can grow even when it’s dry and likes to start out in part shade. Bright light is needed by this plant. Note: Keep cats and dogs away from this plant.
Lavender From Spain
This plant is pretty and smells good, so it might be just what your home needs. We love it in the bedroom. Running your fingers through it before bed, the essential oils will help you relax. To take care of lavender indoors, give it a few hours of bright, direct light each day, especially in a south-facing window, and water it when the soil is dry to the touch. But don’t give it too much water, or the plant will die. This plant is dangerous for cats and dogs.
Salad Burnet
With this green’s crisp, cool cucumber flavor, you can use herbs other than parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme. The author of The Unexpected Houseplant, Tovah Martin, says that Sanguisorba minor (salad burnet) is great for small areas because it stays small and doesn’t grow too tall. She made a dreamy but useful home for the plant by putting plastic inside a bird’s nest and setting it on a cake plate so she could watch water drops.
Wrapping Up
Houseplants have always proven to be more than just decorations. They not only make space more lively but bring numerous benefits to our homes. From acting as air purifiers to reducing stress, they are a must in every household. For our overall well-being, adding botanical charms to our homes is crucial. So go green and let these leafy companions flourish in your living spaces. Happy Planting!
