10 Easy Care Indoor Plants
With these easy and stylish starter plants, no one will guess you're a houseplant newbie.
It's a familiar story: You pluck a beautiful houseplant from the nursery, and after a few months it wilts, your horticultural hopes plummeting with each fallen leaf. But that doesn't mean you should give up houseplants entirely. There are plenty of indoor plants that thrive with little fuss (and can even survive with less-than-optimal light or occasional watering). You don't have to stick with a common spider plant. Here are some of the best stylish, easy-care, and under-the-radar houseplants for beginners. These choices can bring drama to a room—but not your life.
1 Ficus Alii
High-impact like the ubiquitous fiddle-leaf fig, but low-maintenance, the Ali ficus usually has a bushy or lollipop shape, sometimes with a twining trunk. "Tall specimens really provide a focal point for a room," says Baylor Chapman, stylist, and author of Decorating with Plants. This Ficus likes bright, indirect light and should be watered well when the top 1 to 2 inches of soil is dry. It tilts towards the sun and rotates periodically to keep it upright.
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2 Rabbit's Foot Fern
"This plant is amazing for many reasons," says Darryl Cheng, editor of The New Plant Parent and founder of the popular houseplant magazine. "It's very drought tolerant, so you don't have to water it as often as other ferns. Head turnover is lower than most ferns, so it doesn't tangle the leaflets. And it grows well in low humidity." Give your rabbit's foot fern indirect light (it can handle an hour or two of direct sun, and a little more if you can keep watering regularly). Water whenever the soil feels dry to the touch.
3 Satin Pothos
With colorful leaves, satin pothos is more unusual than the standard golden pothos, but it's also low maintenance. "I call Pothos the 'instant gratification' plant!" says Maria Green, a plant consultant, and stylist who founded Your Green Peas. It's a houseplant he always recommends for beginners because it's quick-growing and forgiving. Pothos love bright indirect light (they tolerate low light, but will burn in direct light); Allow the soil to dry out between waterings (clear signs that wilted, leathery leaves are in the thirties, says Greene).
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4 Velvet Leaf Philodendron
Soft and elegant, this philodendron is "one of our favorite plants," say, Brian Kellett and Emily Brown, founders of Stump Nursery. "Dense velvety greenery adds a hint of luxury to any room." However, that luxury doesn't come at a price: it can handle both low light and bright, indirect light. The amount of water it needs depends on how much light it gets, from once a week to every other week. Additionally, this plant makes it easy to expand your collection or share it with others.
5 'Sensation' Peace Lily
"The large, ribbed leaves and 'Sensation' blue-green shade distinguish it from other peace lilies," says Dana Horst, founder of All Houseplants and Folia Collective. A perfect statement plant, 'Sensation' likes bright, indirect light, but tolerates medium light (it can be less saturated and produce smaller leaves); Water when the top third of the soil is dry. If your peace lily looks wilted, don't worry: it's a sign of thirst. Give it a deep watering, Horst says, and it'll "bounce back."
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6 Fish Bone Prayer Plant
"If you want to enjoy a calathea-style shape and color scheme without the calathea drama, get Ctenanthe Burle-marxii, commonly known as the fishbone prayer plant," suggests Cheng. "It's a very satisfying plant on its own because it's bushier than most calatheas." Although it is quite hardy, the plant does best in bright, indirect light (direct light will burn the leaves), water when the top half inch of soil is dry, and high humidity (it's a great plant for your bathroom).
7 ZZ plant
A no-fail indoor plant for beginners, Kellett and Brown call it the "easy zz." Aside from the ZZ plant's funny name, plant parents love it because, they say, "it's very low-maintenance, meaning it doesn't mind being placed in low-light areas and only needs watering once a month." "One of our favorite characteristics of this plant is the striking color of the new growth. The new leaves are lime-green when they first appear, and as they age, they turn a dark forest green."
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8 Hoya obovata
"Many hoyas are easy to care for as long as you have bright filtered light because they do well if their soil can dry out between waterings," Horst says. Hoya obovata is particularly special, thanks to its thick, rounded leaves on trailing stems. "You can let them climb down or train them to climb a trellis or hoop," says Horst.
9 'Emerald Ripple' Peperomia
The Peperomia family includes plants with interesting leaf shapes, textures, and colors. 'Emerald Ripple' stands out because it's "an easy plant with a lot of passion," says Chapman. "Its thick, fleshy leaves retain moisture for long periods—ideal for someone who prefers a more horticultural approach." It thrives in bright indirect light but can handle a little less.
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10 'Golden Madonna' Aglaonema
"With more than 100 species and varieties of Aglaonema, commonly known as Chinese evergreen, there are many options, but one of my low-key favorites is 'Golden Madonna,'" says Horst. "It tolerates medium light and bounces back easily from dry spells," she notes, adding that its distinctive cream-striped leaves bring color and eye-catching shape to a room.
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