12 Easy Indoor House Plants That Are As Pretty As They Are Tough

Snake plant, officially known as sansevieria, is super popular because it is one of the easiest house plants to keep alive, ever. This common house plant doesn’t need much light, but they can handle a whole lot of it, so a snake plant can thrive in a dim bathroom or a brightly lit sunroom. Snake plant needs very little water, preferring for its soil to go completely dry between waterings. This household plant comes in a wide range of varieties, with the colors of its spiky leaves running from green to yellow to silvery white. Whatever the leaf color, snake plants are one of the most low-maintenance plants around.

A jade plant is one of the easiest succulents to grow because it needs far less sunlight than other members of this family of plants that hold water in its leaves. While most succulents need lots of direct sun, this type of indoor house plant does fine with the indirect light it can get indoors sitting by a sunny window. Jade also thrives in the warm, dry conditions it will get in your house. Be stingy with water with these desert natives. Let their soil dry out completely between waterings.  They’re lovely, tree-like plants with shiny oval leaves on a woody trunk.

Peace lily is one of the best indoor house plants because it’s easy to grow and it blooms. In the spring, a peace lily produces lovely white flowers that hover on stalks above shiny green leaves for several weeks. Peace lilies come in a slew of hybrids, with ‘Mauna Loa Supreme’ and ‘Mojo’ being among the most popular. Peace lilies are shade-loving plants that need low light, so they’re a good pick for a bedroom where there’s not much sunlight. Peace lilies are toxic to dogs, cats and humans so if you have small children or animals that eat plants, say no to peace lilies. Water them when their soil is dry at least an inch below the surface. Underwatering a peace lily is preferable to overwatering.

Everybody loves monstera for its giant, sculptural leaves that have become a sort of avatar for tropical plants. A monstera looks like it belongs in the background of one of Gaugin’s paintings of a South Pacific island. For all monstera’s exotic looks, though, it’s an easy indoor plant to care for. While it will tolerate low light, it’s happiest in medium to bright light, so put monstera in a sunroom or by a large window that lets in a lot of light. It needs humidity, too, so don’t put it by an HVAC vent or its leaves will dry out and turn brown at the edges. Monstera isn’t a thirsty plant. You only need to water it when the top inch of the soil is dry. 

The ZZ Plant is a low-maintenance indoor plant to care for and it’s almost indestructible. This tropical is native to East Africa and adapts to life indoors like a dream. ZZ is short for the species name Zamioculcas zamiifolia. They’re popular because their wide, waxy dark leaves reflect light and give a room an exotic, equatorial jungle feel. ZZ plant does best when you ignore it, so it’s a great house plant for someone who doesn’t like to take care of house plants. ZZs can tolerate low light and don’t need much water. They prefer their soil be kept dry and like snake plants, are happiest when you ignore them. They’re a great pick for your home office, bedroom or a bathroom.

The aloe vera plant is a popular houseplant and one of the easiest succulents to grow indoors. Put a spiky, sculptural aloe vera plant in your kitchen, by a sunny window where it can get at least four hours of bright, indirect sunlight and it will thrive. Like most succulents, aloe doesn’t like a lot of water, so let its soil dry out between waterings. Too much water, not too little, is aloe’s biggest enemy. Aloe is useful, too, because you rub the juice from its leaves on a minor burn to soothe the pain. That’s why it’s the perfect house plant for the kitchen.

This trailing plant is one of the hardiest house plants out there. Pothos are easy house plants because they tolerate almost any indoor light conditions, from dim bedroom to sunny windowsill, so you can put it anywhere in your home. Water pothos when the top inch or so of its soil dries out. Pothos’ heart-shaped leaves can be green, gold, or variegated with white, yellow or pale green strips of color. It’s native to the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific and will grow as much as a foot a month in the right conditions. The stems and leaves of pothos are potentially toxic to pets, so if your dog or cat is a plant-eater, stay away from this one. 

Spider plants were a big deal in the Victorian era, made a comeback in the 1970s and are on their third go-round as a popular house plant. They’ve stayed popular because they’re easy to grow indoors and look great in a hanging basket with their thin leaves trailing. Spider plants, also known as airplane plants, prefer a spot by a sunny window, but they can handle the low light of a windowless office. They don’t use a lot of water, so spider plants can survive a missed watering here or there. In the summer, spider plants put out baby plants – called pups – they on stalks. You can cut off the baby spider plants, pot them up, give them to friends, spreading the spider plant love.

The parlor palm has been a great indoor plant since the 19th century because it’s a dramatic and low-maintenance plant. Put a parlor palm in an oversized pot in a corner of your living room for a striking touch of the tropics. Parlor palms can grow up to 6 feet tall indoors, but they grow very slowly. You won’t end up with a giant tree in a year, and you won’t have to repot a parlor palm often. Parlor palms like bright, indirect light and they are sensitive to overwatering. Only water when the top inch of their soil is dry. Parlor palms are so hardy they can live for decades, so you could end up with an heirloom plant.

Sometimes called Chinese Evergreen, this lush plant grows in any light condition except direct sun, so it’s happy in a hallway or bathroom where dim light is all it will get. Aglaonema is native to Asia and comes in several varietals that have variegated leaves in tones ranging from dark green and silver to red or pink. Red aglaonema is especially beautiful, with leaves that look painted. Aglaonema grows slowly, so you won’t have to repot it often and it doesn’t need much water. Let the soil dry out between waterings to keep it thriving.

Money trees are said to bring good luck and maybe that’s because even those with the blackest thumbs can keep them alive. They’re tropical plants and love bright, indirect light and loose aerated soil. They don’t need to be watered often, only when the top few inches of soil feels dry. They also love high humidity, making them perfect for bathrooms with natural light. You can place money trees in other areas of your home, just increase the humidity with frequent misting. Money plants typically have braided stems, and if you love this look, you’ll need to continue braiding any new growth.

Also known as a holiday cactus, this member of the succulent family is easy to care for and gives you bright colored flowers during the winter holidays if cared for correctly. They love sandy soil and only need to be watered when the soil is completely dry. Put your Christmas cactus in a spot with bright, indirect sunlight but out of direct sunlight which can burn the leaves. For more tips on caring for a Christmas cactus read this article.