20 Easy Indoor Plants that Require Little Maintenance

You want gorgeous houseplants to bring some color into your home, but you don’t have the time or energy to take care of them. “Plants, after all, take a lot of work to keep alive,” you may think. In this article, we’ll show you a list of the best easy indoor plants you can grow with minimal care or maintenance.

These are the houseplants that don’t require a lot of sun, water, or space to thrive. They’re forgiving and tough, even in harsh conditions, and the easiest plants to have in your home.

1. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

With a weekly watering and a well-lit window nearby, this houseplant is the gift that keeps giving. The plant produces many little baby plants that you can repot to spread greenery around your home, and spider plants are highly resistant to drought or bugs.

This is one of the best plants you can keep around the house if you have pets, as it’s non-toxic to all species.

2. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Get your peace lily while it’s small and watch it grow up to 6 feet tall. The best part about this plant is that it can live off the light from your fluorescent bulbs alone and work to filter harmful toxins from your home, according to a NASA study. It’s also one of the most beautiful varieties on this list.

3. Snake Plant

A succulent with a fun name, the snake plant is a laid-back house plant that’s very tough to kill. They can tolerate darkness, although more light will allow faster growth and can go a month without water. You may also know this plant as mother-in-law’s tongue, which is one of the many sansevierias.

Keep in mind that this plant is toxic—even lethal—to pet dogs, cats, rabbits, and birds. If you have any of these pets at home, you might want to choose a different plant to display. If your home is pet-free, however, you have free rein to keep several of these around for dramatic effect.

4. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

If there were a plant to thrive the most on neglect, the ZZ plant is a top contender. The rubbery leaves need moderate to low light and very little water, making them perfect for an office or beginner.

5. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Also known as the reed palm, bamboo palm is one of the best easy indoor houseplants. It originates from Central and South America and caring for indoor bamboo palms is perfect for beginners. The plant enjoys low-light living spaces and dry rooms in the home, like offices.

In fact, it’s one of the more popular office plants. If you find that you really like having it at home, you might want to get one for your workplace as well. It’s a cheerful, pretty plant that can lift your spirits when working long hours.

6. Begonia (Begoniaceae)

With many colors and patterns to choose from, begonias offer showy blooms in exchange for the occasional drink of water. Allow the soil to dry before you water this plant, and water it even less during the winter for best results, according to American Meadows.

7. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)

These little trees can grow to reach 100 feet or more, but the leave only require occasional misting, and repotting if you want them to continue growing tall. They’re great focal points in a room too, according to Apartment Therapy.

8. Dwarf Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

Little maintenance or sunlight is required for these attractive palm trees to reach 6-12 feet tall. They work well indoors or out, and don’t require pruning like other trees.

This plant is a great option if you’re aiming for a strong focal point in a large room. They can spread out quite a bit, but bring a wonderful tropical touch to any space.

9. Aloe Vera

This plant’s spiky leaves look cool, and aloe can be used as a natural cure for many common ailments, like sunburns and rashes. Place it on your desk or nightstand in indirect light and give it a good drink once every week or two for the best results.

New baby aloes will spring up from the main taproot fairly often. Remove those (gently!) and repot them, and soon you’ll be able to have an aloe plant in every room in your home.

10. Dragon Tree (Dracaena draco)

Toxic for dogs and cats, this plant is better stored out of reach on a low-light windowsill like a bedroom or bathroom. Dragon trees add excitement to any room.

11. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum)

Perfect for beginners, this plant helps novices look like pro gardeners. Since Chinese evergreens only require low light, and new fertilizer once per year, they’re one of the most durable options on this list. Simply add water when the soil is dry and go about your day!

12. English Ivy

Allow this climbing plant’s long tendrils to spill down from a brightly lit bookcase, mantel, or shelf in your home. The versatility of English ivy makes it perfect for hanging baskets or pots, and you have a few different varieties to choose from.

13. Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)

A species of fig tree native to western Africa, the fiddle leaf fig tree is similar to a rubber plant. However, this easy indoor plant doesn’t grow to huge heights.

14. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

Also called heart-leaf or sweetheart plants, philodendrons have glossy leaves shaped like hearts. They survive in dim rooms and is extremely easy to grow. Even the large-leaf version of this plant likes low light and dry settings.

15. Air Plant (Tillandsia)

Named accurately, the air plant doesn’t need much else to thrive. They’re found in jungles, rainforests, and even deserts, and have adapted so they draw their nutrients from the air around them.

These plants grow without soil, so you’ll need to find an interesting way to display them. Hanging glass globes are a great option, as are large seashells and terrariums. You can even glue them onto crystals if you like. As far as watering goes, all you need to do is submerge it in water for 2-3 hours about ever 2 weeks or so.

16. Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae)

Not all tropical plants require much maintenance. Bromeliads can live on fluorescent lighting alone, and require little water when placed in a humid room like a bathroom. Just keep it away from the cold.

There are nearly 3,500 species to choose from, so you’re certain to find the perfect bromeliad for your space. Do you like colorful leaves? Showy flowers? Interesting spikes? Check your local garden centers to see what’s available, or shop online for a wider variety.

17. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Like most succulents and other houseplants native to South Africa, jade plants are resilient to drought. They hold water in their leaves to rehydrate, and go dormant if they run out. That said, it’s best to keep the soil moister than most succulent species typically require, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Also known as a “money tree”, this plant is used in Feng Shui design to draw wealth and prosperity. Be sure to do your research (or consult with a Feng Shui expert) to determine the money area in your home. Then pop a jade plant in there. Good luck!

18. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Cast iron plants sound tough because they are. These plants are known to survive (even thrive) in just about any conditions. Its leaves are leathery in appearance, and it’s extremely tolerant to low light, spotty watering, or harsh settings. Whether it’s too hot, too cold, or too dark, this plant will survive.

(Seriously, if you’re known for having a “black thumb”, try this plant. It might be the one species you’re literally unable to kill.)

19. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)

Perfect around the Christmas holidays, the flowers on this plant will brighten any room. Schlumbergera’s common names refer to their flowering seasons: they really only bloom once a year. Depending on species, blooms may appear in autumn (Thanksgiving cactus), springtime (Easter cactus), or mid winter (Christmas).

Available in white, red, pink, or purple flowers, your Christmas cactus can grow all year long with frequent watering and low light.

20. Pothos

Pothos is a leafy vine plant that can trail 10-feet in length, which makes it perfect for hanging baskets. Although it’s not as drought-tolerant as some other plants on this list, it survives in low light and can handle irregular watering.

Now that you know what easy indoor plants you can keep alive with little maintenance or sunlight, you can find the right houseplants for you. I personally love how easy it is to keep peace lilies thriving for years. They require little sunlight or water. Plus, they enhance the air quality in your home and look beautiful all year around.