Houseplants make a house feel like a home. They add a sense of peace and vibrancy to an office, brighten up a lobby and add a touch of style and décor to homes and apartments. Plants also help to cleanse the space by purifying the air around them.
Houseplants are a beautiful, welcome addition to any indoor space. Adding greenery to a room is like bringing a little of nature indoors and makes everything feel lighter, brighter, and more alive.
You don’t need to have a green thumb or be a gardening enthusiast to keep houseplants happy and vibrant. The trick is to go with low maintenance houseplants. Keep it simple.
For those who want to add greenery to their life, even without a garden, let me introduce you to 10 easy care houseplants that anybody can grow.
You don’t need to be a garden expert to keep these houseplants alive. Low maintenance and beginner-friendly, these plants only require a little water from time to time. So go ahead and add some fresh greenery to your home. These beauties will thrive in your home regardless of your skill level.
1. Pothos
This low-maintenance green beauty is commonly called pothos. It can be a godsend for those who struggle to keep houseplants alive. It’s not fussy and easy to grow. This plant loves to be near a window with medium light. If you forget to water it for a while, it will quickly rebound when you do give it a drink. There are plain green ones as well as variegated varieties. Pothos loves to trail out of a hanging basket or meander over a bookcase or mantel.
Name: Epipremnum aureum
Growing Conditions: Low to bright light; 60-75°F; keep the soil moderately dry
Size: Trailing plant 8 feet long
2. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
One of the most easily recognized houseplants, spider plants have been gracing homes and offices for decades and it’s easy to see why. Undemanding, gentle beauties, they send out arching leaves that give it a fluffy, almost spidery look. Spider plants are prolific too, producing baby plants on the ends of long stems that easily propagate giving multiple babies a season. Some have plain green leaves while other varieties are variegated with cream or white stripes.
Name: Chlorophytum comosum ‘Vittatum’
Growing Conditions: Medium to bright light; 60-75°F; keep the soil evenly moist
Size: To 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide
3. Philodendron
Heart-leaf philodendrons are one of my favorite houseplants. They are adorable with its glossy, heart-shape foliage and draping vines and so easy to care for. Philodendrons adapt well to low-light spots and don’t mind if you forget to water it a time or two. They look especially pretty with trailing stems trailing down from a shelf or hanging basket.
Name: Philodendron hederaceum oxycardium
Growing Conditions: Low to bright light; 60-80°F; allow the soil surface to dry between waterings
Size: Trailing or climbing to 8 feet or more
4. Aloe (Aloe vera)
Aloe vera plants are especially useful as a skin moisturizer and to heal minor cuts and ease sunburn. Scoop or squeeze the sap from a leaf as needed for skin irritations. The more you clip, the more it will grow. Aloe plants are not just useful, they are also quite attractive. May produce yellow, red, or orange blooms in summer. Technically a succulent, aloe needs very little water and prefers bright, but indirect sunlight. They do not care for cooler temperatures and actually can sunburn themselves if in too much sun. An aloe plant will grow for years in the same container. My mother-in–law had a huge aloe plant that was over 15 years old! It just needed the occasional trimming.
Name: Aloe barbadensis miller (Aloe vera)
Growing Conditions: Bright, indirect light; prefers slightly acidic, sandy soil (use a cactus mixture); light watering – let soil dry out between waterings.
Size: 12-36 in. tall, 6-12 in. wide
5. Jade Plant
If remembering to water is a struggle, jade plant may be just what you need. This slow grower can survive for weeks and even months without water because it stores what it needs in its fleshy stems and leaves. As it grows, the thick stems branch like a small shrub or tree, which adds fun contrast when grown alongside other succulents with squat shapes. Jade plants also propagate easily from a fallen leaf – set a leaf on top of soil and watch it grow a new jade in just weeks!
Name: Crassula ovata
Growing Conditions: Bright light; 65-75°F, 55°F in winter; keep moderately dry
Size: To 6 feet tall and 3 feet tall
6. Dracaena
Characterized by grass-shaped leaves that extend off one or more thickened, cane-like main stems, the Dracaena genus of tropical broadleaf shrubs includes several species commonly used as houseplants throughout the world.
Dracaena houseplants are generally quite easy to grow. Good for containers and low maintenance; proper watering and correct light exposure (plenty of indirect light, but not much direct sunlight) will keep them healthy.
The small, bushy form of young plants suits mantels, tabletops, and desks. In the right conditions, the plants eventually reach 5 to 6 feet tall, making them perfect for adding life to a corner of the living room, dining room, or den.
Name: Dracaena spp. (also Cordyline spp.)
Growing Conditions: Medium to bright light; prefers moist, well-drained soil that is slightly acidic
Size: 2-10 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
7. Snake Plant or Mother-in-laws-tongue
This easy succulent plant seems almost indestructible. One of the members of the Dracaena species, Snake plant is well known as an easy to care for plant. It tolerates low light and little water while still maintaining their good looks. You can find several different varieties with different leaf shapes and patterns, all of them add unbeatable texture and strong vertical lines with its sword-shaped leaves.
Name: Sansevieria trifasciata aka Dracaena trifasciata
Growing Conditions: Low to bright light; 60-85°F; allow the soil surface to dry between watering
Size: To 4 feet tall and wide
8. Peace Lily (Spathyphillum)
The peace lily is a iconic houseplant with attractive and lush foliage and beautiful white flowers. The name comes from the flowers looking like a white flag of surrender seeking peace. The peace lily is an air-purifying plant as well that will help filter the surrounding air of various toxins.
It adapts to many growing situations gracefully. If a peace lily receives adequate light it will produce the beautiful tall white flowers it is known for. If the peace lily is in a more heavily shaded environment, it will not produce these flowers but still maintains healthy and attractive foliage.
Name: Spathiphyllum, common name Peace Lily Plant
Growing Conditions: Low to medium light; 60-75°F; prefers to be more dry than wet, when you water soak the plant but don’t let it “sit” in water and allow the soil to dry out slightly between watering. The leaves will droop when it needs water providing a visual cue; if you see browning of the leaves, adjust your watering. This plant will perk right up when it is happy.
Size: up to 18in in height and width
9. Monstera – “the split-leaf philodendron”
Monstera deliciosa plant is also called the “split-leaf philodendron” since its glossy large heart-shaped leaves have a characteristic split, kind of like swiss cheese. This easy-to-grow evergreen grows about 1 to 2 feet a year, producing multiple new shoots. It thrives in humid environments with partial or indirect sunlight. A beautiful houseplant that adds vibrant green to any dull corner. I bought one of these plants when we first moved into our house and within two years have propagated four babies that are growing into lush beauties themselves, filling our house with greenery. This plant is really fun!
Name: Monstera deliciosa; commonly called Split-leaf philodendron, Swiss cheese plant, or window leaf
Growing conditions: Bright indirect sunlight or partial shade, prefers a well-drained peat-based soil, water regularly during the growing season, about once every week. Water until excess drains through drainage holes and let the sil dry out slightly between waterings. Water only occasionally in fall and winter. To increase humidity indoors, mist the foliage using a spray bottle.
Size 3 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. spread
10. Air plants
Tillandsia stricta is a common species in the air plant family. There are many different varieties offering a plethora of looks to choose from. Some varieties have soft leaves while others have stiff leaves. In addition to foliage structure, Tillandsia stricta plants also vary in color. Their flowers may be red, pink, blue, or purple. This is a hardy, low-maintenance plant that looks great in nooks and crannies and difficult areas such as a bathroom. Propagating your Tillandsia stricta is simple as well, when it is mature the plant will produce pups at its base giving you baby air plants! Air plants can take years to bloom and produce pups, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t see any. With proper care, your Tillandsia stricta will reward you with bright blooms and pups in time, meanwhile they are a fascinating addition to any decor.
Name: Tillandsia stricta
Growing Conditions: Bright, indirect light. Water occasionally - since your Tillandsia stricta has no soil, these plants should be soaked to get all the water they need. Simply submerge your air plant in a bowl of clean water for 10 to 30 minutes, then remove your plant from the water and gently shake it to remove any excess water in the leaves. Check it after a couple of hours to ensure that the plant is completely dry; if water sits too long on the leaves and core of the plant, it can cause rot. Be sure to place your air plant in an area that has good airflow. They look great sitting on a desk, in a seashell, on a log, or added to a terrarium, even hanging on the wall.
Size: 6 to 12 inches
There you have it! Go ahead and add some plants to that drab corner–you’ll be amazed at how much more welcoming it looks and how much better you feel as a result.
Leave us a comment on your favorite houseplants and how they’ve livened up your space!
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