The Easiest Houseplants for Beginners
Almost every week, someone tells us they cannot keep plants alive. They have tried, the plants died, and they have decided they simply do not have the knack. We do not believe in the knack. In our experience, people who kill plants usually picked a demanding plant to start with, put it in the wrong spot, and loved it a little too much with the watering can. Change those three things and almost anyone can keep a plant going for years.
What makes a plant easy
An easy plant is not one that needs nothing. It is one that forgives mistakes. The best beginner plants share a few traits: they store water so a missed watering does no harm, they cope with a range of light levels, they grow steadily but not so fast that they outgrow their pot in months, and they show clear signs when something is wrong, early enough for you to fix it.
Our top picks
For a spot that needs height
A snake plant is our first suggestion for almost everyone. Its stiff, upright leaves store water, so it shrugs off a forgotten week or two, and it holds its shape for years with very little attention. It tolerates dim corners as well as bright rooms. The only real way to go wrong is to water too often.
For something fuller
The ZZ plant is just as hard to kill, with glossy leaves on arching stems and fat rhizomes under the soil that hold weeks of water. It keeps its deep green color even far from a window, which makes it a favorite for offices and hallways.
Choosing between the two comes down to shape. If the spot is narrow, the snake plant fits where a wider plant would not. If it is wide and you want something lush, a ZZ plant fills it better. Many people end up with both.
For something that grows
Part of the fun of a first plant is watching it grow. Golden pothos is the most rewarding for that: a trailing vine that can add several inches a month in summer, and that tells you clearly when it is thirsty by drooping, then lifts again within hours of a drink. Trim it and the cuttings root in a glass of water, so one plant soon becomes several.
For homes with pets
The plants above are all toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. If you have pets, start instead with a parlor palm, a soft, slow, easygoing palm that is listed as non-toxic to both, or browse our full range of pet-safe plants. If you do keep any toxic plant, put it out of reach and call your vet if it gets chewed.
Where to put it
Light is the thing beginners most often get wrong, usually by putting a plant somewhere that suits the room's look rather than the plant. Before you buy, look at the spot you have in mind. If it is far from a window, choose from the low-light plants and accept that growth will be slow. If it is close to a bright window, almost any of these plants will thrive, as long as hot afternoon sun is not landing directly on the leaves.
Once you have found a good spot, leave the plant there. Plants adjust to their light over a few weeks, and moving them around resets that process.
The habit that matters most
If you remember one thing, make it this: water by the soil, not the calendar. Push a finger into the soil before every watering. If it feels damp, wait. If it is dry, water thoroughly until it runs out of the bottom of the pot, then let it drain. Learning how often to water in your home, for your plants, is the single skill that separates people who keep plants alive from people who do not, and it takes a few weeks of attention, not a gift.
Two other habits help. Always use a pot with a drainage hole, because water that cannot escape will rot even the toughest roots. And resist the urge to repot a new plant straight away. Give it at least two weeks to settle in its nursery pot first.
Start small
It is tempting to buy a dozen plants on the first trip. We would rather you bought one or two and got to know them. Once a plant is thriving, you will understand far more about light and water than any guide can teach, and the next plant will be easier.
When you are ready to choose, our plants for beginners collection brings the most forgiving options together in one place, with notes on where each one does best.