Easy houseplants for beginners

New to houseplants? Start here. These are the most forgiving, hard-to-kill plants, the ones that bounce back from a missed watering and don’t demand perfect light. Each links to a full care guide.

71 curated plants

A good beginner plant tolerates irregular watering, copes with average indoor light, and recovers from the odd mistake. The plants below are all rated easy and link to a full care guide.

Watering (summer)

Spineless yuccaYucca elephantipesevery 11 to 17 daysToxic to pets Sweetheart plantHoya kerriievery 11 to 17 daysPet-safe Cactus assortmentCactaceae spp.every 11 to 17 daysPet safety unknown EcheveriaEcheveria spp.every 11 to 17 daysPet-safe Donkey’s tailSedum morganianumevery 11 to 17 daysPet-safe African milk treeEuphorbia trigonaevery 11 to 17 daysToxic to pets Dragon treeDracaena marginataevery 8 to 12 daysToxic to pets Flaming KatyKalanchoe blossfeldianaevery 8 to 12 daysToxic to pets Christmas cactusSchlumbergera spp.every 8 to 12 daysPet-safe Sago palmCycas revolutaevery 8 to 12 daysToxic to pets String of heartsCeropegia woodiievery 8 to 12 daysPet safety unknown Scarlet star bromeliadGuzmania lingulataevery 8 to 12 daysPet-safe CliviaClivia miniataevery 8 to 12 daysToxic to pets Crown of thornsEuphorbia miliievery 8 to 12 daysToxic to pets Wax plantHoya carnosaevery 7 to 11 daysPet-safe Blushing philodendronPhilodendron erubescensevery 6 to 10 daysToxic to pets MonsteraMonstera deliciosaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Golden pothosEpipremnum aureumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Peace lilySpathiphyllum wallisiievery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Spider plantChlorophytum comosumevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe English ivyHedera helixevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Rubber plantFicus elasticaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Chinese money plantPilea peperomioidesevery 6 to 8 daysPet safety unknown Heartleaf philodendronPhilodendron hederaceumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets AnthuriumAnthurium andraeanumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Moth orchidPhalaenopsis spp.every 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Kentia palmHowea forsterianaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Parlor palmChamaedorea elegansevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Dwarf umbrella treeSchefflera arboricolaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Money treePachira aquaticaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Corn plantDracaena fragransevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets PleomeleDracaena reflexaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Lucky bambooDracaena sanderianaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Tree philodendronPhilodendron bipinnatifidumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Philodendron BrasilPhilodendron hederaceum 'Brasil'every 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Arrowhead plantSyngonium podophyllumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Chinese evergreenAglaonema commutatumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Dumb caneDieffenbachia seguineevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Weeping figFicus benjaminaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Chinese banyanFicus microcarpaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Inch plantTradescantia zebrinaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Purple heartTradescantia pallidaevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets African violetSaintpaulia ionanthaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Wax begoniaBegonia x semperflorens-cultorumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets GeraniumPelargonium x hortorumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Lace fernAsparagus setaceusevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Air plantTillandsia ionanthaevery 6 to 8 daysPet safety unknown Japanese araliaFatsia japonicaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Polka dot plantHypoestes phyllostachyaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Baby rubber plantPeperomia obtusifoliaevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe Swiss cheese vineMonstera adansoniievery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Philodendron BirkinPhilodendron 'Birkin'every 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Pigtail anthuriumAnthurium scherzerianumevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Windmill palmTrachycarpus fortuneievery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe European fan palmChamaerops humilisevery 6 to 8 daysPet safety unknown Christmas spruce (potted)Picea abies (potted)every 6 to 8 daysPet safety unknown Bay laurelLaurus nobilisevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets RosemaryRosmarinus officinalisevery 6 to 8 daysPet-safe HyacinthHyacinthus orientalisevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets OleanderNerium oleanderevery 6 to 8 daysToxic to pets Creeping figFicus pumilaevery 5 to 7 daysToxic to pets Ivy geraniumPelargonium peltatumevery 5 to 7 daysToxic to pets AmaryllisHippeastrum hybridsevery 5 to 7 daysToxic to pets ColeusColeus blumeievery 3 to 5 daysToxic to pets LantanaLantana camaraevery 3 to 5 daysToxic to pets

Care know-how

Common questions

What is the easiest houseplant to keep alive?

The snake plant (Sansevieria), ZZ plant, and pothos are the most forgiving: they tolerate low light, irregular watering, and bounce back from neglect. All three are on this list.

Which beginner houseplants are also safe for pets?

Several plants on this list are easy and non-toxic to cats and dogs, including spider plant, moth orchid, and Kentia palm. Each card shows its pet-safety verdict, and our pet-safe houseplants page has the full hand-checked list.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-21