20 Easy Houseplants That Survive Even When You Forget Them

What actually makes a houseplant easy?

Most plants on this list share one or more of three traits: they store water in their leaves, stems or roots and handle drought far better than the average houseplant; they grow from a rhizome or tuber that makes them hard to kill by accident; or they originate from forest floors where light has always been weak and indirect, which makes them unusually tolerant of dim rooms.

The ZZ plant's thick, potato-like rhizome sitting under the soil is a good example. It works as a stored-water reserve the plant can live on for weeks, which explains why the ZZ plant survives exactly the kind of care most of us actually give our plants – a bit irregular, sometimes forgotten, rarely perfect.

Good to know. "Easy" doesn't mean "needs no care at all." Even the toughest plants on this list can die from chronic overwatering in a pot without drainage holes. The right pot and soil matter more than which species you pick.

How to pick the right plant for your home

Before buying, it's more useful to start from your home than from a list. The light in your actual space affects how a plant performs more than almost anything else, and it costs nothing to check.

1. Assess the light where the plant will sit. Hold your hand up at the spot around midday. A sharp shadow means bright light, a fuzzy shadow means moderate light, and no visible shadow at all means the spot is too dim for most houseplants.
2. Be honest about your watering habits. If you tend to forget plants for weeks at a time, the "forgiving of forgetfulness" group below is a better fit than a peace lily that shows thirst within days.
3. Check for pets and small children in the home. Several popular houseplants, including pothos and monstera, are mildly toxic if eaten. See the pet-safe alternatives further down.
4. Start with fewer plants than you want. Two or three plants you actually get to know beat ten that all compete for your attention in the first month.

Quick overview: 20 easy houseplants

Use this table to scan quickly. Full detail on each plant is in the sections below.

Houseplants that survive when you forget to water

These eight do best in homes where the watering can gets forgotten for two, three or four weeks at a stretch. What they share is water storage – in leaves, stems, trunks or rhizomes – which is exactly what makes them so drought-tolerant.

Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria)

The snake plant is probably the most underrated houseplant around – it gets called boring, but few plants forgive as much. Its stiff, upright leaves store water much like a succulent, which lets it go three to four weeks between waterings, sometimes longer in winter.

It tolerates everything from a fairly dim hallway to a bright windowsill, though growth slows in low light. The most common way to kill one isn't drought – it's the opposite: a pot without drainage where water sits around the roots.

ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

The ZZ plant's glossy, dark green leaves look almost artificial, but it's a genuinely tough, real plant. Its thick underground rhizome acts as a water reserve, letting it go three to four weeks without water with no visible damage.

It handles everything from moderately dim rooms to bright windows, but won't tolerate sitting in soggy soil for long – the roots rot faster than on most other plants on this list. The ZZ plant is toxic if ingested and its sap can irritate skin and the inside of the mouth, so keep it out of reach of curious pets and kids.

Jade plant (Crassula ovata)

The jade plant is a classic succulent with thick, glossy leaves that store water. It wants considerably more light than many others on this list – ideally a few hours of direct sun – but in return handles several weeks between waterings without complaint.

An older jade plant can grow surprisingly large and tree-like over the years, which is part of the appeal. The usual reason it drops leaves or turns mushy and translucent is overwatering combined with too little light.

Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

The ponytail palm isn't actually a palm – it's a succulent relative of agaves, which shows clearly in the swollen, bottle-like base of its trunk. That base stores water much like a cactus does, which is why it can go three to four weeks without watering unharmed.

It wants a bright spot, ideally with some direct sun, and it's one of the better options for pet owners since it's considered non-toxic if eaten. As with the jade plant, the most common way to kill it is a well-meaning but overly generous watering can.

Aloe vera

Aloe vera is best known for its skin-soothing gel, but it also happens to be a genuinely easy houseplant. Its thick, fleshy leaves store plenty of water, so it does fine on watering every two to three weeks, less often in winter.

It needs bright light, ideally with a few hours of sun, to stay compact – in too little light the leaves thin out and stretch toward the window. Contrary to what many people assume, aloe vera is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, even though it's harmless when used topically on skin.

Haworthia

Haworthia is a small succulent that often looks like a miniature aloe, with pointed, sometimes striped or semi-translucent leaves. It stores water in its leaves just like its larger relatives and does well on watering every two to three weeks.

The advantage over most succulents is that haworthia tolerates somewhat lower light without getting leggy, which makes it a solid choice for a window that doesn't get direct sun all day. It's also non-toxic to pets, making it a safe choice for a shelf or windowsill a cat can reach.

Desert cactus

Common desert cacti, such as various Echinopsis species, are built to handle extreme drought and need minimal care as long as they get enough light. Water thoroughly every three to four weeks in the growing season and considerably less often – sometimes once a month or less – through winter.

The most common mistake is watering a cactus as often as an ordinary foliage plant, which almost always leads to root rot. Give it as much sun as possible – in shade growth turns weak and the cactus can stretch into an unnaturally pale, elongated shape. Many succulents and cacti also do well moved out to a sunny balcony or patio over summer, as long as they're acclimatised to outdoor light gradually. For more ideas on what thrives outdoors, see our guide to what to grow on a balcony.

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera)

The Christmas cactus differs from most other cacti because it originally grows as an epiphyte in rainforest canopies rather than desert sand, which is why it wants more regular watering and doesn't need direct sun. Water about once a week during the active season and let the soil dry out a little between waterings.

It's known for blooming reliably around the winter holidays if it gets a few weeks of cool, dark nights in autumn, but it works perfectly well as an easy foliage plant even if you never think about the flowering at all. It's considered non-toxic to pets, unlike several other popular flowering houseplants.

Which houseplants handle low light best?

North-facing windows, hallways and offices without much daylight rule out most succulents and cacti. These four instead originate from forest floors, where competition for light made them unusually good at getting by with little.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Pothos is probably the most widely grown trailing houseplant around, and for good reason. It tolerates everything from fairly dim rooms to bright windows, grows quickly when conditions are good, and forgives both missed watering and sporadic care.

Water when the top couple of centimetres (roughly an inch) of soil feels dry, about once a week in summer and considerably less often in winter. Pothos is mildly toxic if eaten and can irritate the mouth and stomach in pets and children, so let the long vines trail somewhere a curious cat can't reach.

Heartleaf philodendron (Philodendron hederaceum)

The heartleaf philodendron is often mistaken for pothos since the two look alike and thrive under similar conditions. It tolerates dimmer rooms better than most houseplants and is happy with watering about once a week, less in winter.

A clear sign it's getting too little light is longer gaps appearing between leaves as the plant stretches and gets leggy. Like pothos, it contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth if eaten, which makes it a poor choice within reach of a cat that likes to chew leaves.

Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

The parlor palm is one of the few indoor palms that genuinely thrives in shadier spots, which makes it unusually useful in rooms without direct sunlight. Water about once a week and never let the soil stay fully soaked for long, since palms are prone to root rot.

It grows slowly, which means a small parlor palm you buy today stays a manageable tabletop size for years. Unlike many others on this list, it's considered completely non-toxic to cats and dogs, making it one of the best palm options for pet owners.

Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans and Dracaena marginata)

Dracaenas, both the broad-leaved Dracaena fragrans and the narrow-leaved Dracaena marginata, handle moderately dim rooms without losing shape and only need watering every ten to fourteen days. They're also slow growers, meaning less pruning and repotting over time compared with fast growers like pothos.

A well-known issue is brown leaf tips, which are usually caused by fluoride in tap water rather than poor care – rainwater or water left standing overnight reduces the risk. Dracaena is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten and can cause vomiting, sometimes with blood, so it's worth placing it somewhere pets can't chew on the leaves.

Easy flowering houseplants

Most flowering houseplants demand more light and more consistent care than pure foliage plants. These two are the exceptions – easy enough for a beginner, yet still rewarding you with regular blooms.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)

The peace lily is unusual in combining white blooms with real tolerance for weaker light, making it one of the few flowering houseplants that copes without direct sun. Its most practical trait is that it shows thirst clearly – the leaves visibly droop before any lasting damage occurs, which makes it hard to genuinely forget.

Water as soon as the leaves start to droop slightly, roughly once a week in summer. Peace lily is mildly toxic if eaten due to calcium oxalate, which can irritate the mouth and throat in pets that chew on the leaves.

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe is a compact succulent with dense clusters of brightly coloured flowers, and it stores water in its fleshy leaves much like the jade plant does. Water every one to two weeks and let the soil dry out well between waterings – it's considerably more sensitive to overwatering than most other succulents on this list.

Reblooming requires shorter days and dark nights for a few weeks, similar to the Christmas cactus, but even without a second bloom it works well as a tough, light-hungry foliage plant. Kalanchoe is the most seriously toxic plant on this list for pets – it contains cardiac glycosides that, in rare cases, can affect heart rhythm if a large amount is eaten, so it's worth keeping entirely out of reach of cats and dogs that like to sample plants.

If you want even more easy-care flowers, pelargoniums are also unusually tough, though they work best as a seasonal plant for a sunny balcony rather than a true year-round indoor houseplant. Amaryllis is another easy option, but behaves quite differently since it rests as a bulb for part of the year – see our amaryllis care guide for how it differs from the plants on this list.

Common mistake. Assuming all succulents and cacti need identical care. Kalanchoe and jade plants are considerably more sensitive to overwatering than a desert cactus, even though all three store water in their leaves.

Easy foliage and trailing plants

This group is the most varied – from large, architectural foliage plants to small trailers for a shelf. What they share is that they cope with a roughly weekly watering routine without being quite as drought-tolerant as the succulents above.

Monstera (Monstera deliciosa)

Monstera, with its distinctive split and holed leaves, has become one of the most popular houseplants of the past few years, and it's considerably easier to grow than its social-media reputation suggests. It wants bright but indirect light and is watered about once a week, once the top couple of centimetres of soil feel dry.

An older monstera can grow large and does best with a moss pole or coir support to climb upright rather than flopping over the pot's edge. It contains calcium oxalate crystals that irritate the mouth if eaten, worth knowing if you have a cat that likes to chew on the big leaves.

Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

The spider plant is one of the most forgiving trailing houseplants around and one of the few popular houseplants that's completely non-toxic to pets. It tolerates everything from bright to moderate light and is watered about once a week.

Mature plants send out long runners tipped with baby plantlets, which can be snipped off and rooted in water or soil to propagate the plant for free. Brown leaf tips are common and usually come down to fluoride or chlorine in tap water rather than any other care mistake.

Peperomia

Peperomia is really an umbrella name for several hundred species, but the most commonly grown varieties share thick, fleshy leaves that store water somewhat like a semi-succulent. That makes them unusually forgiving of missed watering compared with most other foliage plants, needing water only every one to two weeks.

They stay compact and suit a shelf or desk where larger plants would take up too much room. Peperomia is considered non-toxic to cats and dogs, making it a safe choice near a workspace pets tend to wander through.

Inch plant (Tradescantia zebrina)

The inch plant has striped leaves in silver, green and purple that give quick visual impact in a hanging pot. It grows fast and is watered about once a week, but tolerates the occasional missed week without dying, even if the leaves droop a little in the meantime.

Light determines how vivid the colours stay – too dim a spot fades the purple and silver toward plain green. The sap can cause mild skin irritation in people and pets, so wear gloves when taking cuttings and keep long trailing stems out of reach of a cat that likes to chew.

Pilea (Pilea peperomioides)

Pilea, often called the Chinese money plant or "pass-it-on" plant because it propagates so easily to share with friends, has become a favourite thanks to its round, coin-shaped leaves on thin stems. It wants bright but indirect light and is watered about once a week.

Despite the easygoing reputation, pilea needs slightly steadier light than pothos or philodendron to avoid getting leggy, but it's non-toxic to pets and readily produces small offshoots at the base that can be cut off and potted up separately.

Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

The rubber plant has large, glossy, almost leathery leaves and can grow into a genuine indoor tree over time. It tolerates bright to moderate light and is watered about once a week, once the top couple of centimetres of soil feel dry.

Unlike its fussier relative, the weeping fig (Ficus benjamina), the rubber plant rarely drops leaves over small changes in its environment, making it a more forgiving choice if you rearrange furniture often. Its milky sap can irritate skin and the stomach on contact or if eaten, so bear that in mind if your cat likes to nibble leaves.

Which of these is the easiest of all?

If you're only picking one or two plants and your top priority is that they never die, no matter how often you forget them, the ZZ plant and snake plant are hard to beat. Both handle weeks of drought, tolerate dim rooms, and grow slowly enough that they rarely need repotting.

The ponytail palm comes in close behind and has the advantage of being completely non-toxic to pets, which neither the ZZ plant nor the snake plant is. If you want a flowering plant that's still hard to kill, the peace lily is the safest bet, since it literally tells you with its leaves when it's thirsty instead of suffering in silence.

Are these houseplants safe around pets?

No, not all of them – and it's worth checking before you buy if you have a cat or dog that likes to chew on plants. Of the 20 plants on this list, spider plant, haworthia, parlor palm, Christmas cactus, peperomia and pilea are the only ones considered completely non-toxic if eaten. The ponytail palm is also generally treated as safe.

Most of the rest only cause mild symptoms, such as vomiting or mouth irritation, if a pet happens to taste a leaf – unpleasant for the animal but rarely something that needs a vet visit. Kalanchoe stands out as considerably more serious, since it contains compounds that in rare cases can affect heart rhythm in larger amounts, so it's worth keeping entirely out of reach of curious pets.

Good to know. If you have a cat that likes to chew leaves, place toxic species such as monstera, pothos and kalanchoe up high or in a room the cat can't access, rather than ruling them out entirely. Plenty of lovely plants can still work in a cat household with the right placement.

Common mistakes with easy houseplants

• Watering succulents and cacti like ordinary foliage plants. They want to dry out completely between waterings, unlike most others on this list.
• Putting a shade-lover in a sunny window, or the reverse. A parlor palm in strong sun scorches just as easily as a desert cactus struggles in the dark.
• Assuming "easy" means "no care needed at all." Every plant on this list does better with regular, if infrequent, attention.
• Buying several plants at once without checking toxicity. Check pet safety before you buy, not after an incident.
• Jumping straight to a much bigger pot. It holds moisture longer than the roots can absorb it, no matter how drought-tolerant the species.
• Panic-watering a plant that looks unwell. Always check the soil and roots before watering – many problems come from too much water, not too little.

Frequently asked questions

What is the single easiest houseplant to keep alive?
The ZZ plant and snake plant are usually considered the hardest to kill, since both tolerate weeks of drought, cope with dim rooms and grow slowly. If you want a pet-safe option with similar toughness, the ponytail palm is a strong choice.

Which houseplants are safe for cats and dogs?
Of the plants on this list, spider plant, haworthia, parlor palm, Christmas cactus, peperomia, pilea and ponytail palm are considered completely non-toxic if eaten. Most others only cause mild symptoms, while kalanchoe carries the most serious risk.

How often should you water easy houseplants?
It varies a lot between groups. Succulents and cacti such as the ZZ plant and jade plant do fine on watering every three to four weeks, while foliage plants like pothos and monstera typically want water about once a week.

Which houseplants tolerate a room with little natural light?
No houseplant thrives with zero light over time, but parlor palm, dracaena, pothos and peace lily tolerate considerably weaker light than most others and suit dimmer rooms best, as long as there's at least some daylight.

Can easy houseplants die from too much care?
Yes, actually more often than from neglect. Overwatering is the most common cause of houseplant death, since the roots suffocate from lack of oxygen in constantly wet soil. Most plants on this list are more likely to die from too much water than too little.

Do easy houseplants need feeding?
Yes, but less often than fussier species. Feed lightly every two to four weeks from March through September and stop entirely over winter, when most of the plants on this list grow very slowly regardless of light or temperature.

Are these houseplants suitable for a complete beginner?
Yes, that's exactly the point of this list. Start with two or three plants from the "forgiving of forgetfulness" group before trying fussier species, so you get a feel for how your home and your own habits actually work for plants.

Why does an "easy" houseplant sometimes still die?
Usually it comes down to a pot without drainage holes, the wrong light for that particular species, or soil that's been left soggy for too long. Easy means tolerant of common mistakes, not immune to them – the basics still have to be right.

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