20 Best Indoor Plants for Beginners

Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Snake plants are very easy to care for and quite forgiving. They also have a great visual impact, with dramatic, upwardly pointing, angular leaves. They are slow growers, so you won't need to repot them for a while. Snake plants like the same temperature and humidity conditions that people do, and their light requirements are pretty flexible (no direct sun or full shade, but they will make do with most light types in between).

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants are good communicators, which is why they're a great plant for beginners. When they need water, the tips of their leaves will get brown. When they are being overwatered, their long leaves will flop and look waterlogged. If they get a lot of sun, the lighter variegation will get wider; and when they are in a darker place, the stripes will get narrower or disappear.

When they're happy for a few weeks at a time, they'll produce "spiderettes," which are baby versions of themselves. You can easily transplant the spiderettes to create new plants.

Moon Orchid (Phalaenopsis orchid)

Orchids have the reputation for being difficult to care for, but modern orchids are much hardier, especially the Phalaenopsis, which comes in a variety of colors. This is the kind you'll see in a variety of colors in grocery and home goods stores.

Orchids like a moist environment and partial sun, so a bathroom or kitchen shelf could be a perfect spot for them. A spritz of water once a week is all they need — overwatering is a common mistake. They prefer cooler indoor temperatures and don't like direct sun, so they'll do best in a place that gets some indirect light every day.

Silver Torch Cacti (Cleistocactus strausii)

Since it's a cactus, this plant needs full sun for at least six hours per day, but it needs little else. It will grow slowly, but extra sun will help it grow faster.

A little water every three or four weeks is sufficient; a bit less in winter, a bit more in spring. Since cacti have shallow roots to pick up desert dew, water away from the center of the plant.

Pearl of Nurnberg Echeveria (Perle von Nurnberg Echeveria)

Echeveria are circular succulents, and this variety has greyish-green leaves with pink highlights (the more sun it gets, the pinker it will be). They need plenty of sun, and watering every couple of weeks is enough. Echeveria are a great succulent to learn from because they are especially hardy and will grow to a pleasing size of about 6 inches across. Be careful not to overwater and make sure that liquid doesn't collect in the leaves, which can rot the core of the plant. Expect pink and yellow flowers in the summer.

Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)

This cheery little plant needs some light (but full sun is too much), and weekly watering. Other than that, it pretty much takes care of itself. It will produce offshoots that sprout from the stem's base, which means you can get free new money plants — simply place them in soil and add them to your collection.

Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)

This is a low-light plant that thrives in humid environments. It might make a great addition to your bathroom, where it will get doused with warm, damp air regularly. Although it likes humidity, it doesn't want wet roots — in the tropical areas where it grows, rain is often caught by plants and trees higher up in the forest, leaving less water to get to the plant's roots.

Prayer plants are not difficult to care for, but they do like a particular type of environment. This is a good option for beginners who have appropriate homes.

Florist Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)

This plant is great for beginners because it requires little care but gives a lot back, including bright flowers that bloom for a long time. It's a succulent with about 125 varieties; flowers come in different shades of yellow, pink, orange, and red. Kalanchoe does well in different temperatures.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Peace lilies are ideal for beginners because they communicate well, like spider plants. They will get floppy leaves if they are watered too much or not watered enough (just touch the top of the soil to determine which one), and will get brown edges and start to curl if left too long without enough water. They need some light, but not direct sun, and can do fine in a relatively shady spot. Make sure that they are watered regularly but don't let them sit in water.

Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloe vera is a great plant for beginners because it is easy to grow and very useful. You can clip off a stalk of this plant and use it to treat a burn or to cool a sunburn, or just smooth it over your skin for a free high-quality moisturizer. It needs plenty of sun and shouldn't be overwatered, but other than that, it's an easy and rewarding plant.

Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

Corn plants have what seems like a magical power: You can basically kill them (at least they will look dead), and then revive them. Just trim off the dead leaves, repot in fresh soil, keep soil damp, and wait. Corn plants like shadier spots in your house, though they need some indirect light. Ends will turn brown if they aren't getting enough water, and leaves will burn if they get too much sun.

Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Boston ferns, like most ferns, need some spritzing every week or so, since they thrive in an environment that's usually a bit more moist than what is found in our homes. They need cooler temperatures and low light, so don't put them in a sunny window. And be sure to keep their soil moist (think of the understory tropics where they come from for a cue).

Hedgehog Cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii)

This cactus needs lots of full sun — at least six hours a day. Given the right conditions, your plant will display one of the largest cactus blooms when spring rolls around. The blooms are bright magenta, pink, or red and last for five days. Like other cacti, this one doesn't need much water (once a month in the winter but more frequently in the spring).

Norfolk Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

The Norfolk pine isn't a pine tree at all; it's a tropical plant that does grow to large tree-like proportions in its native land in Australia and other locations that are warm and moist enough. Because they grow near the ocean, these are moisture-loving plants, so you might want to get a mister or place the plant on a tray of pebbles with some water in it.

Basil (Ocimum basilicum)

Growing basil yourself is easy — although you do have to keep an eye on it as it will grow pretty fast. You can start from seeds in a sunny window or buy a small plant or two (they are often available at the grocery store). Basil likes to be warm and well-watered. You'll also want to trim the leaves consistently (aim to remove 1/4 of the leaves every week or so) and pinch from the top to keep flowers from forming. It's an annual, so your basil plant will only last for a few months.

Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)

Monstera plants are fairly easy to care for. Moderate light and weekly watering is pretty much all they need. As this plant grows, it will need to be attached to a trellis or a piece of furniture. Learning how to do that is a great lesson in climbing plant care.

Jade Plant (Crassula argentea)

Jade plants are very easy to grow as long as they have plenty of light (but not direct sun). One good lesson a beginner plant owner might learn is trimming. As part of the succulent family, jade plants may grow fairly quickly and can easily overwhelm their trunks. Invest in a good pair of sharp gardening shears and keep an eye out after a growth spurt (usually in the spring). You can also learn how to turn the cut limbs into more jade plants by letting a scab form and then rooting them.

Air Plant (Tillandsia)

Air plants are a little trickier than other plants on this list. Because they have no soil, you'll need to mist them at least weekly (if not more frequently) or dunk them in water. They are notorious for gathering nutrients from the air; just don't put them in direct sun.

Dumbcane (Dieffenbachia seguine)

This plant's pretty variegated leaves and upright attitude make it a popular choice in all kinds of indoor environments. It's easy to overwater this one because it prefers moist soil, so keep an eye on that balance.

Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)

The name says it all — this is a tough plant that's hard to kill and will probably be the easiest plant in your house to care for. It grows really slowly and does well in low-light and even low-moisture environments. Be careful not to overwater it.