15 Houseplants That Are Almost Impossible to Kill

Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

The snake plant is a great choice for a hardy houseplant that can thrive without much attention. A large succulent with stiff, vertical leaves, it can go without water for weeks at a time. It's tolerant of a wide variety of conditions, from bright light to shade and dry to humid air. Due to its unique, bladelike leaves, the snake plant is also sometimes known as "mother-in-law's tongue."

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

The parlor palm has long been a popular houseplant choice, and for good reason. This shade-tolerant native of Central and South America grows two to three feet tall at maturity, tolerates low light, and requires only infrequent watering. All this makes it a great choice for beginners or forgetful plant owners. Parlor palms are also sometimes called bamboo palms because of their bamboo-like stems, and they produce inedible fruits (though fruiting is rare indoors).

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

The spider plant, also known as the ribbon plant, is a forgiving houseplant, especially when it comes to infrequent watering and artificial light. It grows well in pots or hanging baskets and is easily propagated by division, offering the option to grow more plants for the price of one. With distinctive light green stripes on its leaves and white, starlike flowers, it makes for a showy houseplant, even when it gets less attention than it deserves.

Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)

The rubber plant is a variety of fig tree that's a popular house and office plant. It's often overwatered, perhaps because its large, dark green leaves make it look like a jungle plant. It tolerates low light but is notorious for appreciating a stable location — being moved around often tends to stress the plant, which might be a blessing in disguise for less-attentive plant owners. It is worth regularly wiping down the leaves, though, as they can be a serious dust magnet. 

Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)

The Christmas cactus gets its name from the showy flowers it produces in winter. Despite being a true cactus, this plant is a native of the rainforest, not the desert, and prefers more moisture than others of its kind. If you're up to the watering regimen, this is a rewarding houseplant that doesn't require much else. It prefers partial, indirect light and thrives in an average potting mix or cacti mix. To encourage more growth, plant it in a hanging container that allows its limbs to drape.

Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

The croton is a popular houseplant with colorful, variegated leaves that might give novice plant owners a scare when they first bring it home. Since it doesn't like to be moved, don't be surprised if it drops its leaves at first. Keep it well-watered, and they will bounce back without a problem. After that, it's easy to care for, especially if you can find a warm, sunny corner for this tropical, Southeast Asian native. 

Air Plant (Tillandsia spp.)

If you're looking for a real hands-off houseplant experience, look no further than the unique air plant, which requires no soil — and hardly any water. As an epiphyte, it collects the nutrients it needs from the air and can live indoors in glasses, on a bed of rocks, or even just sitting on a table. Unless you find a misty, humid place for it (like the bathroom), an air plant will still need to occasionally be misted or dunked in water to mimic its natural habitat. 

Eternity Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

The eternity plant really lives up to its name. It thrives in less than perfect conditions, outlasting poor plant care for what can seem like an eternity. It needs little water and low to medium light, and can exist happily even in rooms with mostly artificial lighting. It's still best to water it, but since it prefers its soil to dry completely between doses, this can be as little as once a month.

Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

The corn plant is a hardy houseplant that can do well in shadier spots in your house. It tolerates inattention fairly well and is easy to monitor, as its leaf tips will start to brown if it needs more water. It's also a good choice as a large floor plant, since it can grow four to six feet tall at maturity. It grows slowly from canelike stalks that can be cut back to train the plant to the size you prefer. 

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Golden pothos is a good choice as an introduction to vining houseplants. It's known for its forgiving nature and heart-shaped leaves of yellow and green. Sometimes growing 12 to 18 inches a month, it can be trained to vine quickly and easily. Though it prefers natural light, pothos can grow well under fluorescent lighting, making it a good choice in dorm rooms, offices, or any other space with mostly artificial light.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

English ivy is another vining species that will grow easily with little input. Since it can thrive for weeks without attention, it's a good choice for hard-to-reach spaces, like hanging pots or high shelves. Though English ivy does grow quickly, it often takes two years before it starts to produce long vines. It makes a great houseplant, but a controversial outdoor plant—it's considered an invasive species in the United States due to its ability to spread quickly and outcompete native species. 

Jade Plant (Crassula argentea)

The jade plant is a large succulent with a woody stem that resembles a tree once it grows tall enough. Its thick, waxy leaves are excellent at retaining water, so it's usually easier to overwater it than leave it too dry. 

Though it can reach heights of five feet, it won't happen quickly. It grows slowly, and its heavy, fleshy leaves must be trimmed to promote vertical growth. As a bonus, trimming also reveals its unique trunk, which otherwise would be hidden by the thick foliage. 

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

The peace lily is a large, attractive houseplant that is popular for its ability to withstand low light conditions. It produces white flowers, though it will produce more flowers when given ample light. In low light conditions, however, it still functions as a hardy foliage plant.

Peace lilies are also highly drought tolerant. It's better to water them only when the soil is dry to the touch, rather than sticking to a schedule. If you're unsure about how often to water, wait for the leaves to droop before watering.

Wax Plant (Hoya carnosa)

The wax plant is a slow-growing, vining species that makes an easy houseplant. It's popular for its attractive, waxy leaves and the wide range of conditions it will grow in without fuss. It produces star-shaped flowers in late spring and early summer, but must be well-tended in order to bloom — which can provide a fun challenge for a budding gardener. Ideally, it should be grown in a high-drainage potting mix with material like perlite and pumice to promote airflow. 

Aloe (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloe is a succulent plant with thick, dark green leaves. It prefers bright light but is highly drought tolerant. On a sunny windowsill, it will thrive absent much attention. Aloe can tolerate partial light but might produce long, spindly leaves instead of strong, stout ones.