8 Easiest Houseplants to Keep Alive

Raise your hand if you’re the plant killer in your family. You long to bring a touch of green into your home, but Mother Nature seems to feel otherwise. Well, clearly, you haven’t given up since you found your way here. 

Lucky for you, there are probably still plenty of plants you haven’t tried yet. These options are some of the easiest houseplants to keep alive — they’re even strong enough to withstand your black thumb. 

1. Pothos 

The pothos plant is a great air purifier. It’s also a vine, so you can train it to grow up a pole or wall, hang down or drape it horizontally on a shelf. You also never need to worry about when to water it since pothos is very good at letting you know. It’ll start to droop when it’s time. This plant even thrives in any amount of sunlight. Once you get more confident, you can even split your plant into more little ones. 

2. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreen is incredibly easy to keep alive. It doesn’t need much sunlight. This potted wonder can also withstand both over and under watering for a period of time. It’s not particularly susceptible to root rot and can go a couple of weeks without water. As a general rule, you should water your Chinese evergreen once the first couple inches of soil are dry. 

3. Snake Plant

Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue or sansevieria, the snake plant is on most everyone’s list of easiest houseplants to keep alive. They like indirect light and don’t need frequent watering. In fact, you should let the soil go completely dry in-between waterings. 

4. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is beginner friendly and has many uses. It’s an excellent air purifier, and the plant’s juice has many skin care benefits. These love plenty of natural light and only need you to water them every couple of weeks. 

5. ZZ Plant

The ZZ plant’s leaves have a shiny finish which leads some people to believe it’s fake — it’s almost as resilient as a plastic houseplant. It grows best with plenty of sunshine but does fine in lower lighting. You only need to water a ZZ plant once a week. 

6. Parlor Palm

This is by far one of the easiest houseplants to keep alive. Outside, this beautiful palm can grow up to 16 feet. However, as a houseplant, it reaches between two to six feet. It’s highly adaptable, so it can handle some neglect. It’s not sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, air quality or sunlight. You have to work pretty hard to kill this one. 

7. Kalanchoe

As a member of the succulent family, the kalanchoe is very easy to care for. It just needs plenty of sunshine and water every couple of weeks. As a bonus, this plant also produces small bell-shaped flowers, which offer an extra pop of color and cheer to any room. 

8. Yucca

Yucca is a drought-tolerant plant, so it can go without watering for a while if you forget. It can tolerate different amounts of sunlight, but its leaves are most green and full when it gets a good amount of indirect sunlight. These live quite a long time, so make sure you’re in it for the long haul. 

Be Wary With Animals and Young Kids

While they’re beautiful pops of color and air filtering wonders, not all plants are safe for pets and young kids. Even some of the easiest houseplants to keep alive are toxic when ingested. So, if you have little ones or indoor pets, think twice before making your choices. Do your research, and keep your family safe.