10 Best Houseplants for Beginners: Easy Plants Anyone Can Grow
Want houseplants but worried you’ll kill them?
You’re not alone.
A lot of people love the look of indoor plants but hesitate to buy them because they think houseplants require constant watering, perfect sunlight, or years of experience.
The good news is that some houseplants are incredibly forgiving.
If you’re new to plants, the best place to start is with varieties that can tolerate missed waterings, average indoor light, and normal household conditions.
Here are 10 of the best houseplants for beginners — all available from Ethereal Company.
Shop All Beginner Houseplants →
1. ZZ Plant
The ZZ Plant is one of the easiest houseplants you can own.
Its thick roots and stems store water, which means it can handle longer periods between waterings. It also adapts well to different lighting conditions, including lower-light rooms.
Why beginners love it
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Handles missed waterings
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Tolerates lower light
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Grows well indoors
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Requires very little maintenance
If you tend to forget about your plants, the ZZ Plant is an excellent place to start.
2. Marble Queen Pothos
Marble Queen Pothos is one of the most beginner-friendly houseplants you can grow.
Its trailing vines feature beautiful green-and-white variegated leaves, making it an easy way to add greenery to a shelf, desk, or hanging planter.
Pothos can adapt to a wide variety of indoor environments and is forgiving if you occasionally forget to water it.
Why beginners love it
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Fast growing
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Beautiful trailing vines
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Easy to propagate
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Tolerates different light levels
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Forgiving of occasional missed watering
If you want an attractive plant without a complicated care routine, Pothos is hard to beat.
3. Snake Plant
The Snake Plant Laurentii is famous for being tough.
Its tall, upright leaves give it a clean architectural look while its drought tolerance makes it particularly forgiving for new plant owners.
Snake Plants prefer their soil to dry between waterings, which means you usually don't need to worry about watering them constantly.
Why beginners love it
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Very drought tolerant
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Handles different indoor light conditions
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Requires infrequent watering
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Upright, space-saving growth
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Clean modern appearance
Snake Plants are especially good for bedrooms, offices, apartments, and anyone who doesn't want a high-maintenance plant.
4. Spider Plant
The Spider Plant Reverse is easy, fast-growing, and fun to own.
Mature Spider Plants produce small offshoots called spiderettes that can eventually be propagated into new plants.
Their long arching leaves also make them perfect for shelves and hanging planters.
Why beginners love it
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Fast growing
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Easy to propagate
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Adaptable
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Produces baby plants
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Pet-friendly
Spider Plants are a great choice if you want a forgiving plant that also gives you plenty of visible growth.
5. Heartleaf Philodendron
The Heartleaf Philodendron is another excellent trailing plant for beginners.
Its heart-shaped green leaves grow along long vines that can trail from a shelf, hang from a planter, or climb a support.
Heartleaf Philodendrons are adaptable and generally grow well in normal indoor conditions.
Why beginners love it
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Attractive heart-shaped leaves
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Easy-care growth habit
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Beautiful trailing vines
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Great for shelves and hanging planters
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Adaptable to typical indoor conditions
If you like Pothos, a Heartleaf Philodendron is another excellent plant to add to your home.
6. Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen 'Maria' is a great choice if your home doesn't receive tons of natural light.
Chinese Evergreens are known for attractive patterned foliage and their ability to adapt to typical indoor environments.
They're particularly useful for adding greenery to spaces where sun-loving plants may struggle.
Why beginners love it
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Handles lower light
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Attractive patterned foliage
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Adaptable indoor plant
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Manageable growth
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Easy to care for
Chinese Evergreen works especially well in bedrooms, offices, living rooms, and other indoor spaces.
Shop Chinese Evergreen 'Maria' →
7. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the most recognizable succulent houseplants.
Its thick leaves store water, so it doesn't need to be watered nearly as often as many tropical plants.
In fact, one of the most common mistakes beginners make with Aloe Vera is watering it too often.
Why beginners love it
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Drought tolerant
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Requires minimal watering
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Compact growth
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Distinctive succulent appearance
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Loves bright indoor spaces
Give Aloe Vera plenty of light and allow the soil to dry between waterings.
8. Parlor Palm
If you want a tropical look without a complicated care routine, consider the Parlor Palm.
Parlor Palms have been grown indoors for generations because they adapt well to household conditions.
Their soft green fronds add texture and give rooms a relaxed tropical feel.
Why beginners love it
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Classic indoor palm
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Attractive tropical foliage
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Handles indirect light
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Great decorative plant
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Works well in homes and offices
A Parlor Palm can instantly make a room feel greener without requiring expert-level plant care.
9. Philodendron Congo Green
Philodendron Congo Green gives you the lush appearance of a Philodendron without long trailing vines.
Instead, it develops a fuller, upright shape with large glossy green leaves.
It's a great choice for someone looking for a bold tabletop or floor plant.
Why beginners love it
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Large glossy leaves
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Upright growth
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Easy indoor care
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Beautiful tropical appearance
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Fuller growth than trailing Philodendrons
It's an excellent option if you want something larger and more structured than Pothos or Heartleaf Philodendron.
Shop Philodendron Congo Green →
10. Money Tree
The Money Tree is popular for its distinctive braided trunk and lush green leaves.
It can develop into an impressive indoor statement plant while remaining manageable for someone relatively new to houseplants.
Money Trees also make popular housewarming and office gifts.
Why beginners love it
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Beautiful statement plant
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Distinctive braided trunk
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Works well indoors
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Great gift plant
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Attractive upright growth
Give your Money Tree bright indirect light and avoid keeping the soil constantly wet.
What Is the Easiest Houseplant to Keep Alive?
If you're completely new to houseplants, three particularly forgiving choices are:
ZZ Plant
Great for anyone who tends to forget to water.
Snake Plant
Excellent if you want a tough, upright plant that doesn't require constant attention.
Marble Queen Pothos
Perfect if you want something easy that grows into beautiful trailing vines.
All three are great plants for learning how watering, light, soil, and growth work before moving on to more demanding varieties.
How Often Should Beginners Water Houseplants?
One of the biggest beginner mistakes is watering too often.
Most houseplants shouldn't be watered simply because a certain number of days have passed.
Instead, check the soil first.
Place your finger about an inch into the soil. If it still feels damp, your plant may not need water yet.
Plants such as ZZ Plants, Snake Plants, and Aloe Vera should generally be allowed to dry considerably between waterings.
Tropical plants may prefer somewhat more consistent moisture.
The important thing is learning what your individual plant needs rather than watering every houseplant on exactly the same schedule.
What Does “Bright Indirect Light” Mean?
You'll see the phrase bright indirect light constantly when reading about houseplants.
It generally means your plant receives plenty of natural light without sitting directly in intense sunlight for hours.
A spot near a bright window is often ideal.
Strong direct afternoon sunlight can sometimes damage sensitive foliage, while rooms with very little natural light can slow the growth of many plants.
If your home doesn't receive much natural sunlight, explore our Low-Light Plant Collection.
What Are the Best Houseplants for Low Light?
If your home, office, or apartment doesn't receive much natural light, start with adaptable plants such as:
Remember that low light doesn't mean no light. Plants still need light to grow, but some varieties tolerate lower indoor light much better than others.
Start With One Easy Plant
You don't need a house full of plants to become a plant person.
Start with one.
Learn how quickly its soil dries.
Watch how new leaves develop.
Pay attention to how it responds to different locations in your home.
Once you understand one easy plant, taking care of the next one becomes much easier.
At Ethereal Company, we believe houseplants should feel exciting, not intimidating.
That's why we've put together a collection of beginner-friendly plants that make it easier to bring more green into your home.
Ready to Find Your First Houseplant?
Whether you want something nearly indestructible like a ZZ Plant, a trailing Marble Queen Pothos, or a tropical Parlor Palm, there's an easy plant for just about every home.
Start simple. Learn your plant. Watch it grow.
