I have been taking care of plants of all sorts for a long time and I often get asked the same sorts of questions. "How do you keep your plants alive?" "What should I get that won't die if I don't water it all the time?" And these questions are totally warranted, I remember when I got my first plant back in college. It was a move in gift from my mom, a Pothos to liven up my empty room. It was beautiful but I killed it within a week. I forgot to water it. A far way away from my neurotic current self who can't resist checking on my plants any time I get in the door after a day of work. This is why I always tell people a green thumb is not just an inherent trait anyone has, it is a skill that we learn with time!
When I thought about putting this list together I had to really go back to my roots, pun intended, to think about what plants are the best for a beginner, something that doesn't die overnight or need a lot of TLC. The nine plants I will list in this article are the plants I personally love that have not needed a lot of care to stay alive. Not to mention they will make anyone visiting your house drop jaws!
#1 Gold Pothos or Devil's Ivy
I thought the best place to start for you may be the place I started, the pothos. This plant can survive anything from forgetting to be watered to a nuclear blast. It may even like the direct light. They also do not mind being overwatered Heck, I am currently on a 10 day trip from Los Angeles to San Francisco visiting the family and when I left I just soaked them in water. I'm not even a little worried they will die by the time I get home. Things to keep in mind when putting pothos plants around the house, bright indirect sunlight is best. The Pothos is also a perfect starter plant as long as you schedule to at least check your plant every week or so for wilting.
Special tip:
When I was working at a plant nursary back in 2021 we always checked if our plants needed water by how much they weighed, we called this the lift test. To check if your plant needs water simply pick it up and if it feels light don't be afraid to give it some water!
There are some other really great perks of having a pothos plant, one of those is the cuttings. If you cut your pothos leaves off beneath the node, that node has a rooting hormone in it that wants to keep the plant alive. When you put that leaf in water it will grow into a brand new baby pothos! This is true for many of the plants on this list.
#2 Philodendron
On to the sister plant of the pothos, the Philodendron. My instructions for anyone caring for a philodendron would be the same as anyone caring for a pothos. Bright and indirect sunlight, water when the plant feels light and dry. You can get cuttings from these plants the same way you would from a pothos and place them in water until they are well rooted. My favorite trait of the philodendron is that its leaves drape and trail over. This makes it perfect for hanging in baskets. A great way to add depth to any room!
#3 Silver Satin Pothos
Is it obvious I love draping leaves? The Silver Satin Pothos is a beautiful silver green trailing plant that you can hang from the ceiling or put on a display. Watering patterns for this plant will be the same as your other Pothos plants and it is a beautiful plant to add a little depth to your plant collection. Cuttings from this plant also grow fairly quickly, I just took some from a friend's plant and they grew within a week.
#4 Chinese Evergreen, Aglaonema
Finally something a little different, the Chinese Evergreen is so drought tolerant it is crazy! They do not need to be watered very often and a really good way to tell if they are happpy is if they start to flower. Chinese Evergreens come in lots of varieties and colors and they are super easy to care for as long as you don't overwater them.
They like to be neglected so really don't be afraid to let them completely dry out before you water them. I recently killed my favorite from overwatering it and it was very sad. Sometimes it is easy to over love your plants and that's okay! It is all about learning from these experiences so we don't make the same mistake next time. It's all a part of the process and you are not alone.
#5 Monstera Deliciosa
The queen jewel of the plant community, a plant who's reputation precedes itself...The Monstera Deliciosa is a split leaf Philodendron that appears in countless magazines and movies as the plant's plant. Considered by some to be alien or prehistoric looking, a Monstera adds a certain interesting character to any home. It's split leaf design is meant to prevent leaf ripping in windy and rainy tropical conditions, it's root systems so dense to combat drought, this plant is a beast when it comes to longevity.
Why go with the Monstera? It tells you when it needs to be watered. Watch the leaves, are they wilting? If yes give the plant a soak in the tub and those leaves will prop right back up. The Monstera loves water! Don't be afraid to water them if you are ever in doubt. I have even kept an entire plant's roots submerged in water for months just to grow out its roots to great success. Over time you will get to know your plants as well, they like to develop personalities of their own.
#6 Fiddle Leaf Fig
A fig can survive almost anything. At my last in person job we had a fiddle leaf fig that was on the edge of death. It was losing leaves left and right, dry as a bone. It had not been getting watered for months, was also in a room with virtually no sunlight. We took it to the brightest place in the building and left it there. We soaked it in water and made an effort to create a more routing watering schedule. The Fig went from one leaf to almost 20 over just a couple months! We were amazed by the quick change since we were expecting the worst.
I like to think that plants all have their own stories if you focus in enough to see them. The moral of the story here is one of resilience and how much this Fig plant wanted to fight. If you have a fiddle leaf fig plant and find that it is not doing well in its current environment just assess and try something a little different if you can.
When caring for this plant they like direct sun but can handle indirect sun if that is all you have. Watering schedules will depend on its size but as we discussed with earlier plant examples, the best option is always to check if the plant is heavy or light. If it is light, give it some water, if it is heavy it has some time. The Fiddle Leaf Fig is a great starter plant for anyone looking for a plant that is easy to care for. Just remember to change the environment if it doesn't seem happy!
#7 Dracaena
I would be cautious with Dracaenas if you have cats. I have a beautiful cat at my apartment named Horchata and I love her to death. She loves my Dracaena a little too much though. I have to hide it from her because she likes to nibble on the leaves when I'm not there. This would not be the end of the world if the leaves were not toxic to cats! This is just a friendly note that if you have cats the Dracaena may not be the best plant option.
Now lets say you don't have a cat like me, here's why a dracaena is a great choice as an easy care plant. There are quite literally hundreds of species of Dracaena. You can find them in all sorts of shapes and sizes. There are some beautiful Dracaenas out there both big and small and all just as easy to care for. Just give them indirect light and water when they dry out. They like to be neglected, especially the bigger they get.
#8 Monstera Adansonii
I love these plants because they are a mix of my two favorite plants on this list. They trail like a Pothos and have holes like the Monstera Deliciosa. People call this the swiss cheese plant and it makes sense why, all the holes! These are fun plants and very easy to care for. If you can grow them out for a long time their trails can be pinned to walls to make shapes and outlines. They also make beautiful wall art. Because they trail they can also be hung up in baskets from the ceiling for a nice decorative touch in any room.
Because the Adansonii is in the Monstera family it is easy to care for much like its cousin the Deliciosa. They like to be in wet soil so make sure to water often but if you forget they are forgiving, don't be deterred if they wilt, they can always come back from the dead! They also like indirect sun so don't burn them on the windowsill. My favorite little fact about these guys is that they can be grown very easily from cuttings. Simply cut below the node and place a leaf in water. It will start rooting in no time and they are very prolific!
#9 Snake Plant
Saving the best for last we have the famous snake plant. Possibly the easiest care plant in the entire plant world, the more you leave these guys to do their thing the happier they are. Snake plants can be in direct or indirect sun but can easily drown so unlike most of the items on our list, this is a plant where you want to go easy on the water. I have two pretty big snake plants at home and I water them once every 4-6 months. They really do not need much to stay alive.
Bonus info about Cuttings:
Snake plants can be grown into cuttings like other items on this list but they are a little harder to grow without rotting. I learned recently that there is a way to avoid this and it requires you cut your snake plant cuttings and then leave them out for 3-5 days. You want the wounds from the cut to completely heal up and then you can put them in water. When. you put them in water make sure the bottom side of the snake plant you cut is the part you put in the water. Check often for the first week for any rotting and clean off the wet surface when checking. Hopefully if all goes well your snake plant cutting will start growing roots!
Conclusion
Thanks for checking out nine of my favorite easy care plants at home. We learned about their care, the perks of each, and you could probably figure out by now which are my favorites. I have a deep love for plants and plant care that I want to spread, hopefully you find a plant that may spark that same fire in you to grow your plant family. It all starts with one and if you're lucky it just keeps growing. Happy gardening!
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