Easy houseplants: 65 plants for beginners

Just starting out, or already lost a plant or two? These plants forgive a lot: a forgotten watering, a slightly dark room, a late repotting. They're rated easy in our care guides, and they're the best way to build confidence.

Chinese evergreen

Aglaonema commutatum7 dShadeEasyAlso called aglaonema

Aloe vera

Aloe vera14 dSunEasyAlso called aloe

Amaryllis

Hippeastrum7 dBrightEasyAlso called hippeastrum

Jade plant

Crassula ovata12 dSunEasyAlso called crassula

Elephant bush

Portulacaria afra12 dSunEasyAlso called portulacaria

Sprenger's asparagus

Asparagus densiflorus6 dBrightEasyAlso called asparagus densiflorus

Cast iron plant

Aspidistra elatior10 dShadeEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called aspidistra

Lucky bamboo

Dracaena sanderiana7 dBrightEasyAlso called dracaena sanderiana

Christmas cactus

Schlumbergera truncata7 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called schlumbergera

Bunny ears cactus

Opuntia microdasys14 dSunEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called opuntia

Rubber plant

Ficus elastica9 dBrightEasyAlso called ficus elastica

String of hearts

Ceropegia woodii12 dBrightEasyAlso called ceropegia

Coleus

Coleus scutellarioides3 dBrightEasyAlso called solenostemon

Golden barrel cactus

Echinocactus grusonii14 dSunEasyAlso called echinocactus

Dumb cane

Dieffenbachia seguine7 dBrightEasyAlso called dieffenbachia

Corn plant

Dracaena fragrans10 dBrightEasyAlso called dracaena fragrans

Dragon tree

Dracaena marginata9 dBrightEasyAlso called dracaena marginata

Echeveria

Echeveria elegans12 dSunEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called rosette succulent

Crown of thorns

Euphorbia milii10 dSunEasyAlso called euphorbia milii

African milk tree

Euphorbia trigona14 dSunEasyAlso called euphorbia trigona

Japanese aralia

Fatsia japonica6 dShadeEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called fatsia

Ficus Alii

Ficus maclellandii8 dBrightEasyAlso called ficus binnendijkii

Ginseng ficus

Ficus microcarpa7 dBrightEasyAlso called ficus microcarpa

Air plant

Tillandsia7 dBrightEasyAlso called tillandsia

Peace lily

Spathiphyllum wallisii5 dShadeEasyAlso called spathiphyllum

Wax plant

Hoya carnosa10 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called hoya

Blue star fern

Phlebodium aureum6 dBrightEasyAlso called phlebodium

Bird's nest fern

Asplenium nidus5 dShadeEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called asplenium

Guzmania

Guzmania lingulata7 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called bromeliad

Haworthia

Haworthiopsis attenuata14 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called zebra haworthia

Sweetheart hoya

Hoya kerrii12 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called hoya kerrii

Polka dot plant

Hypoestes phyllostachya4 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called hypoestes

Kalanchoe

Kalanchoe blossfeldiana10 dSunEasyAlso called kalanchoe blossfeldiana

Kentia palm

Howea forsteriana8 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called kentia

Mammillaria

Mammillaria14 dSunEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called pincushion cactus

Mini monstera

Rhaphidophora tetrasperma7 dBrightEasyAlso called rhaphidophora

Inch plant

Tradescantia zebrina5 dBrightEasyAlso called tradescantia

Monstera

Monstera deliciosa7 dBrightEasyAlso called swiss cheese plant

Monstera adansonii

Monstera adansonii7 dBrightEasyAlso called swiss cheese vine

Purple shamrock

Oxalis triangularis6 dBrightEasyAlso called oxalis

Money tree

Pachira aquatica10 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called pachira

Lady palm

Rhapis excelsa7 dShadeEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called rhapis

Parlour palm

Chamaedorea elegans7 dShadeEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called chamaedorea

Umbrella papyrus

Cyperus alternifolius2 dBrightEasyAlso called papyrus

Baby rubber plant

Peperomia obtusifolia9 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called peperomia

Emerald ripple peperomia

Peperomia caperata8 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called peperomia caperata

Watermelon peperomia

Peperomia argyreia8 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called peperomia argyreia

Philodendron Birkin

Philodendron Birkin8 dBrightEasyAlso called birkin

Heartleaf philodendron

Philodendron hederaceum7 dBrightEasyAlso called philodendron

Philodendron Xanadu

Thaumatophyllum xanadu8 dBrightEasyAlso called xanadu

Ponytail palm

Beaucarnea recurvata14 dSunEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called beaucarnea

Pilea

Pilea peperomioides7 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called chinese money plant

Aluminium plant

Pilea cadierei5 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called pilea cadierei

Spider plant

Chlorophytum comosum6 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called chlorophytum

Pothos

Epipremnum aureum7 dBrightEasyAlso called devil's ivy

Burro's tail

Sedum morganianum14 dSunEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called sedum morganianum

Mistletoe cactus

Rhipsalis baccifera7 dBrightEasySafe for cats and dogsAlso called rhipsalis

Snake plant

Dracaena trifasciata14 dBrightEasyAlso called sansevieria

Cylindrical snake plant

Dracaena angolensis14 dBrightEasyAlso called sansevieria cylindrica

Umbrella tree

Schefflera arboricola8 dBrightEasyAlso called schefflera

Satin pothos

Scindapsus pictus8 dBrightEasyAlso called scindapsus

Arrowhead plant

Syngonium podophyllum7 dBrightEasyAlso called syngonium

Tradescantia Nanouk

Tradescantia albiflora6 dBrightEasyAlso called nanouk

Yucca

Yucca gigantea10 dSunEasyAlso called yucca elephantipes

ZZ plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia14 dShadeEasyAlso called zamioculcas

Our tips

The number one trap isn't forgetting: it's too much water. An easy plant copes with being thirsty for a few days, much less with roots sitting in water. Before watering, push a finger into the soil: if it's still moist, wait.

Always choose a pot with a drainage hole, and a saucer you empty after watering. And place the plant according to the light it likes, shown on each care guide: that's half the job done.

Not sure? Take the 4-question quiz