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20 Indoor Plants That Are Easy To Care For

Green thumb or not, there’s a pretty houseplant that would love to be your roommate.
By Kathryn Hayward
20 Indoor Plants That Are Easy To Care For

(Photo: Maksym Ponomarenko/iStock)

Plants are a great way to bring the outside in and add a pop of colour to your home. And while some indoor plants—like the notoriously finicky fiddle-leaf fig—are high-maintenance, others can thrive just about anywhere. From trendy cascading plants to sturdy succulents, we’ve rounded up 20 pretty indoor plants that are easy to care for.

Pilea peperomioides

Likes lots of light but no direct sun. Water when soil is slightly dry.

Pilea peperomioides in a brown pot

Senecio rowleyanus

Commonly known as String of Pearls, the Secencio roleyanus is a low-maintenance plant. It likes lots of light. Let  soil dry out between waterings.

Senecio rowleyanus in a white pot

Polka-dot plant 

Non-toxic for pets. Keep the soil moist and keep it in a sunny spot.

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Polka-dot plant in a white pyramid pot

Desert rose

This plant needs lots of sun (leave it outside in the summer). With enough light, it will bloom in summer months. Water about once a week. 

Desert rose in a dark grey pot

Calamondin

Requires several hours of direct sun. It loves humidity—during dry winter months, mist it often.

Grey pot, $8, Ikea.

Calamondin in a white pot

Calathea roseopicta

Likes bright, indirect light (north, east or west-facing rooms are best). It’s non-toxic for pets. Let the soil dry out.

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Calathea roseopicta in a white pot

Pilea nummulariifolia (Creeping Charlie)

Pet-friendly. Keep the soil moist. This one is great for hanging pots and terrariums.

Colourful planter, $44, Night Shift Ceramics.

Pilea nummulariifolia in a white, pink and yellow colour-block pot

Iresine

Likes lots of indirect light. (If your plant becomes leggy or scraggly, try moving it to a sunnier spot.) Keep the soil moist.

Herringbone pot, $32, West Elm.

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Iresine in a herringbone pot

Crested Japanese Bird’s Nest Fern

Needs to be kept moist. Place in a north-facing room—it likes indirect light.

Bird’s Nest Fern in a white and wood pot

Sweetheart Hoya

Leaves often don’t grow beyond a single heart. As it does well in bright and indirect light, it’s a really easy plant to take care of. Let the soil dry out.

Sweetheart Hoya in a pink planter

Calathea ornata

Safe for pets. Keep the soil moist and out of direct sun (sunlight will burn its distinctive leaves).

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Calathea ornata in a white pot

Tradescantia

Roots easily from cuttings. Water thoroughly, but let the soil dry out first.

Tradescantia in a dark green pot

Pineapple plant

Loves direct sun. Water when the soil is dry. Each plant will produce one sweet edible pineapple. Replant the pineapple top to grow a new one (eventually—it can take up to three years for it to produce fruit).

Pineapple plant in a white pot

Sansevieria ‘Shark Fin’

Hard to kill. You can forget to water it for weeks and have it in a dim corner and it will still thrive. Let the soil dry out.

Sansevieria in a grey pot

Dracaena

Easy to care for: Place in a sunny spot and simply water when the soil is dry.

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Gem-shaped planter, $29, West Elm.

Dracaena in a white planter

Frosty fern

Likes to be kept moist.

Face planter, US$65, Group Partner

Frosty fern in a planter with an illustrated face

Pothos

Leaves are greener in low light. Water when the soil is dry.

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White planter, $69, West Elm.

Pothos in a white pot

Sansevieria ‘Starfish’

Great for black thumbs. Water infrequently.

Sansevieria in a black pot

Neanthe Bella Palm

One of the most popular houseplants in the world. Water when soil becomes slightly dry. Not toxic to pets.

Neanthe Bella Palm in a green speckled pot

Calathea Rattlesnake

Be sure to pick a pot that has a drainage hole, as root rot can be problem. Place in indirect light and keep the soil evenly moist.

Grey pot, $4, Ikea.

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Calathea Rattlesnake in a grey pot

Originally posted in 2019, updated in 2022.

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