9 Plants You Can Handle — Easy & Low Maintenance
Plants bring so many benefits that go beyond the aesthetics of adding some lush greens to your decor. They’re great for purifying the air in your home, can add some humidity during dry months, and are overall mood-boosters. So what if you’re not so into a high-maintenance addition to your home? I rounded up some of the best (easiest) plants for all your low-maintenance dreams.
Snake Plant
This one is seriously crazy easy to keep, you can almost forget that it’s not a fake plant because you only need to water it once a month, even less in the cold months, and it doesn’t need much light. I keep mine in my living room on the opposite wall from the large window that lets in most of the sunlight that my house gets. Its leaves stand up straight (be sure to rotate it once in a while if the leaves are starting to lean one way) and come in a variety of colors. If the tips start to get soft, time to water! Just make sure to let the soil dry out completely before watering again—which should be easy anyway if you’re into not having to check up on your plants too often.
Zebra Plant
This is a cool one that can also handle low-light and doesn’t need to be watered that often. Since it’s smaller, and in a smaller pot, the soil will dry out faster but you still only need to water it once every couple weeks. I have this one in my living room in a place that it doesn’t get any direct light, just natural daylight filtered throughout the room. I love the bright white stripes against the vibrant green.
Ruby Rubber Tree
This is the variegated version of the deep, dark green Rubber Tree, which would also make my list for easy plants if I had one of them! But this one has pretty streaks of white, grey, and pink. The Ruby Rubber needs slightly more light than the first two on this list, so mine is situated on the side table next to my couch, adjacent (but not directly in front of) the large living room window. Water this one when the top layer of soil is dry—about once a week, a little less often in the winter.
Cacti
Of course you probably expected to see cacti on the list because they’re notorious for how infrequently they need to be watered. I placed cacti (of all kinds) after the ones I’ve listed so far only because they need a little extra warmth than the others to really thrive. I would give them as much bright light as you can, especially in the winter (you may have to move them closer to the window if there isn’t much sunlight available). Water once a month or less and let the soil dry out completely in between.
Blue Agave
This Blue Agave is new to my collection but so far so good! Yes, the same agave plant that makes tequila (and syrup)—but i looked up the method and it’s quite involved…Let’s just say I won’t be harvesting nectar anytime soon. I placed this one on my plant bench directly in front of my large living room window, alongside some of my smaller cacti. I water my blue agave once every three weeks to a month and so far am just keeping an eye on it to make sure it’s doing well. The best way to get a hang of what a new plant needs is to see how it responds to the conditions you give it. But generally for this one, lots of light and don’t let your house get too cold.
Lace Aloe
The Lace Aloe needs about as much water as the Zebra Plant but more light. Water every couple weeks, when the top of the soil dries out. I had this one where my Zebra Plant is but its lower leaves kept dying and it really just wasn’t growing, so I moved it to my plant bench in front of the large window and now it’s gotten so much bigger and healthier.
Silver Philodendron
I’ve been looking for a trailing plant like this one to hang over these shelves and love the look of the Silver Pothos. One thing that makes this one easy is that it’ll tell you when it needs some water, just look for curling leaves that’ll let you know it’s time to water (like most of the plants on this list, once every week or two). It tolerates a reasonable amount of low-light—mine is on this shelf next to where I keep my snake plant.
Monstera Deliciosa
Surprisingly, this lush tropical Swiss Cheese Plant has been an easy addition. I’ve been wanting to fill this spot in my kitchen and really wanted some plants in there but my kitchen doesn’t get a whole lot of light. I put my Monstera in front of the one larger window that’s in there and it’s already filled in with more leaves since I brought it home. I mist it a couple times a week and water it once every week or two, depending on how fast the top layer of soil dries out. If you want a beautiful, luscious and leafy plant, this ones a great choice. Plus it adds a nice tropical, warm vibe to the space.
Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree
I was a little nervous to get a Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree because I’ve seen them everywhere and think they’re so cute, especially when they grow to look more like a tree, but kept reading about how much trouble some people have with them so I was scared I was going to end up killing it. It’s actually been a really easy one for me. It does require more care than the rest on this list, but they’re so popular that I just had to say that they’re really not too difficult. Just like the Monstera, I mist this a couple times a week and water it every one to two weeks depending on the season, just let the top inch of soil dry out between waterings. Give it a good amount of light but not direct.
Any plant can be easy once you figure out what environment and conditions work best for it, but if that stresses you out, definitely give these ones a try! And if you need some more support, pop over to my Plant Care 101 Guide (or feel free to ask me for any tips!).