Best low-maintenance houseplants
There is "easy" and there is "low-maintenance" — and they are not the same. Easy plants forgive your mistakes; low-maintenance plants make none of those mistakes possible because there is barely anything to do. These picks need watering once every 2-4 weeks, tolerate any light from medium to bright, and can be ignored for months at a time.
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Snake Plant Dracaena trifasciata
Toxic to cats and dogs Adaptable Drought-tolerantThe least demanding plant in the dataset. Water 1x/month, repot every 5 years.
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Golden Pothos Epipremnum aureum
Toxic to cats and dogs Medium indirect Drought-tolerantSurvives almost any neglect. Trim once or twice a year if it gets too long.
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ZZ Plant Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Toxic to cats and dogs Adaptable Drought-tolerantClosest thing to autopilot. Forget watering for 3 weeks and it will not care.
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Jade Plant Crassula ovata
Toxic to cats and dogs Direct sun Drought-tolerantLives for decades with minimal input. Some Jade Plants in collections are 100+ years old.
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Sweetheart Plant Hoya kerrii
Pet-safe Bright indirect Drought-tolerantSucculent heart-shaped leaves store weeks of water. The slowest-growing plant on this list — set it and forget it for years.
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Baby Rubber Plant Peperomia obtusifolia
Pet-safe Medium indirect Drought-tolerantPet-safe AND drought-tolerant — rare combination on this list. Stores water in succulent leaves and survives almost any neglect.
Honorable mentions
More plants in our database that fit this criteria but did not make the top 6.
- Haworthia (Haworthia cooperi)
- Zebra Haworthia (Haworthiopsis attenuata)
- Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller)
- Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
- Bromeliad (Aechmea fasciata)
- Echeveria (Echeveria elegans)
- Hoya (Hoya carnosa)
- Yucca (Yucca elephantipes)
- Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
- Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
- Schefflera (Schefflera arboricola)
- Watermelon Peperomia (Peperomia argyreia)
- Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
- Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
- String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
- Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)
Final word
If you only have 30 minutes per month for plant care, build your collection from this list. Skip flowering and tropical plants entirely until you upgrade your routine.