Best plants
Overwatering kills more houseplants than neglect. These species are built to dry out — the most forgiving, hard-to-kill choices if you travel, forget, or simply want fewer chores.
How this list is built: houseplants whose documented watering rhythm is infrequent (they prefer to dry out fully between waterings)— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.
| Plant | Light | Water | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3D Spider Mix Osteospermum | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abelia 'Edward Goucher' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Water weekly while establishing; mature plants are drought-tolerant and need water only in prolonged dry weather | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly during establishment, then only in extended drought | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abelia 'Rose Creek' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly while establishing, then occasional deep watering in drought | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abelia chinensis | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly through the first season, then mainly during dry spells | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abelia x grandiflora | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly deep soak in the first season, then only during prolonged dry spells once established | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abiu | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top few centimetres of soil dry out, around every 4-7 days in active growth | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Abyssinian Peperomia | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Every 10–14 days in the growing season; every 3–4 weeks in winter | Pet-safe |
| Açaí Palm | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep soil constantly moist; water whenever the surface starts to dry, often every 2-4 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Acer capillipes | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Water deeply weekly while establishing; supplement in summer droughts | Pet-safe |
| Acer griseum | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Water deeply weekly while establishing; supplement in summer droughts | Pet-safe |
| Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Keep evenly moist; water deeply through dry weather | Pet-safe |
| Acer palmatum 'Butterfly' | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; keep evenly moist, more often in pots and heat | Pet-safe |
| Acer rubrum | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Deep soak weekly for the first two seasons; established trees rely on rainfall | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Acer rubrum 'Autumn Blaze' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly while establishing; deep watering in droughts thereafter | Pet-safe |
| Acer rubrum 'October Glory' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly while establishing; deep watering in dry spells thereafter | Pet-safe |
| Acerola | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 4-7 days in growth | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Achachairu | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Water abundantly and consistently year-round; do not allow to dry out. | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Achillea 'Terracotta' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top 4-5 cm of soil is dry; roughly every 7-10 days while establishing, rarely once mature | Toxic to pets |
| Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top few centimeters of soil are dry, about every 7-14 days | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | When the top few cm of soil dry out; roughly weekly, more in heat | Toxic to pets |
| Adagio Maiden Grass | Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours) | Weekly in the first year, then mostly rainfall except in drought | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Adriatic Bellflower | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | Weekly during spring and summer; minimal in winter | Pet-safe |
| Adromischus Cooperi | Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window) | When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growth | Mildly toxic to pets |
This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants whose documented watering rhythm is infrequent (they prefer to dry out fully between waterings), drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 5471 plants qualify today.
Growli currently lists 5471 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants whose documented watering rhythm is infrequent (they prefer to dry out fully between waterings)). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.
Not necessarily — this list is selected by houseplants whose documented watering rhythm is infrequent (they prefer to dry out fully between waterings), not by pet safety. Each plant is tagged with its pet-safety status below, and links to a full ASPCA-sourced pet-safety guide. If you have pets, see the dedicated best pet-safe houseplants list.
Once you have shortlisted a plant, the next questions are watering and soil. These are the guides searched most this season: