Best plants

345 best houseplants to propagate in water

The cheapest way to grow your collection is a glass of water and a pair of scissors. These species root readily from a cutting placed in plain water — no rooting hormone, no propagation kit — so one plant becomes several, and a snipped stem becomes a gift.

How this list is built: houseplants whose documented propagation method is rooting a cutting in water— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	Pets
Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm (1 inch) of compost is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Anyamanee temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Emerald Bay temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Legacy temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Pink Beauty temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Stripes temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Suksom Jaipong temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Tigress temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Alocasia Tiny Dancer temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 1-2 weeks	Toxic to pets
Aluminum Plant (Watermelon Pilea) temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top quarter-inch of soil dries out (roughly weekly in summer)	Pet-safe
Amydrium Hainanense temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days	Toxic to pets
Amydrium medium temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 6-9 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Amydrium zippelianum temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 6-9 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Anadendrum Latifolium temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of mix is dry, roughly every 5-7 days	Mildly toxic to pets
Anadendrum Montanum temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of mix is dry, roughly every 5-7 days	Mildly toxic to pets
Angel's Trumpet temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Every 1-3 days in peak summer growth; far less when dormant or overwintering	Toxic to pets
Arrowhead plant temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Baby Tears (Pilea) temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top inch of soil begins to dry, often every few days in summer	Pet-safe
Balao Anthurium temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 15-20% of the mix dries out	Toxic to pets
Baltic Blue Pothos temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Roughly every 7-10 days; let the top 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) of soil dry out first	Toxic to pets
Begonia temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Weekly watering	Toxic to pets
Begonia 'Cracklin' Rosie' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 1-2 inches (3-5 cm) of soil are dry	Toxic to pets
Begonia 'Palomar Prince' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Bloodleaf Plant temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 7 days in spring/summer; every 10–14 days in autumn/winter	Pet-safe

Best houseplants to propagate in water — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best houseplants to propagate in water?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants whose documented propagation method is rooting a cutting in water, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 345 plants qualify today.

How many houseplants to propagate in water are there?

Growli currently lists 345 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants whose documented propagation method is rooting a cutting in water). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.

Are these plants safe for cats and dogs?

Not necessarily — this list is selected by houseplants whose documented propagation method is rooting a cutting in water, 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.

More plant shortlists

Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
Best plants for cold, dark rooms — Houseplants that cope with BOTH low light and a cool, unheated room — the hardest indoor spot to fill. Every pick tolerates a low of about 10°C and shade.
Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
Best succulents for beginners — The easiest succulents and cacti to keep alive — selected by documented growth habit, each with the light and watering it actually wants.
Best pet-safe succulents — Succulents the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — low-water greenery that is also safe around a curious pet.
Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
Full pet-safe plant library — every plant, ASPCA toxicity status

Care deep-dives gardeners ask for most

Once you have shortlisted a plant, the next questions are watering and soil. These are the guides searched most this season:

Best soil for a peace lily and best soil for a spider plant
Best soil for dracaena (it is fluoride-sensitive) and best soil for hibiscus
How often to water broccoli, how often to water beans, and how often to water okra
Browse every watering guide and soil & potting-mix guide