Best plants
Almost every first houseplant dies of the same two things: too little light and too much water. These species forgive both, which is exactly what a beginner needs.
How this list is built: houseplants that are both low-light tolerant and drought-tolerant — the two failure modes that kill most first plants— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.
| Plant | Light | Water | 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 |
| African Spear Plant | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-4 weeks in summer and every 4-6 weeks in winter | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Golden Bay | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Maria | Low light (north window or shaded room) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Modestum | Low light (north window or shaded room) | When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-14 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Prosperity | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Silver Bay | Low light (north window or shaded room) | When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-14 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Silver Queen | Low light (north window or shaded room) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Super White | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days | Toxic to pets |
| Aglaonema Tigress | Low light (north window or shaded room) | When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days | Toxic to pets |
| Alabama Lip Fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | every 2-3 weeks | Mildly toxic to pets |
| all gold Japanese forest grass | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Keep soil evenly moist; water 1-2 times weekly, more in dry or warm spells | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Allegheny Spurge | Low light (north window or shaded room) | Weekly during the first 1–2 growing seasons; every 2–3 weeks once established | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Amalia's Dragon Orchid | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Daily to every other day; medium must stay damp but not sodden | Pet-safe |
| American Lady Fern | Low light (north window or shaded room) | Every 2–3 days during active growth; less frequently in winter | Pet-safe |
| American Wall Fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Every 7–10 days when in growth; every 2–3 weeks in winter | Pet-safe |
| Anderson's Holly Fern | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days | Pet-safe |
| Angel Frost Masdevallia | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Daily in hot weather; every 2–3 days in spring and autumn | Pet-safe |
| Appalachian Barren Strawberry | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Low to moderate; drought-tolerant once established | Pet-safe |
| Aquilegia 'Black Barlow' | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Water when the top 3 cm of soil dries, roughly weekly | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow' | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Water when the top 3 cm of soil dries, about weekly | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Arendsii astilbe | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | 2–3 times per week in summer; weekly otherwise | Pet-safe |
| Asian Star Jasmine | Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window) | Water every 7-10 days during the first growing season; established plants are fairly drought-tolerant and need watering only during prolonged dry periods | Mildly toxic to pets |
| Asplenium platyneuron | Low light (north window or shaded room) | Water when the top 2-3 cm is dry; tolerates short dry spells better than most ferns | Pet-safe |
This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants that are both low-light tolerant and drought-tolerant — the two failure modes that kill most first plants, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 824 plants qualify today.
Growli currently lists 824 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants that are both low-light tolerant and drought-tolerant — the two failure modes that kill most first plants). 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 that are both low-light tolerant and drought-tolerant — the two failure modes that kill most first plants, 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: