Best plants

2509 best small & tabletop houseplants

Not every home has floor space for a statement plant. These species stay genuinely small — about 40 cm or under at maturity — so they suit a desk, a shelf, a bedside table or a narrow windowsill without ever taking over.

How this list is built: houseplants documented to mature at roughly 40 cm tall or less, excluding trailers (whose reach understates their footprint)— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	Pets
Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep the compost evenly moist; typically water every 1-3 days in warm weather as plants wilt quickly in dry conditions	Mildly toxic to pets
Acorus gramineus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep soil constantly moist to wet; never allow to dry out	Mildly toxic to pets
Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep soil constantly moist to wet at all times	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Cooperi temp & humidity · pet safety	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
Adromischus Cristatus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Hemisphaericus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Adromischus Maculatus temp & humidity · pet safety	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
Adromischus Marianiae temp & humidity · pet safety	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
Adromischus Trigynus temp & humidity · pet safety	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
Aechmea cylindrata temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep the central cup topped up; flush and refill every 1-2 weeks	Pet-safe
Aechmea gamosepala temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep the central cup filled; refresh weekly and water mix when top 2-3 cm dry	Pet-safe
Aechmea recurvata temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep the small cup filled; refresh weekly and water mix when top few cm dry	Pet-safe
Aeonium Castello-Paivae 'Variegata' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in active growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Aeonium Haworthii temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 10-14 days in active growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Aeonium Simsii temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top few centimetres are dry, about every 7-12 days in active growth	Mildly toxic to pets
Aerangis biloba temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 1-3 days when mounted; every 3-5 days in a small basket, kept lightly moist	Pet-safe
Aerangis fastuosa temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Water every 1-3 days, keeping the roots consistently moist	Pet-safe
Aerangis luteoalba temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Every 1-3 days when mounted; every 3-5 days in a small basket, keeping it lightly moist	Pet-safe
Aerangis rhodosticta temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Mounted plants every 1-2 days in summer, every 2-4 days in winter; potted plants when the surface bark just begins to dry	Pet-safe
Afghan Iris temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Moderate in late winter to late spring; bone dry from midsummer to early autumn	Toxic to pets
African violet temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top of the soil feels just dry, every 5-7 days	Pet-safe
African Violet 'Blue Nile' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top of the soil feels barely dry, roughly every 5-7 days	Pet-safe
African Violet 'Optimara EverFloris' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top of the soil feels just dry, about every 5-7 days	Pet-safe
African Violet 'Optimara Little Maya' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top of the soil feels barely dry, roughly every 5-7 days	Pet-safe

Best small & tabletop houseplants — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best small & tabletop houseplants?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants documented to mature at roughly 40 cm tall or less, excluding trailers (whose reach understates their footprint), drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 2509 plants qualify today.

How many small & tabletop houseplants are there?

Growli currently lists 2509 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants documented to mature at roughly 40 cm tall or less, excluding trailers (whose reach understates their footprint)). 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 documented to mature at roughly 40 cm tall or less, excluding trailers (whose reach understates their footprint), 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 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 houseplants to propagate in water — Houseplants that root from a cutting in a glass of water — the easiest, cheapest way to turn one plant into many.
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