Plant Library
Low-maintenance houseplants — 20 nearly unkillable picks
The 20 most low-maintenance houseplants ranked by drought tolerance, low-light survival, and forgiveness — snake plant, ZZ, pothos, and 17 more easy picks.
Low-maintenance houseplants — 20 nearly unkillable picks
"Low-maintenance" means different things to different people. To a person who travels for work, it means a plant that survives 6 weeks of neglect — see our list of drought-tolerant houseplants and the strategies for keeping plants alive while away. To a beginner, it means a plant that does not punish small mistakes with dramatic leaf drop. To an office manager, it means a plant that lives under fluorescent lights with no natural sun. The 20 plants in this guide tick all three boxes — they are drought-tolerant, low-light-tolerant, and genuinely neglect-tolerant. None of them will look perfect when ignored, but none will die either. We have ranked them roughly in order of forgiveness, with snake plant and ZZ plant occupying the top tier and a few "second-tier easy" plants rounding out the list.
Pick the right easy plant: Photograph your spot in Growli and we measure the actual light level — then recommend three low-maintenance plants ranked by fit.
What "low-maintenance" actually means
The plants below all share four traits. None of these is optional.
- Drought tolerance. Survives at least 2 weeks without watering — most survive 3–4 weeks. No daily or every-other-day watering schedule.
- Low-light tolerance. Thrives in medium indirect light (4–6 feet from a window) and survives in genuine low light (north-facing window or no direct window at all).
- Pest resistance. Less prone to spider mites, mealybugs, and fungus gnats than dramatic plants like calathea or fiddle leaf fig.
- Neglect tolerance. Looks acceptable even when you forget about it for a month — slow growth means slow decline.
Plants that fail one of these — boston fern (needs constant moisture), calathea (humidity-fussy), fiddle leaf fig (dramatic about everything) — are not on this list, no matter how popular they are.
We have explicitly excluded plants that need:
- Daily misting (most ferns, calathea, prayer plant)
- Bright direct light only (most succulents — except jade and aloe, which forgive less ideal conditions)
- Filtered or distilled water (calathea, maidenhair fern)
- Frequent repotting (most fast-growing plants)
The 20 most low-maintenance houseplants
1. Snake plant — Dracaena trifasciata
The most forgiving houseplant in retail. Stiff upright sword-shaped leaves with silver-green banding. Survives 4–6 weeks without watering thanks to water-storing rhizomes. Tolerates dim corners more than 6 feet from any window. Tolerates dry indoor air (20 percent humidity). Tolerates being forgotten on a business trip. The only reliable way to kill one is overwatering.
Care signal: Low to bright indirect light, water every 2–4 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: extreme.
See snake plant care and /plant-care/snake-plant.
2. ZZ plant — Zamioculcas zamiifolia
The office plant of choice. Glossy waxy pinnate leaves on thick upright stems. Underground rhizomes store water for weeks. Tolerates fluorescent lighting, north-facing windows, and zero attention. Slow grower, so the plant you buy is roughly the plant you will have in 2 years.
Care signal: Low to bright indirect light, water every 3–4 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: extreme.
See ZZ plant care and /plant-care/zz-plant.
3. Pothos — Epipremnum aureum
The most adaptable trailing vine — and the gateway to the wider world of trailing houseplants for shelves and hanging baskets. Heart-shaped leaves on vines that can grow to 10+ feet. Tolerates low to bright indirect light. Survives 2–3 weeks between waterings. Multiple cultivars — golden, marble queen, neon, jade — vary slightly in care needs but all are easy.
Care signal: Low to bright indirect light, water when soil dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: extreme.
See pothos care, /plant-care/pothos, golden pothos, and neon pothos.
4. Heartleaf philodendron — Philodendron hederaceum
Pothos's cleaner-looking cousin. Thinner softer heart-shaped leaves on a trailing vine. Slightly more humidity-loving than pothos but otherwise just as forgiving. Cultivars include Brasil (yellow stripe), Micans (velvet), and Lemon Lime (chartreuse).
Care signal: Medium indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: high.
See /plant-care/philodendron and /plant-care/philodendron-brasil.
5. Peace lily — Spathiphyllum
The only forgiving flowering houseplant. Long dark green strap-like leaves with white spathe flowers. Tells you exactly when it needs water by dramatically drooping, then recovers within an hour of a soak. Tolerates low light.
Care signal: Low to medium indirect light, water when leaves droop. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: extreme.
See peace lily care and /plant-care/peace-lily.
6. Spider plant — Chlorophytum comosum
The pet-safe classic. Long arching grass-like leaves with a creamy central stripe. Produces baby plantlets ("spiderettes") on long stems that can be potted up. Tolerates wide range of conditions. Pet-safe — non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Care signal: Medium to bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: medium-high.
See spider plant care and /plant-care/spider-plant.
7. Cast iron plant — Aspidistra elatior
The most low-light-tolerant plant in retail. Solid dark green strap-like leaves on a slow-growing rosette. Earns its name — survives genuinely terrible conditions including deep shade, infrequent watering, and dry air. Victorian-era favorite for a reason.
Care signal: Low indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: extreme.
See /plant-care/cast-iron-plant.
8. Chinese evergreen — Aglaonema
The colorful low-light plant. Patterned leaves in silver, white, pink, or red on a compact plant. Silver/white varieties tolerate low light; pink and red types need slightly more light to keep their color. Easy across the genus.
Care signal: Low to medium indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: high.
See /plant-care/chinese-evergreen.
9. Parlor palm — Chamaedorea elegans
The pet-safe statement plant. Slow growing, 3–4 feet at maturity, tolerates low to medium indirect light. The single best palm for low-light apartments and the easiest palm to keep alive. Pet-safe.
Care signal: Low to medium indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: high.
10. Jade plant — Crassula ovata
The easy succulent tree. Thick succulent oval leaves on a woody trunk. Lives for decades. Wants bright light but tolerates infrequent watering for months — the woody trunk stores reserves. The most forgiving succulent in retail.
Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2–3 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: low.
See jade plant care and /plant-care/jade-plant.
11. Rubber plant — Ficus elastica
The easiest large statement plant. Thick leathery oval leaves on a single woody stem. Easier than fiddle leaf fig in every way — more tolerant of light variation, less dramatic about water, slower to drop leaves. Burgundy and variegated cultivars add color.
Care signal: Medium to bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: medium.
12. Dracaena — Dracaena spp.
The forgiving upright plant. A genus of woody-stemmed plants with strap-like leaves. Dragon Tree (marginata) and Corn Plant (fragrans) are the most common. Tolerant of low light and 2–3 weeks between waterings.
Care signal: Low to medium indirect light, water every 1–2 weeks. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: high.
See /plant-care/dracaena, /plant-care/dracaena-marginata, and /plant-care/dracaena-fragrans.
13. Lucky bamboo — Dracaena sanderiana
The water-or-soil flexible plant. Often sold in water with decorative stones, but happier in soil long-term. Survives years of neglect. Not actually bamboo — it is a dracaena. Curly stems are produced by manipulating the plant's growth, not by genetics.
Care signal: Medium indirect light, change water weekly if water-grown, water when soil dries if potted. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: high.
14. Aloe vera — Aloe barbadensis
The kitchen succulent. Fleshy rosette of toothed gel-filled leaves. Useful for minor burns. Wants bright direct light and infrequent watering. Easier than most rosette succulents thanks to its larger size.
Care signal: Bright direct light, water every 2–3 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: low.
See aloe vera care and /plant-care/aloe-vera.
15. Peperomia — Peperomia spp.
The compact desktop plant. A diverse genus — watermelon peperomia (round striped leaves), baby rubber plant (thick oval leaves), ripple peperomia (textured surface). Compact, slow-growing, easy. Tolerates low light better than most small foliage plants.
Care signal: Medium indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: medium-high.
16. Ponytail palm — Beaucarnea recurvata
The succulent that looks like a palm. Bulbous water-storing base with long thin "ponytail" leaves cascading from the top. Survives months without watering. Lives for decades. Pet-safe.
Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 3–4 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: low.
See /plant-care/ponytail-palm.
17. Hoya — Hoya spp.
The forgiving trailing succulent. Thick succulent leaves on woody vines, with clusters of fragrant star-shaped flowers in mature plants. Many cultivars — heart-leaf (kerrii), wax (carnosa). Survives weeks between waterings.
Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when soil dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: medium.
See /plant-care/hoya, /plant-care/hoya-carnosa, and /plant-care/hoya-kerrii.
18. Haworthia — Haworthia spp.
The low-light succulent. Compact rosettes with stiff pointed leaves often marked with white bands. Tolerates lower light than most succulents — works on an east-facing windowsill or 2–3 feet from a south window. Slow-growing.
Care signal: Bright indirect light, water every 2–3 weeks. Drought-tolerant: extreme. Low-light tolerant: medium.
19. Pilea peperomioides — Pilea peperomioides
The Chinese money plant. Round pancake-shaped leaves on thin stems. Produces baby plants ("pups") at the base that can be separated and shared. Forgives some neglect; rotates dramatically toward light.
Care signal: Medium to bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: medium-high. Low-light tolerant: medium.
See /plant-care/pilea-peperomioides.
20. Christmas cactus — Schlumbergera
The forgiving flowering succulent. Segmented flat stems with pink, red, or white blooms in winter. Lives for decades — many family plants are 50+ years old. Easier than most flowering houseplants because it is a tropical cactus, not a desert one.
Care signal: Bright indirect light, water when top inch dries. Drought-tolerant: high. Low-light tolerant: medium-high.
See /plant-care/christmas-cactus.
How to choose the right low-maintenance plant for your situation
The decision is mostly about light, secondarily about pets, then about aesthetics.
For a north-facing window or genuine low light (more than 6 feet from any window), the only plants that will thrive are snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, philodendron, peace lily, cast iron plant, chinese evergreen, parlor palm, and dracaena. Avoid jade, aloe, ponytail palm, and most succulents — they will etiolate (stretch toward light) and look terrible.
For an east or west window with bright indirect light, every plant on this list works. Spider plant, peperomia, pilea, and christmas cactus all show their best color in this light range.
For a south-facing window with bright direct light, jade plant, aloe vera, hoya, haworthia, and ponytail palm are at their best. Many of the foliage plants (snake plant, pothos, ZZ plant) also thrive here but grow faster.
For pet households, the safest picks from this list are spider plant, parlor palm, hoya, peperomia, christmas cactus, and ponytail palm. Most others (snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, philodendron, peace lily, jade, aloe) are toxic to cats and dogs if chewed. See our dedicated pet-safe houseplants guide.
For the absolute beginner who has killed plants before, start with one snake plant and one pothos. Both cost under $20, both tolerate near-total neglect, both rebound from mistakes that would kill anything else, and between them they cover trailing and upright forms.
For a frequent traveler away from home for 3+ weeks at a time, snake plant, ZZ plant, ponytail palm, hoya, and cast iron plant are the only plants that genuinely survive that long without watering. Avoid pothos and philodendron — they survive, but look sad on return.
See our best houseplants ranking, indoor plants for beginners, and the low-light plants list for related angles.
Common care across the category
Every plant on this list shares three things. First, they all tolerate underwatering far better than overwatering — the single most common cause of low-maintenance plant death is well-intentioned weekly watering. Check the soil with a finger first; water only when the top 1–2 inches are dry. Second, they all want pots with drainage holes and well-draining soil — decorative cachepots without drainage are slow death sentences. Third, they all benefit from rotating the pot a quarter-turn every 2 weeks so the plant grows evenly toward the light instead of leaning.
The single best habit for keeping low-maintenance plants alive is to commit to checking them once a week — not watering, just checking. Stick a finger in the soil. If wet, walk away. If dry, water deeply. That five-second weekly habit kills more plant deaths than any other practice.
Try Growli: Snap a photo with Growli — get instant ID and a care plan in 60 seconds.
Related articles
- Best houseplants — 12 ranked for real homes — our top picks across all categories
- Indoor plants for beginners — start here — broader beginner guide
- Low-light plants — 12 tested for dim rooms — for genuinely dim rooms
- Pet-safe houseplants — 20 non-toxic plants — for pet households
- Types of houseplants — 30+ varieties — the broader category
- Snake plant care — the complete guide — deep dive on the #1 pick
- ZZ plant care — the office plant deep dive — deep dive on the #2 pick
- Why is my plant dying — diagnostic guide — when something goes wrong
Reviewed and updated by the Growli editorial team. For questions about anything here, open Growli and ask — or email hello@getgrowli.app.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most low-maintenance houseplant?
Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) is the single most low-maintenance houseplant in retail. It tolerates low to bright indirect light, survives 4–6 weeks without watering, handles dry winter air, ignores temperature swings between 50–90°F, and lives for decades. ZZ plant is a very close runner-up — slightly more drought-tolerant but slower to grow.
What houseplants are hardest to kill?
Snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, cast iron plant, and philodendron top every credible 'hard to kill' list. All five tolerate low light, drought, dry air, and chaotic watering schedules. None is genuinely indestructible — they all die if overwatered consistently — but all five recover from mistakes that would kill most other plants.
What is the best houseplant for someone who travels a lot?
ZZ plant and snake plant are the two best choices for frequent travelers. Both survive 4–6 weeks without watering thanks to water-storing rhizomes. Ponytail palm is a third good option — the bulbous base stores reserves for months. Avoid pothos and philodendron if you travel for more than 3 weeks at a time — they survive but look stressed on return.
What are the best low-light low-maintenance houseplants?
Snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, philodendron, peace lily, cast iron plant, parlor palm, and chinese evergreen are the eight best plants for genuinely low-light situations. All tolerate north-facing windows or rooms more than 6 feet from any window. Cast iron plant is the most extreme low-light champion — it earned its name surviving conditions that killed everything else in Victorian parlors.
Are low-maintenance houseplants pet-safe?
Some, not all. From this list, spider plant, parlor palm, hoya, peperomia, christmas cactus, and ponytail palm are non-toxic to cats and dogs. Snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, philodendron, peace lily, jade plant, and aloe vera are all toxic if chewed. See our [pet-safe houseplants guide](/blog/pet-safe-houseplants) for the 20 best non-toxic options.
How often should I water low-maintenance houseplants?
Most low-maintenance houseplants want to be watered every 2–3 weeks — significantly less often than dramatic plants like calathea or fiddle leaf fig. Snake plant and ZZ plant can stretch to 4–6 weeks. The rule is: check the soil with your finger, water deeply only when the top 1–2 inches are dry. Overwatering kills more low-maintenance plants than anything else.
Do low-maintenance houseplants need fertilizer?
Less than most plants, but yes. Fertilize once a month from April through September with a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength. Skip fertilizer entirely in winter when most low-maintenance plants are semi-dormant. Snake plant, ZZ plant, and pothos thrive on this minimal schedule. See [best fertilizer for indoor plants](/blog/best-fertilizer-for-indoor-plants) for product recommendations.
Why is my low-maintenance plant dying?
Overwatering accounts for roughly 80 percent of low-maintenance houseplant deaths — these are drought-tolerant plants, and people unfamiliar with their cycles water them on the same schedule as ferns or pothos. Symptoms include yellow leaves at the base, mushy stems near the soil line, and a sour smell from the soil. Stop watering, let the soil dry fully, and trim away any rotted roots. See [why is my plant dying](/blog/why-is-my-plant-dying) for the full diagnostic walkthrough.