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Indoor plants are generally from one of two families; the aroid family (Araceae) or the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). Knowing the needs, habits, and challenges common to a plant family improves indoor growing success rates as you can group plants according to their needs.
Below is a list of low-maintenance indoor plants even beginners can grow. Though these may be classified as easy-to-grow indoor plants, nothing is boring about the list – I’ve even included one easy-to-grow indoor fruit tree.
15 Low Maintenance Indoor Plants
| # | Common Name | Scientific Name | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ace of Spades | Anthurium crystallium | Araceae |
| 2 | Cast Iron plant | Aspidistra elatior | Asparagaceae |
| 3 | Ponytail Palm | Beaucarnea recurvata | Asparagaceae |
| 4 | Spider Plant | Chlorophytum comosum | Asparagaceae |
| 5 | Calamondin Orange | Citrofortunella mitis | Rutaceae |
| 6 | Jade Plant | Crassula ovata | Crassulaceae |
| 7 | Spotted Dumbcane | Dieffenbachia seguine | Araceae |
| 8 | Corn Plant | Dracaena fragrans | Asparagaceae |
| 9 | Snake Plant | Dracaena trifasciata | Asparagaceae |
| 10 | English Ivy | Hedera helix | Araliaceae |
| 11 | Monstera Standleyana | Monstera standleyana | Araceae |
| 12 | Parlor Ivy | Philodendron hederacium | Araceae |
| 13 | Chinese Money Plant | Pilea peperomioides | Urticaceae |
| 14 | Peace Lily | Spathiphyllum | Araceae |
| 15 | Eternity Plant | Zamioculcas zammiifolia | Araceae |
You will notice that 11 of the 15 low-maintenance indoor plants are either from the asparagus or aroid families (5 Asparagaceae and 6 Araceae). The remaining four are from different families but are still low-maintenance indoor plants – even the Calamondin Orange tree.
1. ACE OF SPADES (Anthurium crystallium)
Anthurium plants are some of the most spectacular houseplants you’ll find. Most gardeners know the popular flamingo flower (Anthurium), with its vivid spathe and contrasting spadix.
The Anthurium crystallinum, also known as the Ace of Spades, has large, heart-shaped leaves with striking veined patterns and is native to Central and South America. The Ace of Spades has prominent white veins striking against a dark green or reddish-purple background.
Although anthuriums are frequently grown as outdoor plants in tropical gardens, they also make wonderful houseplants for the living room, patio, or kitchen.
The good news is that you don’t need to live in a tropical climate to appreciate this lovely perennial. My easy-to-follow care guide will help you successfully cultivate your Anthurium crystallinum at home.
2. CAST IRON PLANT (Aspidistra elatior)
Also known as the Bar Room Plant, this plant makes a good evergreen “hosta substitute,”, especially for low-light indoor areas. All its various names indicate (Iron Plant, Parlor Palm) this is a tough, low-maintenance indoor plant, resilient to neglect.
Do you think you don’t have a single green finger or thumb? This plant will change your mind about your ability to grow indoor plants successfully.
The cast iron plant makes every gardener feel like a gardening rockstar, even if you’re growing variegated cultivars. Gardeners in the southern USA will find the Aspidistra elatior in garden landscapes.
Cast iron plants prefer partial to full shade and are intolerant of direct sun. It needs rich, well-drained soil and is drought tolerant, though it can tolerate dry and nutrient-poor soils.
Water regularly during growing seasons and cut back during winter, keeping it sheltered from winter winds. The cast iron plant flourishes in containers and is a definite low-maintenance household plant – tough and beautiful.
3. PONYTAIL PALM (Beaucarnea recurvata)
This water fountain-like plant will do well if you have a sunny window. Other than a sunny spot, this low-maintenance indoor plant needs the routine care all indoor plants need:
- Water only when the soil is dry
- Water thoroughly and allow draining
- Adjust watering routines to summer heat and winter hibernation needs
- Water the soil, not the leaves
They thrive in dry winters and can survive indoor heating, which is bad for many houseplants. After the last frost date, plants can be relocated outdoors to a sheltered patio with gradual temperature changes.
Water plants less in the winter, allowing them to dry out between waterings. The Beaucarnea recurvata features a thick, swollen stem (caudex) that stores water and narrow, dark-green, strappy leaves cascading down.
You should water your Beau frequently and provide it with six hours plus of sunlight daily, i.e., close to a south-facing window.
4. SPIDER PLANT (Chlorophytum comosum)
You will love this plant because it is easy to care for it. No matter the condition inside your home, a spider plant will thrive in it.
The spider plant is one of my sections of Plants that are easy to care for in North-Facing Windows. The spider plant is generally a low-maintenance indoor plant and can tolerate drought, though it prefers getting water.
As the Chlorophytum comosum matures, it gets more dramatic in length and color. Ultimately, it will start to shoot out pups that may flower.
Maintain a temperature of at least 45 °F (~7 °C) and avoid watering plants with tap water since the fluorides and chlorine might burn the tips of the leaves. Winter irrigation should be minimized.
In summer, mist occasionally boosts humidity and avoids overfertilizing as this can reduce the production of plantlets. The plant has short-day photoperiod sensitivity and won’t produce stolons and plantlets unless it has more than 12 hours of darkness per day for at least three weeks.
Check out my list for this is one of my favorite indoor hanging basket plants.
5. CALAMONDIN ORANGE (Citrofortunella mitis)
Most citrus cultivars planted in warm climates are unsuitable for low-maintenance indoor plants; the Citroforunalla mitis is fortunately not one of them – even throughout the bitter winters.
The calamondin orange is simple to grow as a low-maintenance indoor plant. The challenge is getting the plants to produce fruits, but it’s quite spectacular as a houseplant.
If you are fortunate enough to provide your tree with the right environment, the fruit is small, tart, and ideal for making marmalade or as a garnish for summertime beverages.
Citrus plants thrive indoors at 65°F (~18°C) days with a five to ten-degree drop in temperature at night (13°C minimum). The tree must spend at least some of the day in direct sunlight.
Consider putting citrus trees outside in the summer to benefit from improved growing conditions and more light, allowing some hardening off under a shaded tree for the first few days. Once they’re accustomed to being outside, ensure they have a lot of direct light.
Before bringing them back indoors at the end of the summer, spend a week or so keeping them in a shaded area to get them adjusted to lower light.
To assist with indoor pollination, shake the flowers gently or flick them with your fingers to spread pollen from flower to flower.
6. JADE PLANT (Crassula ovata)
Crassula ovata, or the Jade plant, is also known as friendship, money, or silver dollar plants. They originate in South Africa and are hardy, beginner-friendly plants; they come in many varieties: shapes, sizes, and colors.
Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned green thumb, a Jade plant is a low-maintenance indoor plant that makes any space beautiful.
Jade plants rarely bloom when cultivated indoors, and plants cultivated indoors generally bloom as they age (above 30). This individualistic trait gives the plant the honorary title of the friendship plant.
If the plant doesn’t bloom, it won’t produce seeds. However, planting a Jade plant outdoors could cause it to bloom in the spring, given the right conditions. Then you could harvest seeds from your Jade plant’s flowers.
If you want to learn how to propagate the jade plant, check out my Propagating Jade Plants at Home: A Practical Guide!
7. SPOTTED DUMBCANE (Dieffenbachia seguine)
Dieffenbachia seguine is a favorite low-maintenance houseplant requiring medium light and moderate indoor temperatures. Please Note: Like all aroids, this plant can be toxic for pets and children.
Always wash your hands after handling plants, and keep them away from your mouth and eyes. Watch out for children and indoor animals eating leaves, such as cats.
This plant has an exotic appeal and beautifully formed leaves with cream, yellow, and white brushstrokes that emphasize the leaves’ shape. This plant is striking and is hard to ignore, thanks to the deep shade of green and the colorful brushstrokes that decorate it.
The spotted dumb cane is intolerant of low winter temperatures, cold drafts, and overly wet soil, and it prefers medium to high light, dry soil and medium humidity.
8. CORN PLANT (Dracaena fragrant)
un-variegated Dracaena fragrans look very similar to a sweetcorn plant, with leaves that wrap around a woody stem and extend between 18 and 36 inches.
Dracaena fragrans is a popular low-maintenance houseplant. It is a slow-growing, broadleaf, evergreen shrub native to tropical Africa. The habit is palm-like with age, and the corn plant occasionally produces fragrant flowers that open at night. D. fragrans belongs to the asparagus family.
While the native plant is not variegated, several hybrids include striped versions where either interior or exterior of the leaf has linear white or lighter green variegation.
All plants, including the low-maintenance corn plant, need soil that drains water well while providing roots with moisture and air. Water when the soil is dry, watering thoroughly and allowing the pot to drain.
For more information on how to care for your Dracaena fragrans, check out my corn plant care guide.
9. SNAKE PLANT (Dracaena trifasciata)
A member of the asparagus family and native to Africa, the snake plant is a popular low-maintenance indoor plant.
As it can handle very low light, place it in a spot where it will only receive direct sunshine for 2 to 6 hours of the day. Well-drained soil and water plants are essential only when the soil is dry.
Root rot, caused by a fungus that develops in anaerobic environments, is the most common cause of houseplants’ demise. Allow the soil to dry between waterings provided from spring through fall.
Adjust watering for winter months when plants are in dormancy. The snake plant is comfortable in low humidity and cooler temperatures – 50°F (10°C).
This plant is hardy, simple to cultivate, and challenging to eradicate once it becomes invasive. Although it rarely blooms as a houseplant, in its natural environment, it blooms in the winter.
NASA lists the snake plant as ab air-quality improver, and you find them on the Space Station. They remove air contaminants, including formaldehyde, benzene, and ammonia.
10. ENGLISH IVY (Hedera helix)
English Ivy is perfect for any sunny location in your home. Near a south-facing window would be ideal. They need good light and will suffer in shaded areas, so ensure to give them good natural light or supplement the lighting.
They are easy to look after, too and are a popular low-maintenance indoor plant. Provide free-draining soil and water weekly. The main thing with ivy is they need feeding every two weeks, especially if it’s a variegated variety.
Once a month, put the plant in the shower and wash it off to remove all the dust. This aids the plant in photosynthesis.
11. MONSTERA STANDLEYANA (Monstera standleyana)
Monstera Standleyana needs soil that drains well yet can retain moisture. Our ideal soil will provide our plant with adequate aeration (avoiding anaerobic conditions), maintain the proper pH, and ensure the soil has sufficient cation exchange capacity (CEC).
In the Northern Hemisphere, medium bright light (100 – 500 FC) indoors will be provided by the sun entering an east or west-facing window. The sun entering south-facing or west-facing windows will provide high indoor light (500 – 1000 FC).
You need to use a pot with plenty of drainage holes on the bottom corners for the best results. The tray often blocks drainage holes only on the bottom – unless you space them off the tray.
12. PARLOR IVY (Philodendron hederaceum)
The Heartleaf Philodendron is another low-maintenance indoor plant from the aroid family. If you like aroids, specifically Phillies, check out my 25 Types Of Philodendrons The Ultimate Houseplants List.
P. hederaceum is a popular indoor plant because of its aesthetic appeal and ease of care. You can train it on a trellis or moisture-retaining column or trail it down from a container or hanging basket.
Although plants can reach 20 feet in their natural habitat, indoor plants are typically about 4 feet tall. On young plants, leaves normally reach a length of 4 inches, but mature plants can grow to 12 inches.
Deep watering removes accumulated salts and ensures that most of the roots in the bottom two-thirds of the pot get enough water. Empty the tray, and don’t let the pot sit in the accumulated water.
This plant’s twining stems will either trail from a container or climb up a column if supported. Though rarely, mature indoor plants produce blooms of the greenish-white arum family.
The P. hederaceum is also called vilevine, and popular varieties include Brasil, Areum, and Micans.
13. CHINESE MONEY PLANT (Pilea peperomioides)
The Chinese Money Plant, also known as the UFO plant or Pancake plant, is a popular low-maintenance indoor plant that adds character to any environment.
They do best in direct sunlight during spring and winter as they love to soak up the light and warmth; however, in summer, they provide indirect light as the summer sun can scorch those beautiful leaves.
Water weekly after the soil has had a chance to dry out. Be mindful not to overwater, but underwatering can be just as bad. But don’t worry too much about this, as this plant is tough.
14. PEACE LILY (Spathiphyllum)
Peace lilies are not only beautiful and will brighten up your home or office, but they also purify the air you breathe. Dark green leaves and contrasting white flowers make a real statement and cannot be ignored.
Provide free-draining soil and water weekly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings. Feed every two weeks during summer; this plant will give you plenty of flowers to enjoy.
The only other maintenance for this plant is to occasionally pot it into a larger pot as it grows and wipe its leaves’ dust. Otherwise, it’s extremely trouble-free to grow.
15. ETERNITY PLANT (Zamioculcas zammiifolia)
Another low-maintenance indoor plant for busy people is the ZZ, the eternity plant. It only requires medium lighting and water every two to three weeks and allows it to dry out intermittently.
Temps are no issue as long as your home is heated. And the humidity in your house will be just fine. His plant is stress-free.
This plant’s only real issue is the occasional pest and root rot. To stop this, use good, free-draining soil and control the water given.
Conclusion on 15 Low-Maintenance Indoor Plants
Well, there you have it. I love all of these plants; they are pretty easy to grow. You can brighten up any home with these and bring a little nature into your living room.
