The 50 Most Popular Houseplants for Beginners and Plant Parents

Having plants in your home can completely transform the vibe and ambiance of your living space. Houseplants bring life and color to any room, improve air quality, and provide a calming presence that makes a house feel more like a home. For new plant parents or anyone looking to green up their home, starting with common houseplants that are easy to care for is the best approach.

Below are the 50 most popular indoor plants that make excellent beginner houseplants. These common household plants are easy to find affordable adaptable to various lighting conditions, and resilient enough to withstand a few beginner mistakes.

Top 10 Beginner Friendly Houseplants

If you’re just starting on your plant parenthood journey the following 10 plants are foolproof options for beginners that are almost impossible to kill.

1. Pothos

Pothos, also known as devil’s ivy, is the number one most popular houseplant With its trailing vine-like stems and heart-shaped green leaves, pothos can thrive in low to bright indirect light Let the vines cascade from a hanging basket or train them to climb up a moss pole. Golden pothos, neon pothos, and marble queen pothos are some favorite varieties.

2. Snake Plant

Snake plants, or mother-in-law’s tongue, have stiff upright sword-like leaves with yellow or white variegated stripes. They tolerate very low light and infrequent watering, which makes them perfect for beginners. They also help purify indoor air.

3. Peace Lily

Known for its easy care and air purifying abilities, the peace lily has graceful green leaves and showy white flowers. Keep it in medium to low light and water when the leaves droop.

4. ZZ Plant

The zz plant has waxy, oval-shaped dark green leaves on thick stems. It can handle low light, infrequent watering, and dry indoor air with ease.

5. Philodendron

Philodendrons are classic houseplants with heart-shaped leaves. They come in vining and non-vining varieties perfect for hanging baskets or tabletops. Go for green or variegated cultivars like brasil, neon, or satin.

6. Succulents

Succulents like echeveria, aloe vera, jade plants, and haworthia are easy to grow small houseplants. Let them bask in bright light and water sparingly. Their compact size and sculptural shapes look great in shallow planters.

7. Parlor Palm

Parlor palms have feathery fronds atop straight stems. They adapt well to low to medium indirect light. Keep soil moist but not soggy. Their clean, architectural look complements any decor.

8. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreens feature oval-shaped, vividly patterned leaves. They tolerate low light beautifully but also do well in brighter spots. Just avoid direct sun. Water when the top few inches of soil dries out.

9. Cast Iron Plant

As its name suggests, the cast iron plant is nearly indestructible. Broad dark green leaves sprout from the soil in a tidy, compact fashion. It survives in low light and handles irregular watering like a pro. An easy houseplant for beginners or frequent travelers.

10. Spider Plant

Spider plants form arching green and white striped leaves that resemble spiders or grass blades. Let the babies dangle in hanging baskets or pot them up to make new plants easily. Spider plants tolerate all lighting conditions.

Rest of the Top 50 Popular Indoor Houseplants

Expand your plant parenthood skills with these other common and easy to care for houseplants:

• Aloe vera: For sunfilled windowsills. Has medicinal gel.

• Arrowhead plant: Loves humidity. Distinct arrow shaped leaves.

• Bamboo palm: Mini palm with bamboo-like stems. Pet friendly.

• Bird’s nest fern: Lush green rippled fronds. Loves humidity.

• Boston fern: Cascading green fronds with arching stems.

• Bunny ear cactus: Fuzzy cactus with drooping ears. Bright light.

• Chinese money plant: Coin-shaped, lush green leaves. Pet friendly.

• Dracaena: Spiky, sword-like leaves in green, red, or yellow.

• English ivy: Trailing vines perfect for hanging baskets.

• Ficus:Trees with glossy green leaves. Weeping figs love bright light.

• Jade plant: Succulent with thick oval leaves. Easy to prune.

• Majesty palm: Mini tropical palm. Feathery green fronds.

• Marble queen pothos: Variegated neon and white leaves.

• Nerve plant: Dramatic vein patterns. Fun foliage houseplant.

• Polka dot plant: Spotty leaves come in pink, white, and red.

• Ponytail palm: Compact with curled leaf tips. Bright indirect light.

• Prayer plant: Unique folding leaves, some with red veins.

• Red aglaonema: Dramatic red and green patterned leaves.

• Rubber plant: Large glossy leaves with burgundy undersides.

• Snake plant laurentii: Yellow striped leaves. Tolerates low light.

• Spiderwort: Sturdy grassy leaves. Small purple flowers.

• Staghorn fern: Elkhorn-shaped green leaves. Loves humidity.

• Sweat plant: Velvety round leaves release fragrance when stroked.

• Umbrella plant: Grows lanky with umbrella shaped leaves.

• Wandering jew: Trailing stems with purplish green leaves.

Choosing the Right Plants for Your Home’s Lighting Conditions

The most critical factor in keeping houseplants healthy indoors is providing suitable lighting. When selecting beginner friendly plants, make sure to consider the light levels in the space where you want to place them.

• For bright indirect light near south or west facing windows, choose cacti, succulents, ficus, palms, pothos, philodendron, spider plant, pilea, chinese evergreen.

• Place low light plants like ZZ plant, cast iron plant, dracaena, peace lily, parlor palm, calathea in spaces with low ambient light.

• Medium indirect light works well for snake plant, peperomia, prayer plant, ferns, aglaonema.

Caring for Common Houseplants

Once you’ve picked suitable plants for your home’s lighting, follow these basic care tips to help your new houseplant thrive:

• Water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil are dry. Most indoor plants need watering once a week or every other week.

• Ensure containers have drainage holes to prevent root rot from soggy soil.

• Use room temperature filtered or distilled water if possible.

• Fertilize in the spring and summer with a balanced liquid fertilizer.

• Wipe down dusty leaves to help with light absorption.

• Prune leggy or damaged growth to encourage bushiness.

• Propagate overgrown plants by taking stem cuttings in water.

• Repot when roots become crowded, usually every 2-3 years.

• Place in bright spaces near windows and avoid direct sunlight, which can scorch leaves.

• Rotate pots periodically so all sides get light exposure.

• Maintain indoor humidity around 40-60% if possible. Group plants together or use a humidifier.

With the right choice of plants and proper care, filling your home with thriving easy houseplants is an enjoyable and rewarding experience for any beginner plant parent. Just start with a few that fit your lifestyle and skill level, pay attention to their needs, and let your plant collection grow over time.

English Ivy is the plant known for removing a significant amount of airborne mold, with studies indicating it can filter out up to 78% of airborne mold in 12 hours, according to Homes and Gardens.

Several plants are known for their air-purifying abilities, but Boston Ferns are often cited as particularly effective at removing formaldehyde.