My top 5 low-maintenance plants for beginners

When I first started collecting plants years ago, I picked them entirely based on how they looked. I didn’t research the plant or check the light requirements. If they were pretty, I took them home! 😂

As you can imagine, this led to many plants that weren’t thriving or that didn’t make it altogether. Not to mention, it made me assume I was terrible at caring for plants! I should also mention (though this will age me! 🙈) that I started caring for plants before Google and social media! I had to actually go to the library and take out a book on houseplants to learn. It’s much more convenient now, with a wealth of information at your fingertips.

These days, I spend more time thinking about what plants would be ideal for my space. I consider whether I have a well-lit location, as well as how much time I have to devote to it. And if I don’t know much about the plant, I’ll do a quick search to see what kind of care it needs. Don’t get me wrong though, I still occasionally come home with a new plant because I decided in the store, on a whim, that I just had to have it!

If you’re a beginner and want to bring some new plants into your home, here are my top 5 picks from my own collection. I chose to go with plants that I actually own, not just copy other popular easy-care plant lists, because I know these are tried-and-true low maintenance plants!

Top 5 beginner-friendly plants

Spider plants

Spider plants are a top choice because of their hardiness and just generally being a low maintenance plant. They are incredibly resilient, able to withstand a variety of environmental conditions. They can also tolerate a range of light conditions, from bright indirect light to low light. That being said, when I had mine in my low-light office, it survived but didn’t thrive. As soon as I moved it to my bright living room, it doubled in size. So keep that in mind!

In terms of watering, spider plants are also pretty forgiving. This makes them a good option for those who are still developing their plant care routines or for those with busy schedules.

What makes spider plants especially fun is their ability to produce “pups” or baby plants. These pups can be easily propagated and grown into new plants. There is nothing more confidence boosting when it comes to plants than raising a “baby” plant, right?!

Bonus points also go to Spider plants for being non-toxic to pets!

Pothos

Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy, is another excellent choice for beginners. Like spider plants, they are incredibly hardy plants.

They are super low maintenance and can withstand less than ideal conditions—and bounce back relatively quickly from any stress they might experience. Also like spider plants, they are fairly resilient when it comes to light and water requirements and can be placed in various locations in your home.

But the real reason we all love Pothos plants is how aesthetic they are! They grow quite quickly and produce these beautiful trailing vines, which makes the plant perfect for hanging, displaying on a shelf, or even letting them climb your wall!

An extra bonus of Pothos (and many plants) is that they are great a purifying the air in your space. So between the low maintenance, aesthetic value and health benefits, Pothos are a win-win-win!

Christmas Cactus

Another personal favorite of mine that I don’t see talked about a ton is the Christmas Cactus. I’ve had mine for over a decade. It’s moved with me to several different homes, all with different lighting and it’s done great!

Christmas Cacti are pretty low maintenance when it comes to light and water (it prefers to be drier in fact). I have mine in a bright room, but tucked into a nook so the light is not directly hitting it, and it is thriving there!

One the best things about Christmas cacti is their beautiful blooms that appear around the holiday season. Mine blooms twice a year, usually before Christmas and before Easter. It never seems to hit the holidays quite right, but I definitely don’t mind.

Another added bonus: Christmas cacti are also non-toxic in small amounts, making them a safe choice for homes with pets or children.

Shamrocks (Oxalis)

Shamrocks are another cute plant that come in many different varieties. I personally have an Oxalis Triangularis and Magellanica. They both grow quickly and are quite hardy; in fact, I often have to trim down the Magellanica!

Shamrocks can handle a variety of light conditions, although I find they thrive in a bright room, with indirect light. They are also fairly forgiving when it comes to their water requirements.

Shamrocks need more water than the previous 3 plants that I mentioned, but it’s easy to tell when they are thirst because their leaves will fold up during the day. (This is not to be confused with when they fold up at night, which is normal and a fun part of having Shamrocks!)

Snake plant

I couldn’t complete this list without mentioning Snake plants. Again, there are several varieties. I personally have three different sizes and they are all doing well with minimal maintenance.

Snake plants are amazing because they do well in low-light places (not no-light though) and they need very minimal watering. Some experts recommend waiting 2-3 weeks and then watering them very thoroughly.

I personally tend to forget when I’ve watered them when I do this, so instead I just water them a small amount once a week. And they are doing great! So that’s what I mean about being forgiving when it comes to watering requirements!

Bonus plant: Dieffenbachia

Ok, I couldn’t help but add one more plant to my list, and that’s because I don’t hear people talk about this one much! I’ve had mine for over 20 years and it’s super hardy!

Again, it’s moved with me to several different homes, with different lighting, often put in a corner because it’s so huge that’s the only place it will fit. 😂 This plant thrives with very minimal care!

What I love about Dieffenbachia is that they can get quite large and they feel really tropical. So they definitely bring that jungle vibe to you home, if that’s what you’re looking for!

So there you go! Do you agree with my list? Do you have any of these plants in your home? If not, which one would you love to try? Let me know in the comments!