Build Your Green Thumb with Our Favorite Houseplants for Beginners

If you’re a new plant parent looking to get into the wide world of indoor plants, that task can feel daunting sometimes. From figuring out how to water your plants, to assessing the different levels of light in your space, and so much more, there’s a lot to consider. Fortunately, there are some plants out there that make that job incredibly easy for us. Read on to find some of our favorite, easiest beginner houseplants for the new plant parent that will reward you and help you build your green thumb and confidence along the way.

Snake Plant

Snake plants, or Sansevieria, are one of our ultimate go-to plants when making suggestions for first-time plant parents.

These architectural plants have long, strappy leaves that look like swords, and they’re the perfect companion in the home due to their tolerance for practically any lighting condition—snake plants can tolerate low sunlight, and can even go up to some direct sunlight indoors.

Thankfully for those of us looking to not water too often, Sansevierias are native to the arid regions of Africa and should only be watered whenever their soil dries thoroughly.

ZZ Plant

ZZ plants are another easy beginner houseplant when making suggestions for others. Its wildly arching foliage is a drastic departure from the vertical stiffness of the snake plant, but the ZZ is just about as versatile.

Much like the snake plant, ZZ plants are succulent and retain water in the tubers that sit just above the soil, meaning you’ve only got to do your part and water them whenever their soil thoroughly dries between waterings, which may happen around every few weeks to once a month.

ZZ plants also dwell mostly in the bright shade in their natural habitat, which makes it easy on you. These plants can tolerate a wide range of light all the way from lower sunlight to a very bright, filtered sunlight indoors. Trust us, there’s a reason that “ZZ” rhymes with “easy” and makes for one of the best plants for beginner plant owners.

Pothos

One of our favorites, Pothos is an easy-going trailing plant that doesn’t need much care or experience to grow.

Under the right circumstances, Pothos are prolific growers. So much so, that in certain tropical regions, they’re considered an invasive plant due to how quickly they’re able to spread—take note new plant parents, these plants are resilient. Fortunately for those of us who have them indoors, they’re confined to their planters and are easy to prune back if they grow too out of control for your liking.

Due to their shade-loving nature, you don’t really have to worry too much where you place it in your house, provided it gets some kind of indirect sunlight. Watering these plants is a cinch, because they tell you when they need water by drooping their leaves slightly. However, if you’re ever in doubt or maybe don’t speak plant quite yet, watering them about every ten days, or whenever the top few inches of soil dries will do the trick.

Heart-leaf Philodendron

Easily confused for a Pothos and vice versa, the heart-leaf Philodendron is a similar vining plant with tons of personality that is widely considered one of the best beginner houseplants.

Heart-leaf Philodendrons can be placed in a range of lighting conditions—you can place them practically anywhere except in direct afternoon sunlight. When it comes to watering, it couldn’t be easier! Heart-leaf Philodendrons will want water when the top few inches of soil dry between waterings. For most indoor plants, this will happen within around ten days after their last watering.

If you keep these plants content, they’ll happily reward you with long, trailing vines for years to follow.

Have questions or suggestions for other easy plants to care for? Let us know in the comments down below!

Written by: Egan Thorne
Photos by: Emily Kellett