Top 10 Easy Houseplants

Do you love the look of lush live houseplants and the homey feel that houseplants lend to a space? Would you like to have a few plants around your home or workspace to brighten up the environment but haven’t had luck keeping them alive? If you answered yes to either of these questions, I have the 10 suggestions for houseplants that are easy to care for! Don’t label yourself a brown thumb until you’ve tried growing one of these beautiful and forgiving plants.

Pothos (left) and Wandering Jew are two easy houseplants to care for.

Air Plants
Perhaps the easiest houseplant to care for, air plants require nothing but low light and air as they absorb moisture from the environment. Because they do not require soil and potting, these plants are versatile and may be placed on a shelf, in a seashell, on a window sill, desk or  even on top of electronics such as the television or computer. They also come in a range of interesting sizes, shapes and forms.

Bamboo
Said to bring good luck, the bamboo plant lives and thrives in water alone. It  looks great bunched in vases, Asian inspired containers or in a water garden.

Staghorn Fern
A relative of the Orchid family, this plant looks like it’s namesake of deer horns and even has  a soft velvety surface that traps moisture for the plant and eliminates the need for traditional watering. It’s one of the few plants that can be mounted on a wall as it requires only indirect light and occasional misting.

Cat Grass
Also called oat grass, this crop of sprouts resembles a miniature lawn and is simple to grow from seeds. It requires good light and moist soil.  It is an interesting plant to have around the home, as cats, small pets such as rabbits and sometimes even dogs like to nibble on the tips, which may keep them from trying to eat your other houseplants.

Spider Plant
These plants look great hanging, especially when they flower and eventually sprout “babies.”  They’re also fun and easy to root and care for . The elongated leaves of the spider plant can be either solid green or variegated green and white, and they do indeed resemble a spider. Exposure to indirect light and moist soil are the only care requirements.

Ivy
The ivy plant is an old-fashioned favorite.  Its trails of pointed leaves look lovely cascading from a pot. The long trails may also be wound around a tiny trellis or frame. Medium lighting and occasional misting are the only requirements.

Wandering Jew
With its mixture of deep purple and green foliage, the Wandering Jew is a variegated, trailing plant that offsets all green houseplants nicely.

Pothos
Arguably the most common houseplant in America, this trailing plant is shiny with medium sized heart shaped leaves in varying shades of green.  Often seen wound around stakes, trailing over frames or hung from high shelves, these plants grow fast and are very forgiving.  Adequate light and moist soil are the only requirements to keep them healthy. 

Traditional Cactus
Traditional cactus plants require very bright light and loose sandy soil.  Many Cactus plants will bloom once a year. Watering is needed only once every few months.

Christmas Cactus
Known to bloom around Christmas time, the Christmas cactus sometimes blooms as early as October and may bloom twice in one year.  This jointed, semi-prickly cactus plant has sporadic spikes and tiny fuchsia or white flowers when in bloom. These plants require nothing but bright light and very little watering—once a month is often enough.