Growing indoor plants can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience. It’s no wonder so many people have taken up indoor gardening recently. For beginners, it’s best to find plants that are easy to care for, so you don’t get frustrated when trying to keep them thriving. This article highlights 5 of the best indoor plants for beginners. These houseplants are all very low maintenance, which means you’ll spend less time watering and more time enjoying them.
Without further ado, here are our picks for the 5 best indoor plants for beginners:
1. Wandering Jew Plant (Tradescantia Zebrina)
The first of our best indoor plants for beginners is the wandering Jew plant. It has small flowers that bloom in pink, white, and purple from spring through early summer. Its leaves start out purple and transition to a dark green as they age.
The best thing about this plant is that it will do very well if you forget to water or neglect it for a while. It’s not too picky, which makes it perfect for beginner indoor gardeners.
Keep in mind: Wandering Jew plants can get quite large if you let them, so make sure there’s enough space around the pot before selecting a spot for them.
What You’ll Need To Care For This Plant: The best way to care for wandering Jews is by watering them regularly (once every two weeks). Also, make sure they’re placed where they’ll receive plenty of indirect sunlight each day. Don’t let these plants stay wet for long periods of time because their roots are sensitive to rot from moisture.
The only trouble people tend to have with this plant is that it grows so quickly and can get out of control if not trimmed frequently. This is easy to prevent by trimming the plant to keep it the size you desire. If you don’t want a giant, uncontrollable bush in your home, trim back the new growth every few weeks to keep it from overtaking other plants or furniture nearby.
2. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)
The cast iron plant is another plant that’s one of the best indoor plants for beginners. As its name suggests, it’s tough to kill. For the most part, you can just ignore the poor guy for long stretches, and he’ll still come back. That means if you’re busy or forgetful when it comes to watering plants, cast iron is perfect for your home!
Keep in mind: Aspidistra Elatior grows best with less light than other houseplants. Keep these guys out of direct sunlight because they don’t like hot temperatures either. They also need less water than many other species. Just be sure not to let the soil dry out completely between each watering session as this will cause them stress (and eventually death).
What You’ll Need To Care For This Plant: If being ignored sounds like your kind of care, you’re in luck. The best way to water these plants is by letting them mostly dry out between each watering. Check the soil regularly for moisture by sticking your finger in it. If it’s moist at all your plant does not need watering.
Cast Iron Plants love indirect light and do best in cooler climates (less than 75 degrees Fahrenheit).
The cast iron plant does not require much trimming and will grow slowly over time without any attention given to pruning. What starts as an attractive low-maintenance houseplant ends up being a sprawling shrub with spindly branches that are best removed before they get too large and become difficult to reach.
3. The ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamifolia)
Another of the best indoor plants for beginners is Zamioculcas Zamifolia, known as the “ZZ Plant.” This plant is native to eastern Africa and can be found in moist woodland habitats with some shade. The leaves are glossy green and pointed on top. This plant does best in low light conditions but will tolerate moderate levels of indirect sun.
Keep in mind: Zamioculcas Zamifolia is poisonous. That means you’ll need to keep it away from household pets, and it’s best to wash your hands after handling it.
What You’ll Need To Care For This Plant: Don’t water the Zamioculcas Zamifolia too often! The best way to care for this plant is by letting the soil dry out completely between waterings. These plants are so hardy that even if you forget to water them after the soil dries out, they will be okay for a while.
ZZ plants need very little trimming. They’re slow-growing plants as adults and can be trimmed quarterly with no ill effects. If your plant has not been trimmed in a while, it may be best to remove the leaves that are brown or dying along with ones on the outside of the plant.
This houseplant also doesn’t need any fertilizer unless there’s a specific reason one might want to provide nutrients during periods of growth.
4. Chinese Money Plant (Pilea Peperomioides)
If you’re looking for a plant that’s low-maintenance and beautiful, an excellent indoor plant for beginners is the Chinese money plant. This plant gets its name because it has small oval-shaped leaves that look like coins floating on top of the plant’s stems.
Keep in mind: Although these houseplants do well in low to medium light, they can’t handle direct sunlight. This makes them perfect if you live in a home without a lot of streaming sunlight.
What You’ll Need To Care For This Plant: The best way to water the Chinese money plant is by letting it dry out completely between watering periods. Chinese Money Plants are best cared for with a light fertilizer once every two weeks during their active growth phase in late spring through early fall. These plants need very little trimming at all! They’re slow-growing but they will eventually grow new leaves from old ones if left alone. So, don’t worry about pruning those away unless they get brown or start dying off.
If your plant has been neglected for months without care, there’s still hope that it will survive. Give the plant lukewarm water every few days until you can see new growth coming in.
5. Peperomia
If you’re looking for the best indoor plants that are compact and easy to maintain, Peperomia is a great choice. This plant comes in over 1,000 varieties that range in color from purple and red to grey and various shades of green.
Keep in mind: Peperomia houseplants need water, like all plants, but not too often! These plants prefer being left alone when they start slowing down during winter months as opposed to being watered more often, which can lead them back into dormancy.
What You’ll Need To Care For This Plant: These plants like medium to bright light but will survive in low light too. They should be trimmed back when stems become leggy, or the plant starts looking scraggly. The best way to water Peperomia is by soaking them thoroughly once per week with lukewarm water (not cold or hot). Keep an eye on soil moisture levels because this plant doesn’t do well if it’s too soggy. If there are brown leaves that start falling off, no need to worry, but it’s best to prune these away from the plant as they could harbor pests or diseases.
The Best Indoor Plants for Beginners – The Wrap-up
These 5 plants are best for beginners and should be easy for you to care for in your home. If you’re looking for more information about how to start an indoor garden at home, be sure to check out our other useful articles on the topic. Happy gardening!
FAQs for the Best Plants for Beginners
There are several schools of thought on this question. Here’s our take: Although it might seem easier to water from the top, watering plants from the bottom makes for healthier roots and a better long-term outcome (especially when you’re new at this). Fill the saucers of your pots with rocks, then place the pot on top. This allows for plenty of oxygen near the roots, ensuring they stay healthy while also keeping them out of standing water.
One of the most common beginner mistakes is overwatering. Avoid this by remembering that there should be little (if any) water coming through the drain holes of the pot when you’re done watering. Another common reason for houseplants dying is being moved to a new location in the house. While the plants we’ve listed are tolerant to a range of light conditions, changing the conditions too often can stress your plants out.
Any of the plants on our list are excellent choices for those who can’t watch over them constantly. Of these, the cast iron plant and ZZ plant are the most tolerant of neglect. Water them before you leave on a trip, and you’ll come home to healthy, happy plants.
Air-purifying houseplants are super popular because they not only make your home look fresh and alive but also help improve its quality by taking up toxins from the air and releasing oxygen back into it. The only thing better is if they do all that while barely needing any attention! Of the plants on our list, the ZZ plant, peperomia are great choices for indoor air quality. They both have substantial leaves with plenty of surface area, which helps with cleaning indoor air.
Novice indoor gardeners can have a lot of fun with plants that aren’t fussy about their light levels. In addition to those listed above, Christmas Cactus and Jade Plant so well in low light. But if you’re looking for a beginner’s houseplant recommendation with a bit more personality, look no further than the ZZ plant. This small but mighty indoor succulent is so hardy that its scientific name means “almost indestructible.”
