Best Indoor House Plants Perfect for Beginners

Like many of you, I have been working from home quite a bit as of late. I consider my home to be naturally peaceful and relaxing, but since I’m spending so much time in it, I wanted to take it to the next level! I’ve always heard of the benefits of house plants, but I wanted to find out exactly what they did and why I should invest in them. In this post, we are diving into all of the positive things house plants can do for you, as well as which plants are the right ones for you. Don’t have a green thumb? No problem! I don’t either. Luckily, there are plenty of house plants out there that are low maintenance and very difficult to kill. I’ll also be sharing the very first house plant I purchased and why. Let’s get started!

Why should you consider getting a house plant?

If you’re anything like me, you may shy away from the idea of buying house plants out of fear of killing them and losing that money. Although that is a strong possibility, when it comes to the benefits of having house plants, the pros seem to definitely outweigh the cons – even if that means investing a little money.

Have you ever noticed how reading or just sitting in a hammock outside can drastically affect your mood? Something happens to us when we are around nature. We are calm, more peaceful, and relaxed. The exact same thing happens when we bring nature inside. While sitting on your porch or enjoying an evening walk can never be replaced, plants bring calmness and can help fight stress when we bring them inside. Here is a complete list of all the incredible ways house plants can positively affect your life.

They can purify and improve air quality. Indoor plants can reduce the number of harmful air pollutants, such as formaldehyde, that are present in the air by purifying it. It is recommended to have one house plant per 100 square feet in order to receive the true benefits a plant has to offer your air quality. They also release oxygen into the air, which improves your air even more.
They can help alleviate stress. One study found that flowering house plants, such as the Peace Lily, reduce the amount of stress in your life. Especially because most of us are still working from home where our personal lives are overlapped with our professional ones, having house plants in your office or study at home may contribute to a calmer and more relaxed work environment.
They help you focus. Studies have shown that plants can help improve your memory and concentration. Many have even shown improvements in accuracy in work completed with plants nearby!
They can increase productivity and creativity. When you are calm and relaxed, you are able to focus. Work can be stressful at times, so it’s important that our environment sets us up for success. In the same way that I work better if my workspace (a.k.a house) is clean, plants can contribute to a more productive time at work as well.
They may improve your relationships. By taking care of something (especially if you are someone who lives alone) you are more likely to strengthen the nurturing aspects of your personality. The same concept of taking care of a pet applies when taking care of plants. Live alone but don’t have time for a cat or dog? Consider buying a few house plants! Plus, accidentally forgetting to water a house plant is significantly less impactful than forgetting to feed a pet.

Where can you buy indoor houseplants?

While you can obviously buy plants at Home Depot or your local garden center, there are also tons of online resources! Did you know that Amazon sells houseplants?! While many stores are open right now, it might be a safer (and more convenient) option to try one of the following online sellers!

Bloomscape – has everything easily categorized and a beautiful selection of house plants.
Urben Stems– allows you to shop by category: air filtering, low light, pet-friendly, etc.
The Sill – makes shopping for plants just plain easy! They even have subscriptions that you can gift someone with (or use for yourself!) to slowly build up a house plant collection. We love the variety of subscription options they offer, which include “Plants for Beginners” and “Pet Friendly” options.

What are the best indoor plants?

Once you’ve decided on where to buy your plants, you’ll need to decide which is the right house plant for you! You’ll want to consider how much room you have, how much time you want to devote to caring for your plant, what type of light is available in your home, and if you live somewhere with humid conditions or dry air, you’ll want to make sure you choose a plant that matches this climate!

Ferns – there are a variety of ferns that make great, low-maintenance house plants! This Boston Fern does well with bright to medium indoor light, but make sure to keep it out of full sun. It also prefers high humidity, so misting the leaves can help keep it happy.
Snake Plant – these plants can withstand direct sunlight or low light, and even an occasional missed watering!
Cast Iron Plant – just like their name, these plants can withstand a lot!
Schefflera Arboricola Tree – these require indirect light, so they’re perfect to place by a window.
Red Prayer Plant – this plant is pet-friendly, thrives in low light conditions, and is an overall low-maintenance house plant.
Spider Plant – the spider plant is widely considered one of the easiest plants to take care of and thrives under almost any condition!

The Easiest House Plants to Take Care Of

If you are anything like me, having low-maintenance house plants is your number one priority. Here is a list of several easy plants that even plant novices can manage – all they need is the right light and enough water!

Peperomia – this plant can survive under fluorescent lights, making it perfect for your office!
Chinese Evergreen – a very resilient and easy to take care of plant!
Peace Lily – this plant will tell you when it needs to be watered – the leaves wilt when it is thirsty, so you can tell when it needs water!
Hedgehog Aloe Vera Plant – prefers bright light but is extremely easy to take care of. Great for purifying the air.
Money Tree – a fun, no-fuss plant that is perfect for your house or office.
Philodendron Green – this plant isn’t picky about lighting, so you can put it in low or moderate light.
Air Plants – these plants are just plain cool! Hard to wrap your mind around but they grow WITHOUT soil. What?! You put these guys in fun, decorative small pots, jars, or vases throughout your home or office, and the best way to get them to thrive is by providing them with bright light and a water bath about once a week!
Dieffenbachia “Dumb Cane” – water this guy once a week and don’t put it directly in the sun. This low-maintenance plant should do pretty well without a whole lot of love!
English Ivy – this plant does best in bright indirect sunlight, but does well in low light as well. These plants like to climb, so you can put it near a support to allow it to spread.

Best Plants for Small Spaces

Here is a list of some smaller plants we love that are perfect for your office desk!

Smaller Peace Lily – these plants come in all sizes! The smaller ones are perfect for a table or desk. The leaves will wilt when they are thirsty, so just be attentive!
Parlor Palm – like Peace Lilies, these plants come in a variety of sizes. Opt for a smaller one if you are looking to spruce up your office area. These plants require low lighting and are a little particular about watering (they don’t do well with too much water so test the soil and only water when very dry).
Coffee Plant – yes, this an actual coffee plant! Available in smaller sizes, this easy-to-take-care-of plant requires low lighting and moist soil. Even though it takes years for coffee fruit to produce, these plants still make lovely house companions!
Hawaiian Schefflera – these plants do well with bright lighting. Their leaves will let you know if they are in need of more water by turning yellow.

Houseplants That Don’t Need a Lot of Light

Whether you are shopping at Home Depot or somewhere online, almost all locations will categorize the plants by need, which was very helpful for me! According to TheSill.Com , here are a few plants that don’t need a whole lot of sunshine:

Birds Nest Fern– these ferns do well with low lighting and are non-toxic to plants and people.
Rattlesnake Plant – these plants don’t require a lot of light but they do need consistent, moist soil. Unlike the Peace Lily, it’s important to not let their leaves wilt, so try to water before they do so.
Zz Plant – these plants can withstand harsh conditions, including underwatering and insects. Keep in mind that this plant is not pet-friendly.
Marple Queen Pothos -low lighting is ideal for these vine plants that do well with watering once a week or once every other week.
Peace Lily – the blooms on this plant will tell you if it is getting too much light by turning green! If this happens, just relocate it to a different location in the house with low lighting.

Flowering Houseplants

Not only are they beautiful, but flowering houseplants may help alleviate stress.

Peace Lily – you will see the most blooms during the summer, but they do grow flowers year-round.
Kalanchoe – in the succulent family, these beautiful flowers require low lighting and watering only when the soil is very dry.
Christmas Cactus – this beautiful cactus sports pink, white, and red blooms between Thanksgiving and Christmas! They prefer indirect light, and you’ll need to water it when the soil is dry to the touch.
African Violets – these beauties bloom multiple times a year! They are the perfect low-maintenance house plants that are great for beginners. They require moist soil at all times which needs to be from room temperature water. They do well with indirect but bright lighting.
Anthurium– these heart-shaped blooms are a beautiful addition to any home! They require bright lighting and come in a variety of colors- white, red, pink, and violet!

Succulents

The succulent plant is a beginner’s best friend. They survive heat, low watering, and are pretty darn hard to kill. My personal favorite aspect of succulents is that most stores sell beautiful arrangements with several succulents. If you are looking for the most low-maintenance indoor plant options out there, succulents and cacti are going to be your best options! A cactus or succulent arrangement also makes the perfect gift! We love this collection of succulents from Amazon and this fun Haworthia Zebra Succulent from the Sill!

Fertilizing Your Plants

While shopping for my first plant, I was surprised to find out that I needed to do more than simply water my plants. While this may be common knowledge, it was news to me! Plants need nutrients, which is why they do better with fertilizer. Once you bring a plant home and transfer it to fresh potting soil, the plant can thrive on the nutrients from the new potting soil, but once those nutrients are gone, it is important to provide them with new nutrients found in fertilizer. How often you fertilize will depend on the plant, but it is usually good to start using one a few months after it has received fresh potting soil.

Non-Toxic House Plants

These plants are considered non-toxic for your furry friends. To search for a specific plant that is safe for pets, this database is an amazing resource.

Boston Fern
Cast Iron Plant
Red Prayer Plant
Spider Plant
Peperomia
Air Plants
Parlor Palm
Birds Nest Fern
Rattlesnake Plant
Christmas Cactus
African Violets
Some succulents are considered non-toxic. The Haworthia Zebra Succulent is safe for pets.

My First Plant Purchase

So what was my first house plant purchase? I fell in love with the Peace Lily the moment I saw it! I chose a large version of the plant and one with several blooms. Not only was this plant the prettiest one compared to all of its indoor counterparts, but it also requires very little love and attention…the perfect combination for a first-time plant owner. The name, look, and its low-maintenance existence won me over! Because I live alone, after bringing this beauty home, I truly felt like I had a new friend in the house (or maybe quarantine is just finally getting to me!). Either way, I highly recommend investing in house plants, even if it’s just slowly building a collection like myself. My next purchase will no doubt be these fun air plants! The amazing health benefits of house plants, and just their overall cheeriness, is exactly what my office/home space needed!