Top 5 Houseplants for Beginners
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I have loved house plants for as long as I can remember. My grandma always had a few she was caring for—I can still see her puttering around with her tiny watering can! What a special memory! My mom is a product of the 1970’s when there was a big houseplant movement, so we had a few in our house growing up.
When I first got married and moved out on my own, I did not really think about having any kind of plants—indoor or outdoor. As we got settled in our house, though, and wanted to start making things feel homier and look nicer, my focus turned to plants! We did a lot of landscaping at our first house and I started to gain more confidence in my plant care abilities. Around that same time, too, I acquired some houseplants!
I think I started my plant journey with a few succulents and cacti. It is a common misconception that succulents are easy because they do not require a lot of water, but my experience is that they are more temperamental than many other types of houseplants. While they do not need to be watered maybe as often as other plants, you must be a lot more careful with the amount of water. And then, there are those that do like more water. Then there is the whole sunlight thing… I have not had as much success with succulents and cacti, so they do not make my top 5 list.
If you have been struggling like I did for so long, to find houseplants that you could keep alive, with minimal care (no grow lights, special soil, elaborate instructions), I have you covered!! If you think you do not have a green thumb, I am about to change your mind with my Top 5 Houseplants for Beginners!
There really are not right or wrong plants for beginners, but this list will help you have them most success! I think you’ll be more apt to keep at the houseplant gig, if you are able to see a few plants flourish under your care!
Like many house plants, there are several varieties of pothos. The one I am sharing is the called Golden Pothos—and it is the one I tend to see the most when I am out and about looking at plants. It is definitely a gateway plant, as they’re often in funeral arrangements or in cash-and-carry floral baskets. They are so easy to care for, can live in low light (but thrive in bright, indirect light), and can handle being a little neglected. If you forget to water them for a couple of weeks, they will not die on you!
Fun Fact: If you use a totem (or something the plant can climb), the leaves of the pothos can get quite large!
It is always fun to buy a bigger plant when you can…and this pothos is a great size at an even better price!
The philodendron pictured here is called heart leaf and is the variety that you will see most often being sold. There are so many different varieties of philodendrons, and since this is not a science-related blog, I will not get too into details.
However, considering they look a lot alike, pothos and philodendron get confused for one another, so if you are curious about their differences, Stamen and Stem Blog has a great post showcasing them!
Philodendrons are another great house plant that can either grow in a more mounded way, when pinched back, or when left alone, can trail or climb! They also enjoy bright, indirect light, but do prefer a little wetter of a soil. Also, both philodendrons and pothos are incredibly easy to propagate in water—which means, you can make more free plants from them! You’ll love this propogation station!
You can start your very own climing philodendron with this 4” pot, delivered right to you!
The ZZ plant should probably be my #1 pick for easiest house plant because you can basically forget about it in a room and it will still survive! I mean, not totally, but it stores water in its rhizomes (roots), so it can go a bit longer without being watered.
Also, have a spot in your home that does not get the best light? ZZ is your plant! It can handle low to bright, indirect sunlight. The two shown here used to be in my office and got a lot of light, but once I moved them to a darker corner, they really started to thrive.
Buying plants online has become a big business and you can get them from almost anywhere! I found this zz plant on Amazon and it is a great price!
The pilea plant was hot, hot, hot a couple of years ago, making its way across all the Instagram feeds! It has a fun shape and self-propagates! You know how I said that philodendron and pothos propagate easily in water?
The pilea plant propagates itself and sends up little “pups” you can repot and give to a friend—earning the plant another nickname—the friendship plant. If you water it when the top couple inches of the soil are dry and keep it out of direct sun, your pilea will be happy!
Pilea plants can be hard to get your hands on, so I found one for you to purchase online—shipped right to your doorstep! The best part, you get a set of two pilea plants!
Also known as mother-in-law’s tongue, snake plants are another easy-to-care-for-plant must have! I have a snake plant tucked in just about every dark corner in our house. They seem to do very will with very little light, making them perfect for bathrooms! No more fake plants, yay!
Water snake plants sparingly, allowing them to dry out between, to prevent root rot and pests. After doing a little research, I just found that many people are successful using a soilless potting mixture, so I may try that for my snake plants, as it does not allow for excess water.
This 16” snake plant from Amazon is gorgeous!
A few tips for house plant owners, new and old:
Leave your plant in its nursery pot for at least a year. Repotting it any sooner could put it into shock, causing it to not do well.
Research! The internet is a wealth of information and can answer all your questions about your new plant!
Talk to your friends, mom, grandma. I will bet that they have some knowledge for you—and might just offer you some free plant cuttings as well!
Do not freak out if you have a plant that dies. House plants are, for the most part, budget friendly. Enjoy it while it is alive and have no regrets tossing it into the trash when it dies. Then, promptly get yourself a new one!
When you bring a new plant home, keep it quarantined from your other plants for a while. That way you will not spread any disease or pest problems it might have. The same goes for plants you already own. If you start to see problems, separate the bad plant from your others, to keep them healthy!
If a plant does not seem to be doing well, maybe it needs a change in venue. Try moving it to a different spot in the house, for a change in temperature/humidity and light.
I hope that you can find a plant from my top 5 list that will give you hope of achieving your dreams of plant parenthood! Real plants are so good for your health! They clean the air and give you something to give attention to (not kids/husband/work), and promote relaxation.
I cannot wait to see what you pick from my top 5 list! Will you please share your new plant babies over on Instagram…and tag me so I can see! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.
Zinnia flowers are easy to grow and are so beautiful to look at throughout the growing season, plus they make great blooms to cut for arrangements. Even better, they are even easier to harvest seeds from! I’m going to share the steps for saving and storing zinnia seeds so you can enjoy them for years to come…for free!