Indoor houseplants can be a beautiful, vibrant addition to any home’s decor. They add interesting colors and textures, and they instantly create a cozy, welcoming vibe.
Better still, houseplants have been shown to be extremely beneficial to your health for several reasons:
- They remove toxins from and add fresh oxygen to the air in your home.
- Seeing greenery has been shown to reduce stress levels, encourage a sense of calm, and improve your overall mood.
- Caring for a living thing—even a plant or two—can give you a sense of purpose and may prove to be very rewarding.
Of course, not every plant is ideal for an indoor life. When shopping for houseplants, be sure to look for those that will thrive in the light and heat of each given room. For example, ferns and cacti love the baking heat of a sunroom, but philodendrons enjoy minimal light and would probably fry.
Luckily, there are plenty of easy-to-grow indoor plants available for the beginning plant parent. Here are five of our favorites to quickly and easily liven up your home:
1. Cactus or succulents
These are truly the best first step for beginners. These plants come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and colors, ranging from some with spikes to others with bumps and “hair.” Rest assured that all cacti and succulents are interesting and— perhaps best of all—practically impossible to kill.
Most cacti are easy to care for, but for the lowest-maintenance succulents, look for snake plants, aloe, or jade. Water these plants very sparingly—maybe once or twice a month—and make sure they have ample direct or indirect sunlight. Consider adding a few to your bedroom, since research shows that they produce fresh oxygen at night.
2. Spider plants.
These low-maintenance plants love bright, indirect light, but they can also thrive in darker conditions. They do best with regular watering, but they are hardy enough to survive for a few weeks without a single sip, making them great for beginners.
Spider plants look great in containers and on pedestals since they have interesting, spiky leaves and produce small, trailing “plantlets” that many say look like spiders. These baby plants can be easily propagated by planting them in potting soil.
3. Philodendron.
These heart-leafed, fast-growing plants are also extremely hardy, so you don’t have to water or care for them often. They actually thrive in low light, so philodendrons are great for pretty much any room in the house.
The climbing varieties can create beautiful indoor accent areas. Simply train your philodendron to trail down the side of its container or up around a window. The upright varieties are a bit more compact but just as beautiful.
4. Bromeliads.
As a close relative to the pineapple, bromeliads are bound to be interesting. These tough plants can actually thrive indoors or outdoors, and they’re a very easy way to add year-round color and blooms to the interior of your home.
Bromeliads like bright but indirect sun. They tend to enjoy being left to themselves, so you probably need to water yours only about once a month. Make sure your pot drains well to avoid over saturating the roots.
5. Air plants.
These quirky little plants are very on-trend right now, and with good reason. They can grow without soil, so they can be potted or hung pretty much anywhere. Plus, they are extremely low-maintenance: All you have to do is spritz them with water once a week, and they absorb it directly into their leaves.
By starting with these low-maintenance yet beautiful houseplants, you’ll set yourself up for success—even if you haven’t quite developed your green thumb. Not only will your home feel livelier, brighter, and a bit more welcoming; you might also be surprised to find yourself happier and healthier.
