Perhaps while updating your home or your home office to be more eco-friendly, you thought about bringing nature indoors and getting some house plants. That’s turned out to be a better idea in theory than in practice, though. You’ve discovered you’re the exact opposite of Isabela Madrigal. No matter what you try to grow, whether roses or cacti, it’s doomed to die. It’s as though Bruno predicted you’d never have a green thumb. But let’s not talk about your horticultural failures. Instead, let’s talk about things you can do to change your success rate and some houseplants even you can’t kill.

Disclaimer: No plant is invincible. They’re living things, and they have specific needs, but by being aware of those needs, you can avoid killing them. To further ensure your success, the plants we’ll discuss here are more forgiving than other plants. They can handle some neglect and improper treatment.

Why Do Houseplants Die?

A good way to understand how to keep plants alive is by looking at how they die. Plants can get bugs or diseases, which can be at no fault of your own and difficult to treat. Two of the most common human-caused culprits of plant death are well within your control, though: underwatering and overwatering.

Underwatering

Life is busy, and it can be easy to forget about watering your plants. Without water, they will die. To help yourself remember, you can set a reminder on your phone to check the soil.
Why not set a reminder to water it? Watering on a schedule is not as good for your plants as it is to water them when they need it, and it can lead to overwatering.
So how will you know when it’s time to water your plant based on the soil? That will depend on your plant. Some only need water after the soil is completely dry. Others need to always be a bit damp. Others yet are somewhere in between. When you get your plant, learn what it needs. If you have multiple varieties, don’t be afraid to take notes so you can keep track of which needs what.

Overwatering

Many plants can recover from not getting enough water. We’ll discuss a few of those later in this article. Far fewer can recover from being overwatered. In addition to making your plant unhealthy, it can cause root rot. To prevent overwatering, you will first want to make sure your plant is in a pot with good drainage. Without drainage, your plant can get waterlogged and develop root rot even if you are watering it properly. After that, it’s back to a matter of learning what your plant needs.

Sound complicated? It doesn’t have to be. Here are six low-maintenance houseplants even you can’t kill.

Pothos

Pothos, also known as Devil’s Ivy, is a versatile plant you can get creative with. You can plant it in a regular pot, have it creep up a poll, or make a wall covering by placing it on your landing and letting the vines grow down the wall by your staircase. It gets the name Devils Ivy because it grows well even in undesirable conditions and is hard to kill. This can be problematic in the wild, but as a houseplant, it’s to your advantage.

Pothos likes to have indirect sun, and you don’t need to water it until it’s partially dry. However, it can survive in darker spaces like a windowless office. It can also survive some neglect if you forget to water it occasionally. Unless there is severe root rot, you can save it if you find out you’ve overwatered it.
It’s the perfect plant for the black-thumbed gardener, but it might not be the best plant for a pet owner. It’s toxic, so if you have pets with a tendency to eat plants, you will want to consider a different plant.

Chinese Money Plant

If you’re looking for a pet-safe plant that’s easy to grow, Chinese Money Plants could be the plant for you. They can’t take as much of a beating as pothos or some of the other plants mentioned in this article, but we wanted to include at least some pet-friendly options. Chinese Money Plants are at least low maintenance, and if you treat them right, you won’t kill them.
Keep it in bright, indirect light, and water it when the soil is nearly dry (about once a week). Chinese money plants are said to bring good luck, so perhaps that luck will extend to your plant care success.

ZZ Plant

Native to Zanzibar and Eastern Africa, these plants are nearly indestructible. They can survive drought and only need water about once a month. They do best in bright to moderate light, but they can tolerate low light, making them another good office plant. ZZ plants are not pet-friendly.

Snake Plant

If you’ve ever seen a snake standing upright, it’s not difficult to see how snake plants got their name. They’re also known as Saint George’s sword and mother-in-law’s tongue due to the sharpness of the leaves. These plants like being watered after the soil dries out, but they can tolerate being forgotten about and can go around a month without water. Place your snake plant in full sun or partial shade and somewhere your pets can’t get to it.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies have white “flowers” that can bloom up to twice a year. The petal is actually a leaf called a “bract,” and the flowers are on the lumpy spike, called the “spadix.” If you tend to overwater your plants, peace lilies could be good for you. They can handle excess water to an extent. Just make sure the pot has good drainage. Otherwise, it could get waterlogged and develop root rot. Peace lilies prefer to be watered whenever the top of the soil is dry. If you’re someone who tends to forget to water houseplants, you won’t need to set a phone reminder because your plant will remind you itself. When the leaves start drooping, it’s time for a drink. These are not pet-friendly.

Bamboo

With bamboo, you never need to worry about over watering or under watering again because it grows in water. Fill the container you’re going to plant your bamboo in with stones. Then, fill the container with filtered or distilled water. Regular tap water may have chemicals that will harm the bamboo. From there, it’s more like taking care of a fish tank than a plant, minus feeding fish. Replace the water once a week and clean the container every few months to prevent algae. Bamboo requires little attention and can grow in most light conditions, and it’s pet safe.