Having plants in the home makes the whole place feel cheerier and brighter. But let’s be honest, some plants require more care and attention than a newborn baby. That can be hard to pull off with everything else in life you have to deal with. And even when you’re good about tending to them, they can often be hard to keep alive.
Even if you have little time, or don’t have a green thumb, you can still have beautiful, lush greenery in your home. You just need to know what plants to look for.
Here are 8 easy-care houseplants you (probably) can’t kill.
1. Maidenhair Ferns
Pretty, frilly, and hard to kill, Maidenhair Ferns are pretty much the ideal indoor plant. Add a couple in your living room or dot them around a bookshelf for a bold-yet-boho look.
2. Air Plants
These are SO hard to kill, you might even wonder if they’re alive to begin with. They have a spiky, weird, otherworldly look that adds a nice sci-fi feel when in a funky planter, or a nautical vibe when grown on driftwood.
3. Aloe Vera
Ahhh, every home medicine advocate’s favorite. Not only is this plant easy to care for, it’s super useful, too. Got a sunburn? Aloe vera. Upset stomach? Aloe vera. IRS is after you? Aloe vera. OK, maybe not so much on the last one, but you get the point. You need this cool plant in your life.
4. Basil
Speaking of useful, basil is a great plant to have around the house. You can add basil to your sauces, or bruise a leaf and drop it into your cocktails. Trying to impress someone? Put a basil leaf on top of their food! (Just not on, like, Cheerios. That’s weird.) Best of all, you can forget it’s around for a couple days and water it when you remember. It’ll come back again and again.
5. Snake Plant
Snake plants are durable and thrive in a pot, so you won’t ever have to worry about it when you’re leaving on a trip. Important note: This plant is toxic to pets, so keep it far out of their reach.
6. Monstera
Forget about the trendy plant du jour fiddle-leaf figs; they’re expensive and hard to care for. Instead, double down on Monstera. This easy care plant is also having a trendy moment and it gives your whole pad a Palm Springs kinda vibe. (Who doesn’t want that?)
7. Devil’s Ivy
Even the worst gardener in the world can keep this plant alive! Just water it once in awhile and it will reward you by cleaning toxic carbon monoxide out of your air.
8. Rubber Plant
Talk about handy! This little guy (who can grow up to 10 feet, actually) is one of the best plants for removing toxins from the air AND you still can’t kill it — even if you live in a colder climate or like to keep your house at a brisk 68 degrees. Give your rubber plant a name and voila, you’ve got a new best friend that you barely have to do anything for.
Now that you’re armed with this info, you can head down to your local nursery and get an armload of greenery to spruce up your place.
Don’t forget to share this article with your plant-killing friends. They’ll appreciate you every time they inhale their fresh, plant-cleansed air!