Nothing pulls a home together like lush, vibrant houseplants.
At the same time, withering, half-dead houseplants can make your home feel trashy and unkempt.
Luckily, you do not have to be a gardening expert to have healthy, beautiful houseplants.
The following houseplants are both resilient and attractive, and you can grow them without a great deal of effort or maintenance.
The arrowhead vine belongs to the order of water plantains and looks like something you might see growing in or near a pond.
It has tall, skinny shoots and large spade-shaped leaves. Arrowhead vines like bright light and should be watered three times per week in the summer. During the winter, watering once per week will suffice.
The Boston fern, also called the sword fern, boasts large, divided leaves called fronds.
The Boston fern’s fronds are green and can grow up to 98 inches long and six inches wide.
For best results, avoid overwatering; the Boston Fern prefers damp soil over a soggy one. It also loves humidity, so if the humidity in your home is low, be sure to mist your Boston fern with a spray bottle daily.
Calatheas are indigenous to the tropical regions of the Americas.
They boast gorgeous striped leaves, which, depending on the species, can be a number of different colors.
Like the Boston fern, calatheas are partial to humidity and should be kept damp but not wet.
Unlike the Boston fern, calatheas can be damaged by bright light, so you should keep them out of direct sunlight.
If every plant you touch seems to wither and die, the cast-iron plant, also called the bar-room plant, is for you.
The cast-iron plant has large, waxy leaves and is known for its ability to withstand neglect.
For optimal growth, water your cast-iron plants weekly and make sure your pots have good drainage, which will help protect them from rot.
Chinese evergreens are native to Asia and New Guinea.
They thrive in low-light conditions and have beautiful silver and green leaves.
To best care for your Chinese evergreens, apply a small amount of fertilizer to the soil (be careful not to overdo it) and protect them from excessive sunlight and cold temperatures.
Due to their calcium oxalate crystals, Chinese evergreens are poisonous, so you should keep them away from children and pets and wear gloves when handling them.
Crotons are exceptionally attractive, with long, speckled leaves that resemble swords.
Crotons can grow up to six feet tall, so your pots should allow plenty of room for root growth.
Crotons should be watered until the soil is saturated, but you should not water them again until the soil dries. Croton seeds can be fatal to infants, so you might want to avoid them if you have small children in your home.
The crown of thorns, also called the Christ plant or the Christ thorn, has light-green leaves and small flowers that can be pink, red or white.
Crown of thorns have no tolerance for cold temperatures and should be placed in full sun.
Dieffenbachias are also called dumb canes and have deep-green leaves with white flecks.
They make great house plants because they can thrive in the shade.
Dieffenbachias should be periodically fertilized. If you notice your dieffenbachias’ leaves yellowing, they are likely suffering from nutrient deficiency and should be fertilized.
Dieffenbachias prefer moist soil and low humidity.
Dracaenae have attractive green leaves with white outlines that seem to twist around each other.
In addition to their pleasant appearance, they make great houseplants because they can get by with less light than many plants and do not need much water.
The versatility of English ivy makes it a fun houseplant.
It can grow as ground cover but will also climb vertical surfaces like trellises.
This climbing ability allows for a lot of creativity when deciding how to arrange it in your home. English ivy is also remarkably resistant to cold temperatures.
The fiddle-leaf fig’s leaves have narrow middles and wide apexes.
In the outdoors, they grow up to 40 feet tall, but indoors they are much shorter and do not usually bear fruit.
Fiddle-leaf figs do not require full sun, so you can use your own discretion when placing them. When watering, you should avoid soggy soil and allow your fiddle-leaf figs to dry out completely before watering again.
The Fittonia Albivenis has dark green leaves with contrasting veins that can be either red or white.
The Fittonia Albivenis should be watered daily and prefers temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.
It is difficult to grow from seed, but if you buy a mature one from a nursery, the Fittonia Albivenis is relatively easy to maintain.
Hoyas have vibrant pink and white flowers that are hard not to love, and they also remove pollutants from the air.
They can survive in lower light, but you should place them in bright light to ensure they flower.
Jade plants have thick branches and rich green or greenish-yellow leaves.
Jade plants should have well-draining soil and be allowed to dry out almost completely before you water them again.
Philodendrons are fun little plants with green leaves that grow out kind of like saw blades.
They prefer bright light but can grow in darker places. Philodendrons prefer a temperature between 59 and 64 degrees Fahrenheit.
Living up to its name, the ponytail palm resembles a standard palm tree, but it is not closely related.
Nevertheless, a ponytail palm will bring a bit of an island feel to your home.
In its natural habitat, the ponytail palm gets about 32 inches of rain annually, so it is definitely a thirsty plant.
Other than that, ponytail palms are not particularly choosy and can grow in a variety of conditions.
The pothos is attractive enough although somewhat unremarkable.
Its resilient nature makes it popular in shopping centers and doctors’ offices.
The pothos is a great choice if you want to spruce up a sparsely traveled area of your home without too much maintenance.
Always a classic, the rubber tree plant does not need much of an introduction.
Although versatile, the ideal conditions for a rubber tree plant are bright light, cooler temperatures and high humidity.
The snake plant is cute. It has long, pointy leaves that grow straight up.
The snake plant is a lazy gardener’s dream; it does quite well in lower-light conditions and does not need much watering.
The spider plant is appropriately named; its leaves are like spider legs, which grow upward at first and then drop down over its stalk like spider legs.
Spider plants can tolerate a wide range of temperatures but prefer a temperature between 65 and 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
The watermelon peperomia is perhaps the coolest plant on this list.
Its leaves look like, well, watermelons; there is really no better way to describe them.
The only thing to watch out for when caring for watermelon peperomias is excessive water. Good drainage will help you avoid the stem rot this plant is prone to.
Weeping figs kind of resemble ivy; they have green leaves with white streaks and spots.
To best care for your weeping figs, ensure good drainage, water only when the soil’s top couple of inches are completely dry and fertilize them every other week.
The Zee Zee plant is attractive even if slightly. For best results, keep the Zee Zee plant out of direct sunlight and be careful not to overwater.
