Plant care might generally be simple, but it's not always easy. If you're a first-time plant owner or are just beginning your plant journey, set yourself up for success by choosing options that are more resilient and easier to tend to from the get-go.
The following 20 plants are ideal for beginner plant parents and will also teach you a thing or two about plant care along the way.
Snake plants are very easy to care for and quite forgiving. They also have a great visual impact, with dramatic, upwardly pointing, angular leaves. They are slow growers, so you won't need to repot them for a while. Snake plants like the same temperature and humidity conditions that people do, and their light requirements are pretty flexible (no direct sun or full shade, but they will make do with most light types in between).
Spider plants are good communicators, which is why they're a great plant for beginners. When they need water, the tips of their leaves will get brown. When they are being overwatered, their long leaves will flop and look waterlogged. If they get a lot of sun, the lighter variegation will get wider; and when they are in a darker place, the stripes will get narrower or disappear.
When they're happy for a few weeks at a time, they'll produce "spiderettes," which are baby versions of themselves. You can easily transplant the spiderettes to create new plants.
Orchids have the reputation for being difficult to care for, but modern orchids are much hardier, especially the Phalaenopsis, which comes in a variety of colors. This is the kind you'll see in a variety of colors in grocery and home goods stores.
Orchids like a moist environment and partial sun, so a bathroom or kitchen shelf could be a perfect spot for them. A spritz of water once a week is all they need — overwatering is a common mistake. They prefer cooler indoor temperatures and don't like direct sun, so they'll do best in a place that gets some indirect light every day.
Since it's a cactus, this plant needs full sun for at least six hours per day, but it needs little else. It will grow slowly, but extra sun will help it grow faster.
A little water every three or four weeks is sufficient; a bit less in winter, a bit more in spring. Since cacti have shallow roots to pick up desert dew, water away from the center of the plant.
Echeveria are circular succulents, and this variety has greyish-green leaves with pink highlights (the more sun it gets, the pinker it will be). They need plenty of sun, and watering every couple of weeks is enough. Echeveria are a great succulent to learn from because they are especially hardy and will grow to a pleasing size of about 6 inches across. Be careful not to overwater and make sure that liquid doesn't collect in the leaves, which can rot the core of the plant. Expect pink and yellow flowers in the summer.
This cheery little plant needs some light (but full sun is too much), and weekly watering. Other than that, it pretty much takes care of itself. It will produce offshoots that sprout from the stem's base, which means you can get free new money plants — simply place them in soil and add them to your collection.
This is a low-light plant that thrives in humid environments. It might make a great addition to your bathroom, where it will get doused with warm, damp air regularly. Although it likes humidity, it doesn't want wet roots — in the tropical areas where it grows, rain is often caught by plants and trees higher up in the forest, leaving less water to get to the plant's roots.
Prayer plants are not difficult to care for, but they do like a particular type of environment. This is a good option for beginners who have appropriate homes.
This plant is great for beginners because it requires little care but gives a lot back, including bright flowers that bloom for a long time. It's a succulent with about 125 varieties; flowers come in different shades of yellow, pink, orange, and red. Kalanchoe does well in different temperatures.
Peace lilies are ideal for beginners because they communicate well, like spider plants. They will get floppy leaves if they are watered too much or not watered enough (just touch the top of the soil to determine which one), and will get brown edges and start to curl if left too long without enough water. They need some light, but not direct sun, and can do fine in a relatively shady spot. Make sure that they are watered regularly but don't let them sit in water.
Aloe vera is a great plant for beginners because it is easy to grow and very useful. You can clip off a stalk of this plant and use it to treat a burn or to cool a sunburn, or just smooth it over your skin for a free high-quality moisturizer. It needs plenty of sun and shouldn't be overwatered, but other than that, it's an easy and rewarding plant.
