The Best Low-Maintenance Houseplants to Spruce up Your Space

You don’t have to have a green thumb to have a gorgeous indoor garden

If you’re looking to breathe some life into your home, houseplants can be one of the easiest and least expensive ways to decorate. Besides making your home look amazing, plants can make you feel great too by reducing your stress level and improving your mood. And if that’s not enough to make you want to go out and get some greenery, having plants in your workspace can also help you crush those impossible deadlines. Studies have shown that plants can improve your concentration and productivity by up to 15 percent.

Video will return here when scrolled back into view
MAGA Loses It Over Powerful Statue of a Black Woman in Times Square

But if you’ve avoided starting an indoor garden because you’re afraid it wouldn’t survive, you may want to reconsider. You don’t necessarily need to have a green thumb to have houseplants that thrive in your home. We’ve rounded up some of the best fool-proof plants that can survive in your home with nothing more than a little bit of love and light.

Aloe Plant

Photo: Shutterstock Tanya NZ

The aloe plant is one of my personal favorites. It’s a member of the succulent family, which means that it doesn’t need daily watering. In fact, you should only water your aloe plant when the soil is completely dry, which could mean every two to three weeks. Besides brightening up your space, the sap inside the aloe plant is a great skin moisturizer and the perfect at-home remedy for healing cuts and soothing sunburn. With a little love, your aloe plant could thrive in your home for years to come.

Spider Plant

Photo: Shutterstock dropStock

The spider plant is one of the easiest plants to care for, which makes it perfect for new plant parents. They make beautiful hanging plants because the long stems grow downward. The stems also grow plantlets that can be pruned and shared with friends or repotted and used in other spaces of your home. When it comes to watering your spider plant, allow them time to dry out a bit between waterings. Overwatering can cause the roots to rot. If you notice that the roots become exposed, you will need to repot your plant.

ZZ Plant

Photo: Shutterstock Stephanie Pomerenke

The ZZ stands for Zamioculcas zamiifolia, but I like to think it could also mean that you can take care of this plant in your sleep. The ZZ plant is native to Eastern Africa and has grown in popularity due to its ability to survive in a wide range of conditions. The shiny, oval-shaped leaves look like feathers and tend to grow upwards. When you bring a ZZ into your home, keep it out of extreme direct sunlight. They thrive in medium to bright indirect light instead, which makes them perfect to keep in the bathroom. You can get away with watering it every two or three weeks, to allow the soil time to dry out. Just be careful if you live in a home with pets or small children. ZZ plants can be irritating to cats, dogs and humans if the foliage is consumed.

Cast Iron Plant

Photo: Shutterstock mizy

The cast iron plant earned its name because it is one tough plant that’s hard to kill. Their green leaves can grow up to two feet long and four inches wide. It survives best in low light, so if you’re keeping one as a houseplant, keep it away from windows where it will get intense direct sun. You may have to fight off pests, including mites and scale. But by rinsing the foliage, you can keep the problem under control.

Snake Plant

Photo: Shutterstock Aquarius Studio

I bought a snake plant at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and two years later, it is still going strong. In fact, I’ve been able to separate it into multiple pots that are thriving on their own. Snake plants don’t need much light, so they can survive in practically any corner of your home. These plants with thick, waxy leaves prefer being left alone. You can keep watering to a minimum because too much will make your snake plant rot.

Straight From The Root

Sign up for our free daily newsletter.

Latest from The Root

The Most Positive Events That Happened During Black History Month

The Most Positive Events That Happened During Black History Month

Here’s a list of postive things that have happened since Black History Month was founded in 1926 …
Do You Know The History of Go-Go Music, The Sound That Defines Washington D.C.?

Do You Know The History of Go-Go Music, The Sound That Defines Washington D.C.?

50 years after the infectious sound was created, we’re celebrating Go-Go music’s influence on D.C. and the world …
2026 NAACP Image Awards Best Moments and Surprises

2026 NAACP Image Awards Best Moments and Surprises

The 57th annual NAACP Image Awards went off without a hitch and was truly home to some much-needed blackity-black surprises and highlights! Let’s get into it! …
Why the 2026 Awards Season Is So Exciting for Black People

Why the 2026 Awards Season Is So Exciting for Black People

Withv the 2026 NAACP Image Awards, the Actor Awards (f.k.a. the SAG Awards) happening back to back to close out February and welcome in March, respectively, and then the Oscars on March 15—let’s take a quick look back on some of this seasons Blackest moments …
The 5 Saddest Revelations About Lamar Odom's Addiction

The 5 Saddest Revelations About Lamar Odom’s Addiction

Two-time NBA champion Lamar Odom has a storied relationship with substance addiction. He digs into it all in a new documentary …
We All Hate Tipping Culture, But Did You Know It's Rooted in Slavery?

We All Hate Tipping Culture, But Did You Know It’s Rooted in Slavery?

Wealthy American started the tipping culture in the mid-1800s, beginning a restaurant culture that remains steeped in the roots of slavery …
New Development After White NYC College Professor Makes Racist Comments on Work Zoom When She Thought She Was on Mute

New Development After White NYC College Professor Makes Racist Comments on Work Zoom When She Thought She Was on Mute

Allyson Friedman has identified herself as the college professor caught spewing racist language during a virtual council meeting …
A Full Timeline Of Singer D4vd's Mysterious Case of Celeste Rivas' Death

A Full Timeline Of Singer D4vd’s Mysterious Case of Celeste Rivas’ Death

D4vd was named a “target” in the investigation into the death of Celeste Rivas. Now, we’re catching you up on everything you might’ve missed until now …
Teyana Taylor Just Hit Another <i>Major</i> Milestone

Teyana Taylor Just Hit Another Major Milestone

Teyana Taylor keeps cementing her status in Hollywood and this year’s awards season. And this latest accomplishment from TIME Magazine is further proof of that! …
Black Folks Respond to the Clintons' Epstein Testimonies, and Phew!

Black Folks Respond to the Clintons’ Epstein Testimonies, and Phew!

After President Bill Clinton was named in the Epstein files, him and his wife were called before Congress …
Chicago Woman Smiles in Mugshot After Allegedly Killing Uber Driver During Carjacking—But It Gets Worse

Chicago Woman Smiles in Mugshot After Allegedly Killing Uber Driver During Carjacking—But It Gets Worse

Montoya Perry allegedly carjacked an Uber driver in Chicago, killing him as she fled. It’s what she allegedly did after some are calling sinister …
Black Experts Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Need To Know

Black Experts Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Need To Know

Exclusive: Experts At 5th Annual Day of Reckoning Conference in Birmingham Reveal Maternal Health Secrets You Must Know …
Expert Breaks Down How Trump Has Skated the Law for His MAGA Agenda in His Second Term

Expert Breaks Down How Trump Has Skated the Law for His MAGA Agenda in His Second Term

A foreign policy expert explains the consequences of institutions failing to check Trump as he celebrates one year in office …
A Nebraska Doctor Opens Her Home and Her Heart to a Black Child in Need

A Nebraska Doctor Opens Her Home and Her Heart to a Black Child in Need

A Nebraska anesthesiologist went out of her way to help a patient with a congenital heart condition …
Why Gov. Gavin Newsom's Latest Statements Could Be His Political Suicide

Why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Latest Statements Could Be His Political Suicide

Gavin Newsom’s recent remarks upset quite a few folks, including many liberals accusing the governor of spewing Republican talking points …
Lupita Nyong'o Wants to Talk About Uterine Fibroids, Here's Why We Should Listen

Lupita Nyong’o Wants to Talk About Uterine Fibroids, Here’s Why We Should Listen

Actress Lupita Nyong’o is sharing her personal experience to raise awareness around the issue of fibroids in women …
More Devastating News About Black Hair Extensions and  Health Risks

More Devastating News About Black Hair Extensions and Health Risks

Braid wearers assume human hair and “non-toxic” synthetic braiding hair are safe options, but a Consumer Reports study showed that they, too, come with risk …
Late Comedian's Famous Joke About How Racism Keeps Poor People Divided Resonates Now More Than Ever

Late Comedian’s Famous Joke About How Racism Keeps Poor People Divided Resonates Now More Than Ever

Comedian Ralphie May once made a joke that racism is hologram to keep poor folks fighting, and his words are truer than you might realize …
Black Actress Blames Harvard For Hair Nightmare

Black Actress Blames Harvard For Hair Nightmare

Nike Imoru suffered unimaginable hair loss as a result of her recent theater experience and now, she’s taking matters into her own hands! …
Guess Who's Actually Behind the Pro-MAGA Twitter Account Pretending to Be Black

Guess Who’s Actually Behind the Pro-MAGA Twitter Account Pretending to Be Black

The Trump administration is under fire after a dedicated pro-MAGA social media account was linked directly back to the White House …