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
‘Origin’ Star Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor: Ava DuVernay Is “A Freedom Fighter Posing As A Director”

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

Folks Say Detroit is Making a 'Comeback' -- But It Never Left

Folks Say Detroit is Making a ‘Comeback’ — But It Never Left

Behind Detroit’s ongoing economic resurgence is a history shaped by Black migration, segregation and resistance …
15 of the Cutest, Iconic Celeb Black Love Stories

15 of the Cutest, Iconic Celeb Black Love Stories

This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating some of the cutest Black stories from Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee to A$AP Rocky and Rihanna …
BHM 2026: Black History Documentaries That <i>Won't</i> Traumatize You

BHM 2026: Black History Documentaries That Won’t Traumatize You

Black history is more than just reliving the traumatizing experiences and of our past! Check out these Black documentaries focused on celebrating Black joy …
New Voting Bill Dusts Off Old Voter Suppression Tactics

New Voting Bill Dusts Off Old Voter Suppression Tactics

Voting rights advocates are warning that the SAVE America Act could disenfranchise voters, especially women, Black and Hispanic people, and young voters …
Maybe You’re Single on Valentine’s Day Because You Listen to Social Media

Maybe You’re Single on Valentine’s Day Because You Listen to Social Media

In today’s social media era, chances are you or someone you know takes bad relationship advice on the internet seriously. Stop it …
Messy New Details Emerge in ‘RHOA’ Star Kandi Burruss, Todd Tucker Divorce Timeline

Messy New Details Emerge in ‘RHOA’ Star Kandi Burruss, Todd Tucker Divorce Timeline

The divorce between Kandi Burress and Todd Tucker is starting to get a bit more testy. Here’s the latest in their unfortunate saga! …
15 Best Hip-Hop Love Songs For Valentine's Day

15 Best Hip-Hop Love Songs For Valentine’s Day

To get you in the mood for Valentine’s Day, here are some of The Root’s favorite rap love songs …
Grand Jury Calls D4vd's Family to the Witness Stand in Tragic Celeste Rivas Investigation

Grand Jury Calls D4vd’s Family to the Witness Stand in Tragic Celeste Rivas Investigation

D4vd’s family are fighting a court subpoena in connection to the death of Celeste Rivas, the teen found stuffed inside a Tesla …
A Full Timeline of Trump and Rep. Ilhan Omar's Long, Ongoing Beef

A Full Timeline of Trump and Rep. Ilhan Omar’s Long, Ongoing Beef

In order to understand the tense relationship between president Trump and Rep. Ilhan Omar currently, you’d have to start at the very beginning …
Report Finds Chemicals Used in Certain Black Hair Products Will Sicken You -- Maybe Literally

Report Finds Chemicals Used in Certain Black Hair Products Will Sicken You — Maybe Literally

Various hair extensions and products used by majority Black women are back under the microscope thanks to an all-new study …
New Washington Post Analysis Exposes Lies About Don Lemon's Arrest

New Washington Post Analysis Exposes Lies About Don Lemon’s Arrest

As Don Lemon heads to court for covering an anti-ICE protest inside a church, The Washington Post is offering eye-opening analysis of the “incriminating” evidence against him …
Even MORE Drama Surrounding Former Dolton 'Super Mayor' Tiffany Henyard— And It's Messy

Even MORE Drama Surrounding Former Dolton ‘Super Mayor’ Tiffany Henyard— And It’s Messy

In a new lawsuit, the Village of Dolton claims Fifth Third Bank ignored rules to let disgraced former mayor Tiffany Henyard “steal” $1.9M in taxpayer funds …
Exclusive: Raphael Warnock Breaks Down the Real Problem with Trump's Version of 'Christianity'

Exclusive: Raphael Warnock Breaks Down the Real Problem with Trump’s Version of ‘Christianity’

“In Donald Trump’s White House, Jesus is a victim of identity theft,” Sen. Raphael Warnock told The Root in an exclusive interview …
Social Media Has Wild Theories About the Connection Between Nancy Guthrie's Kidnapping and Jeffrey Epstein

Social Media Has Wild Theories About the Connection Between Nancy Guthrie’s Kidnapping and Jeffrey Epstein

Two weeks after Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped from her home, many social media users have made shocking connections between the tragic case and Jeffrey Epstein …
How an Argument Over Wingstop Fries Led to the Senseless Death of Texas Teen, Cops Say

How an Argument Over Wingstop Fries Led to the Senseless Death of Texas Teen, Cops Say

A casual hangout for two Texas neighbors turned into a crime scene after Lemarques Darden Jr. allegedly killed his friend over french fries …
Cardi B and the Department of Homeland Security are Beefing and It's Wild!

Cardi B and the Department of Homeland Security are Beefing and It’s Wild!

Cardi B has never shied away from using social media to air out her issues with various people. And now ICE is the latest entity to be involved! …
What Depression-Era Tips Can Teach Us In a 2026 Economy

What Depression-Era Tips Can Teach Us In a 2026 Economy

Our grandparents and great-grandparents made a dollar out of fifteen cents in tough times and their habits can help us get through a shaky economy …
How Are Millennials, Gen Z Finding Love in 2026? We've Got Answers

How Are Millennials, Gen Z Finding Love in 2026? We’ve Got Answers

As Valentine’s Day 2026 approaches, we’re diving into the current state of millennial and Gen Z dating …
Nick Cannon’s Baby Mama Opens Up About Her Relationship With the Other Mothers—and It’s Not What You’d Expect

Nick Cannon’s Baby Mama Opens Up About Her Relationship With the Other Mothers—and It’s Not What You’d Expect

The real dynamics of how Nick Cannon splits his time with his kids and the affect it has on one of the mother’s of his children is finally being put on blast! …
This Suburban Chicago City Made History With Black Reparations -- Now, It's Pay Day

This Suburban Chicago City Made History With Black Reparations — Now, It’s Pay Day

One Illinois city has started a plan to close the racial wealth gap, making reparations payments to Black residents …