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
Here’s 100 years of the Best Black Dandyism Heading Into Met Gala 2025

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

Why It Is So Hard to Believe These 15 Public Figures Face Accusations of Racism

Why It Is So Hard to Believe These 15 Public Figures Face Accusations of Racism

While the typical face of supremacy is well-known, there is a growing, complex wave of leaders, commentators, and politicians who have been accused of racism—even though they look just like us …
The Ultimate Nipsey Hussle Playlist

The Ultimate Nipsey Hussle Playlist

Seven years after his passing, we’re commemorating the life and legacy of “Neighborhood Nip” with the essential tracks every self-made hustler needs to have on rotation …
Inside FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf's Relationship Drama

Inside FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf’s Relationship Drama

From the beginning of their relationship in 2018 to now, FKA twigs and Shia LaBeouf have been embroiled in a legal and public back and forth. Let’s dig into the latest! …
Amber Rose Wants White People to Be Able to Say the N-Word Without Consequence...Here's Why

Amber Rose Wants White People to Be Able to Say the N-Word Without Consequence…Here’s Why

Amber Rose says she allows her kids to curse because they have free speech, AND that white people should say the N-word…and the backlash was swift …
Why 'Paradise' Season Two Finale Has Fans So Shook!

Why ‘Paradise’ Season Two Finale Has Fans So Shook!

The season two finale of Sterling K. Brown’s ‘Paradise’ has folks all over social media talking—and for good reason. Let’s get into it! …
NBA Player Fired Over Anti-LGBTQ Pride Month Comments Sparks Free Speech Debate

NBA Player Fired Over Anti-LGBTQ Pride Month Comments Sparks Free Speech Debate

In a heated debate over religion vs. policy, the Chicago Bulls just waived Jaden Ivey for speaking out about the NBA’s pride nights …
Why Every Black American Must Watch the Birthright Citizenship Fight This Week

Why Every Black American Must Watch the Birthright Citizenship Fight This Week

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on President Trump’s attempt to axe the 14th Amendment, guaranteeing citizenship for the descendants of slavery …
Tisha Campbell Explains Why She'll Always 'Protect' Martin Lawrence, But the Internet Has Questions

Tisha Campbell Explains Why She’ll Always ‘Protect’ Martin Lawrence, But the Internet Has Questions

Tisha Campbell may have more positive feelings for her former costar Martin Lawrence now, but some folks online aren’t buying it. Let’s get into why! …
House Democrat Seeks Reparations for Immigrants Impacted By Trump's Policies

House Democrat Seeks Reparations for Immigrants Impacted By Trump’s Policies

Rep. Pramila Jayapal calls for reparations for immigrant families tramatized by Trump’s mass deportation policy …
Black Virginia Family Finds Army Discharge Papers That Unlock a Mother's Secret WWII Legacy

Black Virginia Family Finds Army Discharge Papers That Unlock a Mother’s Secret WWII Legacy

Stacy Brown and her family had no idea that her mother was one of more than 800 women assigned to the only all-Black female battalion during World War II …
What it Cost My Family to Find My Cousin in a Country That Often Forgets Black Women

What it Cost My Family to Find My Cousin in a Country That Often Forgets Black Women

For Black people, uncertainty in America is a frequent state of existence because we are categorically less safe …
Rihanna Home Shooting Suspect Did This Wild Thing Just Months Before Allegedly Committing Crime

Rihanna Home Shooting Suspect Did This Wild Thing Just Months Before Allegedly Committing Crime

More information about the woman charged with shooting at Rihanna’s home have been released and it’s truly disturbing! …
Florida’s Rooney Rule Challenge is Rooted in White Supremacy – and Legal Fiction

Florida’s Rooney Rule Challenge is Rooted in White Supremacy – and Legal Fiction

OPINION: The ongoing legal challenge to Florida’s Rooney Rule, a policy designed to promote diversity in the hiring of state college coaches and athletic directors, must be understood not as a legitimate legal argument, but as an act of legal fiction rooted in white supremacy …
Top 5 Black Disney TV Shows, Movies That Deserve Anniversary Specials

Top 5 Black Disney TV Shows, Movies That Deserve Anniversary Specials

While many fans are happy about the recent ‘Hannah Montana’ anniversary special, let’s take a look at some Black Disney shows that are deserving of one, too! …
A Running List of Everything President Trump Is Planning to Name After Himself

A Running List of Everything President Trump Is Planning to Name After Himself

From $100 bills with Trump’s signature on it to renaming buildings in his honor, here’s everything President Trump has named or renamed after himself …
The Four Black Women Coaches Who Took Their Teams to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Women's Tournament

The Four Black Women Coaches Who Took Their Teams to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Women’s Tournament

By the time there were 16 teams left in the Women’s NCAA Tournament, four of them were coached by Black women. How did they do? …
This Black Woman Is The Most Gorgeous Barber on TikTok

This Black Woman Is The Most Gorgeous Barber on TikTok

Folks on TikTok are loving this Black barber, who’s not only great at her job, but looks like a model too …
After Tyler Perry Attempts to Pay TSA Works Himself, DHS Officially Steps In

After Tyler Perry Attempts to Pay TSA Works Himself, DHS Officially Steps In

To help ease financial pain on TSA amid the government shutdown, billionaire Tyler Perry stepped in… and then, this happened …
How Carlos Boozer's Twin Sons, Duke Basketball Stars Cameron and Cayden, Saved Their Big Brother's Life

How Carlos Boozer’s Twin Sons, Duke Basketball Stars Cameron and Cayden, Saved Their Big Brother’s Life

Conceived to save their brother’s life, ex-NBA star Carlos Boozer’s twins Cameron and Cayden are living proof that some wins don’t show up on a scoreboard …
Kerry Washington Shares the Marriage Move That Has Made Her Relationship Last

Kerry Washington Shares the Marriage Move That Has Made Her Relationship Last

Kerry Washington is usually private about her marriage to former NFL-star and actor Nnamdu Asomugha. But now she’s opening up like never before! …