These Are Some of the Best and Most Common Indoor Plants

Philodendron

Philodendrons have a reputation for being among the easiest houseplants to grow. “They are extremely low maintenance and can sit unattended for long periods of time,” advises Brian Shaunfield, Lowe’s store manager. “These plants have large, dark leaves that look great while removing harmful toxins in the air and also allowing them to absorb the smallest traces of light and water, making them adaptable to various lighting and water conditions.”

• Scientific Name: Philodendron spp.
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water when top inch of soil is dry
• Mature Size: Up to 20 feet tall and 6 feet wide

English Ivy

A versatile houseplant that can be grown in its own pot, English Ivy looks attractive in a hanging basket. “These plants are great for indoors as they are known for digesting dust and reducing the amount of mold in the air, as well as removing many other airborne toxins,” Shaunfield says. “In an indoor environment, this ivy is contained and doesn’t usually exceed more than a foot in height.”

• Scientific Name: Hedera helix
• Light: Partial sun to full shade
• Water: Water when soil is dry to the touch
• Mature Size: Only limited by space allotted to it

ZZ Plants

The ZZ plant is known as one of the toughest, low maintenance indoor plants. “This houseplant performs well in various lighting conditions, making them great to put in any well-lit room,” Shaunfield says. “This plant is great for people who are busy, due to its drought-resistant nature it only needs to be watered once every three to four weeks.”

• Scientific Name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
• Light: Indirect light or low light
• Water: Water when soil is dry
• Mature Size: Up to 4 feet tall and wide

Orchids

Orchids make wonderful plants for adding color and decorations to the home. Shaunfield says orchids have been known to help people relax and reduce stress as well as boost energy levels. “Orchid plants require growing conditions close to that already found in the average home making them beautiful indoor flowering plants,” he says.

• Scientific Name: Orchidaceae
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water twice weekly in warm weather, once a week in cooler months
• Mature Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Snake Plant or Sansevieria

The snake plant is a dramatic, spiky plant that's a dream for beginner plant parents, as it thrives despite neglect. It's also known for converting carbon dioxide to oxygen overnight and removing toxic air pollutants from the air, helping to improve the air in your home.

• Scientific Name: Dracaena trifasciata
• Light: Full or partial sun
• Water: Water deeply once or twice a month
• Mature Size: 2 feet tall

Pothos

Pothos plants are fast-growing, hearty, and easy to care for. “This versatile plant is great for low-light conditions, but will also thrive well in bright light spaces,” says Paris Lalicata, plant education and community engagement associate for The Sill. “The pothos is also fitting for indoor settings because it's able to filter gaseous toxins like formaldehyde from the air, making it a great air-purifying houseplant.”

• Scientific Name: Epipremnum aureum
• Light: Indirect light
• Water: Water on a weekly or biweekly schedule
• Mature Size: Up to 40 feet long and 6 feet wide

Rubber Plant

Ficus plants, like the rubber plant, are tricky, yet-rewarding, plants to grow. “They can be temperamental but, in preferable conditions, will reward you with beautiful broad leaves,” Lalicata says. “It’s an ideal houseplant to try out for beginners and experts alike as long as their space can provide bright light to a few hours of direct sun as well as normal room humidity.”

• Scientific Name: Ficus elastica
• Light: Indirect sunlight
• Water: Water when top inch of soil is dry
• Mature Size: Up to 10 feet tall

Chinese Money Plant

Nicknamed for the coin-shaped leaves that fountain out from the plant, the charming pilea does best with bright light and a deep watering whenever the soil dries out. You'll find that it produces plenty of offshoots, so you can share your Chinese money plant with friends.

• Scientific Name: Pilea peperomioides
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water when plant dries out
• Mature Size: Up to 1 foot tall and wide

Monstera

Monstera has been a trendy houseplant for the past few years, thanks to its dramatic leaves and tropical vibe. It also helps that this plant is relatively easy to care for, needing just filtered, indirect light and a relatively moist soil.

• Scientific Name: Monstera deliciosa
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water when top 1/3 inch of soil is dry
• Mature Size: Up to 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide

Aloe Vera

Perennially on the list of most popular houseplants is this charming succulent. The leaves of the aloe vera plant offer a healing gel, which can have benefits for your skin and hair. They require a sunny window and minimal upkeep.

• Scientific Name: Aloe barbadensis miller
• Light: Full or partial sun
• Water: Twice monthly
• Mature Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 1 foot wide

Peace Lily

The peace lily plant is prized for its dramatic white blooms, but it's not technically a lily—it's an arum, which puts it in the same family as the Monstera plant. It doesn't need much light, and only requires watering when its leaves start to droop.

• Scientific Name: Spathiphyllum spp.
• Light: Indirect light
• Water: Water when the plant droops
• Mature Size: Up to 4 feet tall and wide

Yucca

Yucca plants are slow-growing, drought-tolerant, and pest-resistant with the ability to thrive in both direct and indirect sunlight. “With the right care, you can grow an indoor yucca plant for a few years without replanting or pruning it,” says Shaunfield. “Due to easy to propagation, you can share yucca plants with friends and family.”

• Scientific Name: Yucca spp.
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water weekly in spring and summer, biweekly in fall and winter
• Mature Size: Can grow up to 30 feet tall and 15 feet wide

Cast Iron Plant

The cast iron plant lives up to its name, as it's hardy enough for even neglectful plant parents to keep alive. It can survive low-light conditions and only needs a deep watering once the soil is completely dry.

• Scientific Name: Aspidistra elatior
• Light: Indirect light
• Water: Water when soil is completely dry
• Mature Size: Up to 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide

Spider Plant

The spider plant’s easygoing nature and green and white striped foliage make it one of the most popular houseplants around. Lalicata says the plant can be propagated easily by root division once it reaches an established size, or by removing baby pups from the mother plant when they develop on a cascading stem. Spider plants can also tolerate various light levels and don’t need to be watered frequently. 

• Scientific Name: Chlorophytum comosum
• Light: Partial sun to full shade
• Water: Keep soil moist
• Mature Size: Up to 2 feet tall and wide

Prayer Plant

If you're looking for a plant with striking foliage, look no further. The prayer plant features beautiful veining and spotting that'll add a little wow to any room in your house. The prayer plant does well in low-light conditions, but is a bit particular about its watering needs. You'll need to keep the soil moist, and use warm water for it.

• Scientific Name: Maranta leuconeura
• Light: Partial sun to full shade
• Water: Keep soil moist, and use warm water
• Mature Size: Up to 1 foot tall and wide

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Consider the fiddle-leaf fig another recent plant star, thanks to its dramatic, deep green foliage and grand size. Put it in a spot with indirect light, and water when the soil has half dried out.

• Scientific Name: Ficus lyrata
• Light: Partial shade
• Water: Water when the soil is about 50 percent dry
• Mature Size: Up to 10 feet tall

String of Hearts

A lovely trailing succulent known for its heart-shaped leaves and tolerant nature, string of hearts can even surprise you with beautiful little tubular flowers in summer and fall. “The string of hearts can propagate quickly due to its shallow roots and ability to easily grow new aerial tubers and vines, and is also a non-toxic, pet-friendly plant safe to keep around pets and children," Lalicata says.

• Scientific Name: Ceropegia woodii
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Water when soil is dry
• Mature Size: 2 inches tall and wide

Jade Plant

The jade plant has been a popular choice for decades—and with proper care, you may be able to pass it on to future generations, as the plants themselves will last for decades.

Give your jade plant bright, indirect light, and ensure that the plant stays moist, especially during its growth period in the spring and summer.

• Scientific Name: Crassula ovata
• Light: Bright indirect light
• Water: Keep soil moist
• Mature Size: Up to 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide

String of Pearls

The string of pearls plant is prized for its pearl-shaped leaves and trailing vines, and is a great addition to any room with a bookshelf or elevated spot it can trail down. “It's an easy to care for, drought-tolerant succulent that doesn’t need 6 plus hours of full sun like other succulents—it actually prefers bright, indirect light to only a few hours of direct sunlight exposure,” says Lalicata.

• Scientific Name: Curio rowleyanus
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Water: Keep soil lightly moist
• Mature Size: Up to 2 feet tall and wide

Money Tree

With a unique, braided trunk that's said to bring good luck and fortune, the money tree is the perfect plant to add to any room of your home to create good Feng Shui. “It's known for its resilience and ease of growth, growing happily in the home as long as it receives bright light in a window,” Lalicata says. 

• Scientific Name: Pachira aquatica
• Light: Full to partial sun
• Water: Water when top inch of soil is dry
• Mature Size: Up to 8 feet tall and wide

Air Plants

As suggested by the name, air plants require no soil at all. Shaunfield says air plants can be easily recognized by their size, leaf shape, lack of roots and small scales on their leaves that take in water and nutrients from the air.  “Air plants are low-maintenance, being able to go up to 10 days without water and unlike most plants, an air plant will only bloom when indicating the end of its lifespan,” Shaunfield says.

• Scientific Name: Tillandsia
• Light: Partial sun
• Water: Mist weekly
• Mature Size: Up to 1 foot tall