4 Trendy, New Houseplants That Are Easy to Care For

Trying to figure out what the latest and greatest houseplants will be for an upcoming season is one of our favorite types of trendspotting here at Real Simple. So when we walked through our 2023 Real Simple Home, we couldn’t help but notice all the cool, new foliage sprinkled throughout by our designers. Even us plant aficionados were impressed by these unique botanicals! If you’re itching for a new plant baby to bring into your space or you’re a little tired of the same ol’ greens you’ve been seeing all over your social feeds, check out these unfamiliar, yet easy-to-care-for, plant varieties.  

Pencil Succulent

Talk about a funky-looking plant you’ve probably never seen before! This one looks like a bunch of pencils (or even fingers!) sticking out of a little bowl—and we’re absolutely tickled. In this living room designed by Bobby Berk, he smartly placed a pencil succulent, or Euphorbia tirucalli, on one side of the media console for a touch of green to balance out the olive-heavy artwork on the opposite end. Bobby actually used a faux plant (no shame there!), but if you opted for a real one, you won’t be doing a ton of extra work either. They can handle plenty of neglect, so if you’re a big traveler, this might be the plant for you. Because pencil succulents are technically native to deserts, the ideal spot for one would be right next to a window, but it’s fairly resilient, so indirect light is just fine. A big positive: Minimal watering is required. The only negative: Keep pets away as it can be toxic.

Donkey's Tail

Another unique succulent in Bobby’s living room is this donkey’s tail (Sedum morganianum), which is native to Central America. The teardrop-shaped “leaves” drape beautifully over the planter, giving the coffee table a casual, unfussy vibe and a dash of color that complements the warm tones in the tinted concrete vessel and wood surface. Again, Bobby used a faux piece here, but the real-life version is, thankfully, very forgiving. It requires lots of light and sandy soil, but it’ll hold up well even if you forget to water it for a bit. They are also safe to keep around fur babies. Plus, they’re easy to propagate. Beware, though, the “tails” of a well-loved plant can actually grow a few feet!

Billy Balls

Dried botanicals are a brilliant alternative to the artificial kind. They offer nearly all the same advantages of fake plants (read: no maintenance)…but you can say they’re real! It’s a clever workaround for those who don’t have a green thumb. These dried Billy balls (Craspedia) in Bobby’s space, between the sling chairs on the left of the image, really fit the eclectic theme with their punchy yellow hue, which pairs wonderfully with the blues, greens, and tans in the space. These sunny little orbs, though dried, still add lots of life to a space. While they’re virtually maintenance-free, just keep them out of direct sunlight (to minimize fading) and use canned air to spray away dust.

Split-Leaf Philodendron

Think of this one as the new monstera plant. In fact, split-leaf philodendrons, or Philodendron selloums, are often mixed up for monsteras because they share the same large, leafy qualities. They’re lush, voluminous, and they fill an empty corner nicely. In this bedroom designed by David Quarles IV, the plant matches the height of the nightstand, instead of towering over the space and conflicting with the wallpaper. Technically they’re a tropical species and thrive in humidity, but they do well indoors and are fairly low-maintenance. You don’t need to water them constantly—just make sure the soil is moist, and keep a humidifier or spray bottle nearby in the winter if the air is too dry for the leaves. They require lots of bright, indirect sunlight. And if you have pets, skip this leafy guy, as it can be toxic!