Low Maintenance Indoor Plants: 8 Picks Rated by NC State

The snake plant is the safest bet: NC State Extension calls it quite durable, easily grown and difficult to kill, tolerant of very low light and of drought, and says to water only every one to two months in winter. The ZZ plant and the cast iron plant are close behind - NC State rates both low maintenance, says the ZZ plant grows even in areas with only fluorescent light, and says the cast iron plant got its name from its ability to withstand neglect.

The list below uses NC State Extension's Plant Toolbox, which rates each plant's maintenance, light tolerance and toxicity, so every claim can be checked on one site. Each plant links to our full care guide or pet safety page.

• Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata). Durable and difficult to kill; tolerates very low light but does best with two to six hours of direct sun; drought tolerant; water every one to two months in winter. Low-severity toxicity to cats, dogs and horses. Snake plant care.
• ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). Low maintenance; grows in very low light, even under fluorescent light; let it dry between waterings and water about monthly in winter; watch for scale. Medium-severity toxicity from calcium oxalate. ZZ plant and pets.
• Pothos (Epipremnum aureum). Low maintenance; survives long periods in low light; let the mix dry between waterings. Medium severity, toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Pothos care.
• Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior). Low maintenance; takes deep shade with less than two hours to no direct sun; drought tolerant and copes with poor soil. Listed non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses.
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema). Low maintenance; deep shade to part shade; keep the mix moist spring to autumn, less in winter, and avoid cold water. Low severity, toxic to pets. Chinese evergreen care.
• Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans). Low maintenance; bright indirect light but tolerates low light; repot about every other year. Listed non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA. Parlor palm care.
• Rubber plant (Ficus elastica). Low maintenance and rapid growing; bright indirect light; keep above 55 F. Clemson Extension notes its sap can irritate skin. Rubber plant care.
• Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). NC State rates it medium rather than low maintenance, because tap water chlorine and fluoride cause leaf tip burn, but it tolerates deep shade and drought and is non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses. Spider plant care.

The easiest plant depends on what your home is short of.

• A dark room or a windowless office. Cast iron plant and Chinese evergreen, both rated by NC State for deep shade with under two hours of direct sun, and the ZZ plant, which grows under fluorescent light alone.
• You forget to water. Snake plant and ZZ plant. NC State says to water the snake plant only every one to two months in winter and the ZZ about monthly in its winter dormancy; both are drought tolerant.
• A cat or dog that chews plants. Cast iron plant, spider plant and parlor palm are listed as non-toxic. Snake plant, ZZ, pothos, Chinese evergreen and rubber plant are not. Our list of house plants safe for cats has more.
• You want fast results. Pothos and rubber plant; NC State rates the rubber plant's growth rapid.

Whichever you choose, the most likely way to kill it is the same: NC State names overwatering and root rot as the main problem for the snake plant, pothos and Chinese evergreen alike. A pot with drainage holes and water only when the mix has dried is most of the work. Our watering and light basics guide has the details.

None of them does it well enough to notice. A 2019 review by Drexel University researchers Michael Waring and Bryan Cummings, published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology, covered a dozen studies spanning 30 years and calculated that it would take 100 to 1,000 plants per square metre of floor space to match a building's air handling system. Their conclusion: potted plants do not clean indoor air quickly enough to affect air quality in a home or office.

Choose an indoor plant for the light and care you can give it, not for air cleaning. Ventilation is what changes indoor air.

Shop labels often give only a common name, and several of these plants have look-alikes with different care and different toxicity. 'Palm' covers the pet-safe parlor palm and the toxic sago palm. Photograph the plant in the shop or when you get it home and check the species name; PlantLens names the plant, and the name tells you which care guide and pet listing apply.

Research and drafting for this page were done with the help of AI, and every figure was then checked line by line against the sources listed at the end of the page. Sources were opened on 2026-09-25. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.

The best indoor plant is the one that suits your light. Garden Design sorts its 24 recommended houseplants into three light groups, and the useful picks from each are:

• Low light. Pothos, philodendron, ZZ plant, parlor palm, peace lily, Chinese evergreen and cast iron plant. Garden Design notes peace lily and Chinese evergreen should stay above 55 F.
• Medium, bright indirect light. Monstera, rubber plant, fiddle leaf fig, peperomia and African violet.
• Bright light. Snake plant, jade plant, spider plant, aloe and haworthia; add bird of paradise, which NC State gives full sun to partial shade.

A money tree sits between medium and bright: NC State wants indirect sun or a mix of sun and shade.

There is no official top 10; lists differ by what the author values. Picking by durability and easy care, and linking each to a care guide on this site, a practical ten is: snake plant, ZZ plant, pothos, spider plant, Chinese evergreen, parlor palm, cast iron plant, rubber plant, peperomia and monstera. The first eight appear in both NC State's low-maintenance ratings and Garden Design's list; peperomia and monstera are in Garden Design's medium-light group. If you have a cat or dog, spider plant, parlor palm, cast iron plant and the common peperomias are the ones of the ten the ASPCA lists as non-toxic.

No houseplant measurably improves the air in a normal home. A Drexel University review of a dozen studies over 30 years found it would take 100 to 1,000 plants per square metre of floor space to match the air cleaning of ordinary ventilation, and explained that the 1989 NASA experiments behind the "air-purifying plant" lists were run in sealed chambers unlike real rooms. The healthiest choice is a plant that is non-toxic to the people and pets in your home and that you can keep alive; open a window for cleaner air.

This section was added on 2026-09-25. Research and drafting were done with the help of AI, and every figure was checked against the sources added to this page. If you find a mistake, tell us and we will correct it.

The easiest outdoor plants are ones rated low maintenance, drought tolerant once established, and ignored by deer. From NC State Extension's Plant Toolbox:

• Catmint (Nepeta x faassenii). Rated low maintenance; full sun or part shade (afternoon shade in the South); tolerates most soils if drained; drought tolerant once established; deer resistant; violet-blue flowers spring through summer; 18 to 24 inches tall and up to 36 wide; USDA zones 5a to 9b; generally pest and disease free. NC State notes the scent attracts cats.
• American alumroot, a native coral bells (Heuchera americana). Rated low maintenance; sun to part shade; drought tolerant; deer resistant because the leaves are high in tannins; 1 to 3 feet tall; zones 4a to 9b; no serious pests.
• Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius). NC State rates it medium maintenance, but it is heat, drought and soil-compaction tolerant and accepts clay, sand and rocky soil; 5 to 8 feet; zones 2a to 8b; white-pink flowers May to July that attract birds and bees.

Proven Winners' low-maintenance landscape collection adds spirea, boxwood, beautyberry, weigela and hosta. Check your USDA hardiness zone against each plant's range before buying.

The ones that store water and want to dry out completely between drinks. Healthline's list of 11 forgiving plants (Ashley Hubbard, 24 June 2020) sorts them by watering:

• About monthly, letting the soil dry completely: aloe vera, ZZ plant, snake plant, succulents and cacti.
• About weekly: spider plant, cast iron plant, philodendron and monstera; pothos weekly or every other week.
• Lucky bamboo: Healthline says change its water roughly every two months, while Clemson Extension, quoted on our lucky bamboo page, says weekly. We follow Clemson, the extension source.

NC State's verdict, quoted at the top of this page, is that the snake plant is difficult to kill, and the cast iron plant is named for withstanding neglect.