15 Houseplants That Even Your Dumb Ass Won't Kill

For everyone with a black thumb.

First things, first: we must agree that you need to put at least SOME EFFORT into any plant you bring into your home.

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The absolute least amount of work you need to do is the following:

• Finding a home for it with the recommended light

• Planting your green friend into a pot

• Watering your plant as needed

...which, really, isn't that much! If you can do these three things, let's get into which house plants take very little effort, and are easiest to master.

1. Aloe Vera

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Also known as: True Aloe and Aloë.

Light requirements: Indirect or direct sunlight.

Watering schedule: Allow soil to dry between waterings.

Why it's perfect for you: It's really hard to kill an aloe plant, and if you take of it properly you'll be rewarded with little aloe plant babies. You can also cut off one of its strands and use it on your skin for sunburns or dry skin.

2. ZZ Plant

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Also known as: Zamioculcas Zamifolia.

Light requirements: Is happiest in bright or moderate sunlight but will do just fine in low light.

Watering schedule: Water only when the soil is dry.

Why it's perfect for you: ZZ plants will actually do better if you forget about them for a while!

3. African Spear

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Also known as: Cylindrical snake plant, Sansevieria Cylindrica, and Spear Cylindrica.

Light requirements: Bright to medium light.

Watering schedule: Rarely — this guy can survive for a long while without water.

Why it's perfect for you: I left this plant unwatered for a few weeks accidentally and you'd never know the difference. They are almost TOO EASY to take care of!

4. Pothos

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Also known as: Hunter's Robe, Ivy Arum, Money Plant, Solomon Islands Ivy and Taro Vine, and Devil's Ivy.

Light requirements: Pothos will thrive in any kind of lighting — low, indirect, or bright.

Watering schedule: Let soil dry out completely between waterings.

Why it's perfect for you: These no-maintenance plants have a high reward: the more sun and water they get, the more they'll grow!

5. Spider Plant

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Also known as: Chlorophytum Comosum.

Light requirements: Spider plants prefer bright light for maximum growth but will still flourish in indirect and fairly low amounts of light.

Watering schedule: Regularly, but not so much water so that the soil it soggy (the roots can rot this way).

Why it's perfect for you: It's hard to mess up taking care of a spider plant, and if you do it right you'll be rewarded with little babies (spiderettes) sprouting up all over the place for you to start new plants or give to friends.

6. Fittonias

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Also known as: Nerve Plant and Prayer Plant.

Light requirements: Bright, indirect sunlight.

Watering schedule: Keep the dirt moist but not soggy.

Why it's perfect for you: This plant is low-maintenance and will be happiest in humid conditions, so try keeping it in your bathroom!

7. Snake Plant

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Also known as: Mother In Law's Tongue, Viper's Bowstring Hemp, and Sansevieria Trifasciata.

Light requirements: Indirect or bright sunlight.

Watering schedule: Water rarely and make sure the dirt has fully dried between waterings.

Why it's perfect for you: These plants are hard to kill, require little watering AND purify the air inside your home.

8. Schefflera

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Also known as: Umbrella Tree and Heptapleurum.

Light requirements: Bright, indirect sunlight works best.

Watering schedule: Wait for the soil to dry completely between waterings.

Why it's perfect for you: Other than the fact that it's cute as heck, it's very low maintenance and doesn't need to be watered that much.

9. Bamboo

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Also known as: Lucky Bamboo.

Light requirements: Bright indirect light is best (but can still exist in lower light).

Watering schedule: Change the water every few months. A drop of fertilizer during each change will help keep it healthy.

Why it's perfect for you: All you need to do to keep this guy healthy is to change the water every once in a while and make sure the water isn't discolored. If it is, time for a water change!

10. Dracaena

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Also known as: Dracaena Braunii, Dracaena Ellenbeckiana, Dracaena Marginata, and Dracaena Surculosa.

Light requirements: Grows best in bright/indirect light. Low light is fine, but the plant will grow much slower.

Watering schedule: Keep the soil moist, but never soggy. Fertilize in the summer twice per month.

Why it's perfect for you: If you prune this plant, new leaves will sprout in just a few weeks. The perfect plant to shape and play with!

11. Money Tree

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Also known as: Pachira Aquatica, Malabar Chestnut, and Saba Nut.

Light requirements: Indirect sunlight.

Watering schedule: Only water them a few times per month, maybe once a week if that's easiest to remember!

Why it's perfect for you: In my experience, money trees are hard to kill entirely — sometimes one of the branches will rot, but the rest of the tree will stay strong. They also grow pretty fast!

12. Calathea

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Also known as: Peacock Plant, Cathedral Plant, Peacock Plant, Zebra Plant, and Rattlesnake Plant.

Light requirements: Bright, indirect light.

Watering schedule: Keep the soil moist but not soggy, and be careful of the water you use — sometimes hard or fluoridated water can cause the leaves to turn brown. Use distilled, spring, or rain water when possible.

Why it's perfect for you: These guys are quite resistant to death and can grow quite fast when cared for properly.

13. Ponytail Palm

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Also known as: Beaucarnea Recurvata.

Light requirements: Bright light (at least half of the time).

Watering schedule: Sparingly — make sure the soil dries out completely between waterings.

Why it's perfect for you: This "tree" is actually in the agave family, and as such it should be planted in a pot that's not too big for it.

14. Peace Lily

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Also known as: Spathiphyllum.

Light requirements: Indirect sunlight — do not put them in direct sunlight

Watering schedule: Water regularly and keep the soil moist.

Why it's perfect for you: These like humidity, so they're a perfect Summer plant. Also, a word to the wise: this plant is super hard to kill, but I've managed to kill all of the flowers on more than one occasion. Don't fret, though, the plant will still live and if you take care of it, it will sprout new flowers down the road!

15. Air Plants

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Also known as: Ttillandsia.

Light requirements: Bright, indirect light.

Watering schedule: Air plants are not like other plants. In order to water these guys (beyond misting), you must soak them in water at least once every few weeks. There's a bunch of different methods for this, but Gardenista's is a great place to start.

Why it's perfect for you: Look, I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that I haven't killed many of these traditionally "easy" air plants. But what I didn't realize at the time was the importance of soaking them — I kind of thought they would just "exist" on their own. Don't make the same mistake I did.

Got it? GREAT! You're now ready to become a master houseplant gardener!

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Are you a plant person and have other reccomendations on easy-to-care-for plants? Drop your suggestions in the comments!