All products featured on Self are independently selected by our editors.
However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
So you want to be aplant parent?
Carol Yepes / Getty Images
Instagram loves to show homes packed to the gills with complicated-looking plants, but what about houseplants forbeginners?
You know, the key in of greenery that can bounce back after a few mistakes?
Here’s what they told us about keeping plants alive, plus 23 suggestions for your first plant purchase.
What makes good houseplants for beginners?
Our experts all agreed: Being able to witness frequent growth from your plants is key for any beginner.
In other words, you want to see that your effort is paying offfast.
There’s no guesswork.
How do you examine your light condition?
Knowing what kind of light your space has is of utmost importance when it comes to sustaining yourindoor garden.
Direct light is ideal for cacti, plants with thicker foliage, and most succulents.
Direct light can be harsh for some plants and can result in discoloration and burning.
Bright indirect light is suitable for most houseplants.
If you see that hard shadow, that means you have a direct light.
The softer the shadow, the less light you have in your room.
How do you know whenand how muchto water your houseplants?
But until you reach that stage, it’s good to get your hands a bit dirty.
Stick your finger in the soil to gauge the moisture level, or invest in asoil probe.
(See our other plant-care product recommendations here.)
When you decide to water your plants, check to see if your pot has a drainage hole.
If it does, saturate the soil until water comes out of the hole.
This houseplantguideis here to serve as a resource for you throughout your journey toward a green thumb.
Each of the plants below comes recommended by the pros, with tips about keeping them happy.
Youll be an armchair plant expert in no time.
I like vining philodendrons because they have that kind of cascading, lush effect, he tells SELF.
Mini monsteras are among those fast growers.
Aglaonemas are low-light tolerant but also appreciate a medium bright light, Pham says.
Wait for the soil to fully dry out between waterings.
What’s more, when aglaonemas arereallyhappy, they can produce flowers.
ZZ Plant
Grounded
ZZ plants are statement makers, with thick, waxy leaves.
When given more light, they shoot up new fronds quickly, but they can also tolerate lower-light conditions.
Just be aware that they will grow more slowly in lower light.
ZZs are resilient, and like the soil to dry up completely between waterings.
Fairytale Cactus
The Bouqs Co
Hands-off plant parents, cacti are the ideal plants for you.
Fairytaleand most cactilove lots of direct sunlight and occasional watering.
Marble Queen Pothos
Pothos plants are staples for a reason.
Theyre resilient, give satisfying growth, and come in lots of different varieties.
You could leave pothos plants alone and theyre totally finethey can grow and stay alive, Isabel says.
But you might also be high-maintenance with them and theyll thrive and produce bigger leaves.
The variegated variety adds a nice bit of color too, and theyre pretty economical.
I find that they’re fairly forgiving, as long as they’re getting lots of light.
Pham suggests bright indirect light for optimal growing, and watering it only when its completely dried out.
So if youre worried about killing a plant, this one might be your go-to.
Plus, snake plants come in dozens of shapes, colors, patterns, and sizes.
Tradescantia Nanouk
This purple beauty makes a statement in bright windows, shelves, or sills.
The more light you give a monstera deliciosa, the more gorgeous fenestrations (a.k.a.
leaf splits) youll see.
With velvety orange-green leaves, this jot down of philodendron is fun to have in your collection.
Micans are climbers, and as they climb, they can get moisture from the air itself.
They also fan out their foliage during daylight to soak up as much sunlight as they can.
Cast Iron Plant
For the neglectful beginner plant parents, consider a cast iron plant.
Cast iron plants are seriously one of the most indestructible plants, Pham says.
I have a big one, and Ive watered it maybe three times in a year.
Bright sunlight is ideal, along with a solid, well-draining soil mixture.
Let the soil dry out in between watering, and give them medium to bright indirect light.
The peperomia ginny is outlined in pink with splashes of white and light green.
Its leaves are thick and semisucculent, and the plant thrives in medium to low indirect light.
These trees can work with almost any kind of light condition, according to Pham.
Theyre communicative plants; their fronds grow limp when they need water and spike up when theyre hydrated.
Pham loves it as an alternative to a traditional heartleaf philodendron.
It likes to dry out between waterings and prefers indirect light to keep its leaves from getting crispy.
They like indirect light conditions and to dry out between watering.
Faux Golden Pothos
Target
Killed one too many plants to want to give it another spin?
Theres no shame in sprucing up your home with a faux plant or two.
