5 Houseplants That Are Perfect for Beginners

I’ve had a few people DM over on the Instagrams about houseplant care, thinking of me whenever they see plants, and just general curiosity about plants. I’ve been a little reserved to share my love of plants on this blog because it doesn’t really fit into the whole fitness thing, but you know what? This is my blog so therefore I can post whatever I want.

A lot of people think caring for a plant is hard. There are essentially two categories of which new plant parents fall into and they are as follows:

I will shower (quite literally) my plants with all of the love and attention and water because plants need water so more water is better, right?
I purchased this plant and stuck it on top of a bookshelf in a dark corner to add some greenery to the space and then I forgot about it…

If you are either one of those, don’t worry! I have plants for you that will thrive under your care.

A big part of plant parenting is accidentally killing plants. I’ve killed a few in my time as a plant parent, and it’s pretty disappointing every time it happens. But each death teaches you a little more about the needs of that specific plant and how to better care for it in the future!

Houseplants for Beginners

The Snake Plant

Snake plants are so freaking cool to me. They have such a unique shape that they act like sculptures wherever you put them.

They can tolerate lower light, but they do best in medium to bright indirect light. These are the plants you can place on a bookshelf or on your desk or in your bathroom and they will do just fine!

They require minimal water thanks to their succulent-like leaves. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.

The ZZ Plant

This is probably one of my all-time favorite “place it and forget it” plants.

These guys are similar to snake plants where they tolerate low light and require minimal water. If I have a dark corner, this is what I’m putting in it. They do great in bathrooms, on shelves, above the fireplace, and really anywhere you can think.

I originally had mine in my old bedroom which was pretty dark. It was thriving and put off so much new growth.

Cacti

My fascination with plants first started with a cactus. It was one of those grafted cacti with the green stem and the colorful ball on top… My parents actually got that for me after my high school boyfriend broke up with me LOL

Cacti are great for higher light situations. They can full sun to bright indirect light. They do best outside during the summer and then if they’re brought inside when overnight temperatures drop to 50 or below.

Minimal water
Best if placed on a windowsill where they receive the most amount of light

Succulents are also an option for beginners, but I find them to be a lot more finicky than cacti. A lot of newbie plant parents start out with succulents, but they put them in a space with not enough light and the succulent starts to stretch. This can happen super fast so that’s why I don’t recommend succulents for super-duper beginners. After they start to stretch, you have to behead them and propagate which is something that most beginners are intimidated to do.

Additional Cacti care

Pothos & Philodendron

These plants are so much fun! They’re trailing plants which means you’re going to be living in an insta-worthy jungle in no time.

You can buy these in 4-inch pots all the way up to beautiful hanging baskets. They like medium to bright indirect light and are perfect to put on a bookshelf, your office desk, and above kitchen cabinets. I have all my pothos in my awesome hanging plant shelf.

I have managed to kill a few of these in my time as a plant parent from overwatering. So a note to all you overwaterers out there, wait until the foliage is limp before you water. Then water thoroughly. This should help avoid overwatering.

Monstera Deliciosa

If you want to have an insta-worthy plant in your life, this is the plant for you.

Surprisingly, Monstera Deliciosas aren’t that challenging to take care of. They love medium to bright indirect light and average waterings. They’re not super finicky and are super fast growers.

They develop super cool fenestrations which are the holes in their leaves. These tend to develop after the 3rd or 4th set of leaves on the plant. They’re a great statement piece to have, and they’ll make all your Insta posts even cooler.