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Your Guide to Unkillable Houseplants
Here at TLB HQ we are often asked which plants are the best survivors, so we know that low-maintenance, practically unkillable houseplants hold a great appeal for many of you. Perhaps you’re just starting out on your houseplant journey and you want to ease yourself into it with an easy-care selection. Or maybe you’ve had your head turned in the past by a trendy but tricky specimen (we’ve all been there, those guys can be hard to resist) and now you’d like to play it a little safer with an easier plant to look after. And sometimes, we just don’t have the time to invest in those houseplants that require a little more TLC.
Whatever your reasons, we hear you! Team TLB is here to help guide you through your plant journey. That’s why we’ve created a go-to list of the true survivors of the indoor plant world. All plants do require the basics; water, light and food but these guys are generally pretty undemanding and happy to entertain themselves most of the time.
Keep reading as we take you through a closer look at some of our favourite survivors (or ‘Unkillable Houseplants’) from our range. These green beauties are, by their nature, low-maintenance, but with this handy guide in your arsenal, there’ll be no stopping you on your plant care journey. A gorgeous, easy-care indoor jungle will be yours in no time.
Top 12 ‘Unkillable Houseplants‘
This gorgeous guy has an awful lot going for him; whether you’re in the market for an unkillable plant or not, he’s a fab choice. Not only is he easy to look after (of course, otherwise he’d have no place in this list!), he looks stunning with his variegated leaves in shades of deep green and yellow. He’ll also trail or climb beautifully. Good looks, resilience and versatility – this guy’s a keeper.
As we’ve said, a Devil’s Ivy is super easy going making it a great choice as a starter plant. To keep yours happy, choose a bright spot, away from direct sunlight and draughts and give it water every 1 to 2 weeks when the top layer of soil is dry. After that, you just get to watch those gorgeous vines grow and grow right before your eyes.
Also known as Zamioculcas or a Zamio for short, the ZZ Plant is one of our top choices for a low-maintenance indoor plant. With an abundance of shiny, dark green leaves growing upwards on tall stems in a distinctive spray, this green beauty will make a stylish impact on your home. His good looks are combined with a willingness to be somewhat neglected (although not ignored completely!). This makes him a brilliant choice for those of you who are new plant parents or time-poor or all of the above!
Unlike many houseplants, a Zamio can cope in a darker environment and will survive for several months without water thanks to thick, succulent roots that can store water. However, for optimum care, aim to give him a drink a bit more often than that; about once every 4 weeks once his soil has completely dried out. He definitely prefers to be underwatered rather than overwatered so make sure he’s never left sitting in water.
This trailing beauty boasts heart-shaped, variegated leaves and is a fast grower with the ability to cascade or climb. Pair all that with his low-maintenance credentials and you’ve got yourself a fabulous starter plant that will be a shining star in your indoor jungle.
A Philodendron will be happiest in a bright spot with plenty of indirect sunlight, but in keeping with his laidback personality, he will tolerate a degree of shade. In terms of water, he likes a drink every 7 to 10 days, once the top layer of soil has dried out. And if you really want to give him a treat, wipe his leaves with a soft, damp cloth every week or so to remove any dust and keep him looking his shiny best.
We know we shouldn’t pick favourites, but, if we were really forced to then the Sansevieria Snakey, also known as a Snake Plant and Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, would certainly be a hot contender. He is a hard-leaved, tropical beauty with striking, upright leaves that are a joy to behold. In addition to his unique good looks, he is of course super easy to look after and he’s a top performer in the air-purifying stakes too. He really is a top choice to include in your botanical lineup.
Your Sansevieria will be happiest in a warm, bright spot with water once a month or so when the soil is dry to the touch. However, as we’ve said, he’s a low-maintenance beauty so he will cope in a partially shaded area and will tolerate some neglect. The only thing they won’t really tolerate is being overwatered, it would be better to wait too long in between waterings than to give him too much.
For a complete rundown on this fab houseplant check out our Guide to Owning and Caring for a Sansevieria.
A vibrant, tropical beauty, this gorgeous indoor plant brings all the warm, summer vibes whatever the weather’s doing outside. A Lemon & Lime Dracaena sports a fabulous spray of elongated leaves in deep green edged in bright, almost luminous yellow. Simply stunning.
This low-maintenance specimen will thrive in a medium-lit spot away from direct sunlight. He’ll enjoy a drink every 10 days or so when the top layer of soil is dry. Take care not to overwater him as this will result in an unhappy houseplant.
As easy-care houseplants go, they don’t come much more low maintenance and unkillable than a cactus! Any cacti will do but we particularly love this oh-so-cute Bunny Ear variety, with its big juicy stems that look like bunny ears. Watch out for his burrs though, he might be cute but he’s still prickly, he is a cactus after all.
Cacti are native to desert environments and as such, they are extremely drought and sun tolerant. Unlike many indoor plants, your cactus will enjoy a lovely, warm spot that enjoys full sun. And he will only need a light water every 4 to 6 weeks, too much water can make your cactus brown and mushy and you don’t want that!
Closely related to the Sansevieria Snakey that we introduced you to above, Spikey brings his own unique and distinctive style with his rigid, upright, narrow leaves. Just like his big brother, this stunning guy can add good looks, easy-care creds and air-purifying qualities to his list of awesome characteristics.
Keep him happy with a small amount of water every few weeks once the soil is dry to the touch. Your Sansevieria Spikey prefers a bright, sunny spot but will cope happily in shadier areas too.
Succulents are a fab indoor plant choice when easy-care is high on your priority list. And this little Aloe succulent is a super pick because not only does he tick the low maintenance box, he’s also a fab air purifier and is known for his healing properties. Oh, and he’s super handsome too with his stunning rosette of fleshy, textured leaves.
Aloe succulents thrive in dry and warm conditions so he will be happiest in a bright, sunny spot, a south-facing windowsill is ideal and he will only need water every 3 to 4 weeks once the soil has completely dried out. It’s also best to pour water directly into the soil and avoid getting the leaves wet.
This striking succulent might be small but he packs a stylish punch with his distinctive zebra-like stripes, which inspire his Zebra Cactus nickname. His spiky leaves, growing in rosettes will add unrivalled texture and interest to any interior.
In terms of his care needs, this tough little guy requires only the smallest amount of TLC to thrive. Give him a small amount of water about once a month when the soil has dried out and place him in a bright and airy room with plenty of indirect sunlight. Et voila, a happy little Zebra Cactus you will have.
Another member of the Snake Plant family, this funky little guy, with his mass of crazy-looking stems will add heaps of easy-care attitude and style. And just like his relatives, he can add air-purifying powers to his list of top traits, making him a fab pick for any indoor jungle.
This fab little botanical will be happiest in a bright sunny spot but as per his easy-going manner, he will also fare well in a darker place. And he is very used to dry conditions, only needing a little bit of water once every 1 to 2 months.
With his trailing vines sporting speckled silver variegation, the Satin Pothos is the ultimate in elegant, easy-care green styling. Place this beauty high on a shelf or in a macramé plant hanger to allow those gorgeous leaves to cascade beautifully.
To enjoy this trailing beauty at his absolute best, place him in a bright spot with plenty of indirect sunlight. However, if your home is a little darker, he will also cope in a shadier spot making him a good choice for homes that don’t get a lot of natural light. He also prefers dry conditions, so allow the top couple of inches of soil to dry out in between waterings. Humidity will make your Pothos very happy, mist his leaves every now and again or consider placing him in your bathroom where humidity levels are naturally higher.
It might seem slightly strange but larger plants are actually easier to look after than smaller plants because they are more established, so they are among the best plants for beginners. If you have the room, a larger plant is not only an easy-care winner, but they look great too making a fab focal point in your home.
Amongst our favourite statement green picks are the XL Lemon & Lime Dracaena, the XL Areca Palm and the XL Yucca. All of these will make a huge statement in your home, the Dracaena and Yucca bringing plenty of structured style, whilst the Areca Palm adds all the tropical vibes.
To keep your statement botanicals looking tip-top, place your Areca Palm and Yucca in a bright spot away from direct sunlight and your Dracaena in a shadier spot. Areca Palms like their soil to be slightly moist; water them once a week and give their leaves a mist.
Your Dracaena will need a drink about once every 10 days when the top layers of soil have dried out.
And the Yucca only needs water once every 2 to 3 weeks when the soil has dried out on top.
We hope this guide has given you a useful introduction to unkillable houseplants to help get you started on your houseplant journey. If you have any questions about any of the plants in this list or any other low-maintenance indoor plants do get in touch at [email protected]. Until next time plant tribe.
