Hard-to-kill Houseplants for Those Without a Green Thumb

House plants do a lot more than clean the air and produce a little oxygen. They're also great for making a space feel alive and welcoming, especially smaller apartments and homes where space is at a premium. Just a few house plants scattered here and there will go a long way in decorating any room. Yet unlike most types of home decor, houseplants are alive and require conditions that are often hard to find indoors. The key to houseplant success is choosing easy-to-grow varieties and finding the right spots for them in the home. Try one of the following plants to break your habit of losing them.

One of the easiest to grow, hardest to kill plants available everywhere is the ZZ plant. Named after its Latin binomial Zamioculcas zamiifolia, it's one of the few houseplants you really can put anywhere since it needs very little light. Fluorescent office lights or regular household lamps are enough to keep it happy. It prefers low humidity to high humidity, so keep it in the living room rather than the bathroom. ZZ plants actually prefer less watering to more, so it can handle you forgetting about it for weeks at a time.

More specifically known as Aglaonema commutated, this cheerful houseplant features wide leaves with variegated patterns and ranges in color from dark green to bright white. Speckled, veined, and marbled varieties are all available for different looks. As long as you can put it near an indirect light source like a window and keep it out of drafts, it'll grow well with only minimal attention. It only needs watering after being dried out fully, making it forgiving of being forgotten a few times.

Snake plants really don't want to be watered much, so don't feel bad if you tend to let other plants dry out and turn brown. You'll likely only need to water it once or twice a whole winter. They also prefer low light conditions, making them a good choice for desks and kitchens where there's little natural sunlight. Just leave it alone and stick to dark-colored varieties since they need the least light. Snake plants can live for a decade or more if they're repotted every few years with a basic potting mix. Just avoid overwatering or humid areas to keep it from rotting.

One of the lowest light plants, the peace lily or Spathiphyllum is a great choice for any medium to high humidity part of the house. In a bathroom, they may only need watering once a month or less to stay happy. They can also adapt to dry parts of the house, but make sure to water them weekly at least to compensate for the reduced water in the air. Keep it away from drafts and heating vents to keep it happy. Low light is more likely to trigger blooming than bright conditions, so there's no need to place it near a window or bright lamp. If other plants keep getting pale or stretched out in your home, try a peace lily instead.

Also incorrectly called devil's ivy, Pothos is actually a name used for a few different vining plants that are all easy to grow. Variegated and multi-colored forms are very common for this houseplant and tend to be just as easy to grow as solid colors. Satin Queen Pothos is one exception that can be trickier, but it's still pretty adaptable as long as it's watered occasionally and kept in low light. Other types of Pothos, including popular Marble Queen and Lime varieties, prefer medium light and need a bright lamp or window. There's a Pothos for almost every household condition, so pair the right variety to the conditions rather than trying to make a different type fit in the wrong spot.

As the name suggests, the Aspidistra elatior houseplant is tough and hard to kill. It likes its soil kept moist in the summer, but it won't die off from drying out thoroughly either. In the winter, it barely needs water or much light to keep it happy. Place it near an indirect light source for the best growth. If other low-water plants don't give you the satisfaction of watering regularly, a Cast Iron Plant is a perfect choice.

All of these houseplants look great when paired together in the home. Mix and match Pothos, Cast Iron Plant, and more throughout the rooms of your home to bring a little nature indoors without adding a lot of work to your weekly schedule.