Every houseplant we cover, in one place. Compare what each plant needs at a glance, then open the full guide for light, watering, soil, propagation, problems and pet safety.
Our most popular houseplant guides
ZZ plant care guide
The low-light, low-water plant for beginners, and the one mistake that kills it.
Snake plant care guide
Upright, drought-tolerant and almost indestructible, as long as the soil dries out.
Prayer plant care guide
Patterned leaves that fold up every evening, and how to stop the crispy brown edges.
Spider plant care guide
A fast, forgiving, pet-safe classic that makes babies you can give away.
Rubber plant care guide
A glossy indoor tree in green, burgundy or variegated, and how to make it bushier.
Bird of paradise care guide
Huge tropical leaves for your sunniest room, plus how to get the famous flowers.
Monstera care guide
Light, a moss pole and patience: how to grow a monstera with big, split leaves.
Pilea care guide
Round, coin-shaped leaves, lots of free babies, and safe around pets.
Quick comparison
| Plant | Light | Water when | Difficulty | Safe for pets? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZZ plant | Low to bright indirect | Soil fully dry | Very easy | No |
| Snake plant | Low to bright, some sun | Soil fully dry | Very easy | No |
| Spider plant | Medium to bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy | Yes |
| Wandering jew (inch plant) | Bright indirect | Top inch dry | Easy | No (skin irritant) |
| Rubber plant | Bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy to moderate | No |
| Lipstick plant | Bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Moderate | Yes |
| Prayer plant | Medium to bright indirect | Top inch dry; keep lightly moist | Moderate | Yes |
| Bird of paradise | Very bright, direct sun | Top 2–3 inches dry | Moderate | No |
| Raven ZZ plant | Bright indirect for dark color | Soil fully dry | Very easy | No |
| Dracaena | Medium to bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy | No |
| Pilea (Chinese money plant) | Bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy | Yes |
| Umbrella plant | Bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy | No |
| Kalanchoe | Bright, some direct sun | Soil almost dry | Easy | No |
| Monstera | Bright indirect | Top 2 inches dry | Easy to moderate | No |
| Dumb cane (dieffenbachia) | Medium to bright indirect | Top inch dry | Easy to moderate | No |
| Song of India | Bright indirect | Top 1–2 inches dry | Easy to moderate | No |
| Anthurium | Bright indirect | Top inch dry | Moderate | No |
| China doll plant | Bright indirect | Top inch dry | Moderate | Yes |
Find a plant for your situation
Low light and forgetful watering
The ZZ plant and the snake plant store water and put up with dim rooms better than almost anything. Water them only when the soil is completely dry. More in easy-care houseplants.
Homes with cats and dogs
The ASPCA lists the spider plant, prayer plant, lipstick plant, pilea and china doll plant as non-toxic to cats and dogs. See all pet-safe plants.
Hanging baskets and shelves
The spider plant, inch plant and lipstick plant all trail beautifully, and the prayer plant spills gently over its pot. More in trailing and hanging plants.
Bright rooms and statement plants
The rubber plant and the bird of paradise grow into big, architectural indoor plants when they get plenty of light.
All houseplant guides
The newest guides appear here first as we add them.
-
Money Tree Leaves Turning Yellow? 7 Causes and Fixes
Why money tree (Pachira aquatica) leaves turn yellow: overwatering, low light, drafts, sunburn, nutrients, pests or age, with a step-by-step check and fixes. -
Song of India Plant Care (Dracaena Reflexa)
Song of India (Dracaena reflexa) care: light, watering, humidity, brown tips from tap water, shaping twisty stems, propagation, problems and pet safety. -
China Doll Plant Care: Stop the Leaf Drop
China doll plant (Radermachera sinica) care: bright light, careful watering, why it drops leaves and how to stop it, pruning to keep it bushy, and pet safety. -
Dumb Cane Plant (Dieffenbachia) Care and Safety Guide
Dumb cane (dieffenbachia) care: light, watering, soil, cutting back a leggy cane, propagation, yellow leaves, and important safety tips for kids and pets. -
Monstera Plant Care: Bigger Leaves With More Holes
Monstera care: the light that makes split leaves, watering, soil, adding a moss pole, pruning and propagating from a node, yellow leaves and pet safety. -
Raven ZZ Plant Care: How to Keep It Black
Raven ZZ plant care: why new growth starts green and turns black, the light it needs to stay dark, watering, propagation, and how it differs from a ZZ. -
How to Propagate a Snake Plant: 4 Easy Methods
How to propagate a snake plant in water, in soil, by division or from rhizomes, with timelines, the variegation catch and fixes for rotting cuttings. -
Anthurium Plant Care: Keep the Flowers Coming
Anthurium plant care: bright indirect light, how to water, the chunky soil it needs, humidity, getting it to rebloom, repotting, common problems and pet safety. -
Pilea Plant Care: The Chinese Money Plant Guide
Pilea plant care: light, water and soil for the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) and other pileas, how to pot up babies, fix curling leaves and more. -
Snake Plant Benefits: What’s Real, What’s Hype
The real benefits of a snake plant, from easy care to low-light tolerance, plus an honest look at the air-purifying, oxygen and sleep claims and what research shows. -
Umbrella Plant Care: Light, Water and Leaf Drop
Umbrella plant (schefflera) care: dwarf vs large umbrella tree, light, watering, why leaves drop, pruning a leggy plant, propagation and pet safety. -
Dracaena Plant Care: Types, Water and Brown Tips
Dracaena plant care: how to tell the popular types apart, light and watering, why tips turn brown, how to cut back a tall cane, propagation and pet safety. -
Kalanchoe Plant Care: How to Make It Bloom Again
Kalanchoe care: light, watering and soil for this flowering succulent, the 6-week long-night method to make it rebloom, propagation, problems and pet safety. -
How to Plant Succulents (Without Rotting Them)
How to plant succulents: the right soil and pot, step-by-step planting, the soak-and-dry watering method, light, easy beginner types and pet safety. -
Lipstick Plant Care: How to Make It Bloom Again
Lipstick plant care: why it isn’t blooming and how to fix it, a season-by-season routine, light, water and soil, pruning, cuttings and leaf drop. -
Wandering Jew Plant Care: Keep It Full and Purple
Wandering jew (inch plant, Tradescantia zebrina) care: the pinch-and-replant routine that keeps it full, light for the best purple, water and fixes. -
Bird of Paradise Plant Care: Light and Flowers
Bird of paradise plant care indoors: which Strelitzia you have, how much sun it needs, watering, why leaves split and curl, and how to get it to flower. -
Rubber Plant Care: Grow a Fuller Ficus Elastica
Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) care: best light by window, how often to water, pruning for a bushier plant, air layering, and why leaves drop or turn yellow. -
Spider Plant Care: Babies, Brown Tips and More
Spider plant care guide: how to root spider plant babies, why yours isn’t making any, how to stop brown tips, plus light, water, soil and pet safety. -
Prayer Plant Care: How to Stop Brown Tips
Prayer plant (Maranta) care: why the leaves fold at night, the water and humidity it needs, how to fix brown tips and curling leaves, and how to root cuttings. -
Snake Plant Care: A Season-by-Season Guide
Snake plant care through the year: how often to water, the light it wants, the best soil and pot, propagation, and fixes for mushy or falling leaves. -
ZZ Plant Care: Light, Water, Soil and Problems
ZZ plant care made simple: when to water (and when not to), the right light, soil and pot, three ways to propagate, and how to fix yellow leaves and rot.
Techniques that work for every plant
For watering, propagation and repotting methods that apply across many species, see our gardening how-to guides. If something already looks wrong, start with plant problems.