Elevate Your Indoor Space This Winter With 8 Hard-to-Kill Houseplants

While we're celebrating the start of autumn, colder, shorter days are a warning for many that the winter blues are on the way. But between lockdowns from COVID-19 and growing awareness and education about seasonal affective disorder (SAD), there are more ways than ever to be proactive about the inevitable mood plummet. 

Adding a houseplant to your living or workspace is an easy place to start. Ruins discovered at Pompeii and written evidence from Ancient Egypt show we have been bringing nature indoors for centuries – an attempt at replicating the outdoors's psychological and physical health benefits. It turns out these instincts were right; a 2009 study found indoor plants help boost moods, increase creativity and productivity, and reduce stress.

Houseplants also help purify the air. While you need over 600 plants to thoroughly purify a 1500ft space, having even a few plants can help remove formaldehyde, xylene, toluene, and other harmful pollutants and toxins.  

Here are eight different types of houseplants to bring home this fall. 

Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Anyone new to plant ownership should start with a golden pothos. These lush, resilient vines are incredibly low-maintenance, making these harder plants to kill no matter how neglectful you get. 

With golden marbling on its iconic heart-shaped leaves and vines that grow up to 60ft, the golden pothos adds a touch of elegance to any living space. Whether you put your pothos on the edge of your desk or on a shelf, the leaves will cascade down as your plant grows. 

If you don't want the natural vine waterfall, add a trellis (like this boho-style wall piece) or hang a fishing line for your pothos to climb along, whether over a doorway or window frame. Since pothos can survive with low lighting, they're an easy plant to decorate with. 

Besides being aesthetically pleasing, pothos plants are champion air purifiers, known for removing harmful toxins like formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air. 

How to care for golden pothos: Pothos are happiest when they're kept out of direct sunlight. Otherwise, water your plant when the top inch of soil feels dry (usually once a week), and wipe down the leaves when you notice they're dusty. 

Overwatering is easy with these, so if you're worried it's too soon to water, wait another day or two. 

How to propagate golden pothos: Pothos are also great plants to try your hand at propagation. Just cut a vine with 3 - 4 nodes (small bumps on the stem) and place your cutting in water. After 2 - 3 inches of roots grow, you can put your cutting in fresh, well-draining soil, like MiracleGro's Moisture Control Potting Mix. Avoid propagating in the fall and winter for the best results. 

While it seems counterintuitive, you can leave your pothos growing in water, such as in a propagation station or vase. You can even hang propagation stations on your wall if you're short on surface space in good light. Just be sure no plant leaves are submerged, and change the water every so often – especially if you notice algae growing. 

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants are another great purchase whether you're looking for a plant for your small apartment or you're new to indoor gardening. Like the golden pothos, spider plants are easy to care for and are forgiving if you get neglectful with watering. 

Adding a spider plant to a space is an easy, aesthetically pleasing way to help purify the air. They have been found to remove 95% of formaldehyde and improve oxygen levels. 

Given their adaptability, spider plants are happy to hang from the ceiling in a pot (macrame is a popular plant holder option) or sit on a shelf. Fully mature spider plants can get 1 - 2ft tall (and be just as wide), so these are also great corner pieces on a plant stand or table. 

How to care for spider plants: Draining is the key to keeping your spider plant happy. All it needs is well-draining soil, to be in a well-draining pot, and only to get water when the top inch of soil is dry. 

Like the pothos, spider plants do best when kept out of direct sunlight. 

How to propagate spider plants: Spider plants will grow spiderlets on their leaves – smaller baby plants you can clip off and propagate. After clipping as close to the spiderlet as possible, you can put the cut end in well-draining soil or water. 

Regardless of whether you plan on propagating, your spider plant will be happiest if you prune off spiderlets. Some are fine, but too many can wear out the parent plant. 

Aloe Vera (Alove barbadensis miller)

Known for their healing properties, Aloe plants are more than nature's first-aid kit. These hardy succulents look similar to snake and spider plants, making them an ideal first plant for beginners.

Having aloe on hand is smart, whether or not you're accident-prone. The gel inside aloe leaves is rich in vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and antioxidants. Not only can aloe help heal wounds, but aloe can help prevent wrinkles and help your skin retain moisture. A 2009 study found taking oral aloe vera gel improved collagen production and skin elasticity over 90 days.  

Like goldfish, aloe plants will grow as big as you let them, making them versatile to decorate with. As long as the spot has bright, indirect sunlight – or a plant lamp – aloe plants can live anywhere. Many aloe owners will place their plants on their desks or on dressers to help promote a refreshing, relaxing atmosphere where they work or sleep. 

How to care for aloe plants: If you love your aloe plant, you'll leave it alone. Indirect, bright sunlight and a well-draining pot are what aloe needs to thrive. Water should only happen when the soil has dried out completely. Soil mixed specifically for cactus and/or succulents is best for these to help ensure your aloe plant doesn't sit in soggy soil. 

How to propagate aloe plants: Propagating aloe plants can be done, but only with mature plants. These plants have been growing for a few years and can handle losing a leaf or two. 

After choosing a plump, healthy leaf, make a clean, diagonal cut as close to the base as possible. Afterward, place the leaf in a dry, well-ventilated area for a day or two. This allows the cutting to callus over, preventing root rot when you plant your cutting. 

Once dried and caloused, place your cutting callous-down in fresh succulent/cactus soil. Bury your cutting about an inch or so down. Water your cutting sparingly; just like the adult aloe, your propagation efforts will be more fruitful if you just let your plant have the right amount of light.

Your cutting will be ready to repot in a few months. Like with watering, less is more: the less you bother your aloe plant, the more solid and stable the root system will be. 

Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)

It's not just you: snake plants are everywhere these days. That's because they're easy adjusters like other plants on this list. 

Whether brightening a corner of a room or sitting on a floating shelf, these plants enhance a room's clean, modern, minimalist vibe. Wild snake plants can grow up to 12 feet tall, but your potted plant will only get about two feet high. Besides plant stands and grouping multiple plants of various sizes, snake plants look great on shelves, solo on the floor, or as a table centerpiece.

Snake plants aren't just another pretty face; they also release a lot of oxygen, which can help purify the air around them.  

How to care for snake plants: While they'll do fine in low light, they are happiest with bright, indirect sunlight. Like aloe plants, you're going to want to let these plants dry out completely between watering, making these plants ideal for beginners or busy travelers. 

How to propagate snake plants: You can cut a leaf from a mature plant or divide the mature plant up into smaller plants.  

To propagate by cutting, choose a snake plant parent that has been growing for a few years. Make a diagonal cut at the base of a leaf and cut the leaf up into two-inch sections. Like with the aloe, you'll let your snake plant cuttings dry out and callous over. Once the callouses have formed, plant your cutting callous down. 

Pull the plant out of its pot if you're dividing up a growing plant. Divide the plant into smaller sections, ensuring each new plant has leaves and roots. 

After putting your propagated snake plant in a new pot with fresh, well-draining soil, provide bright, indirect light and water sparingly. 

Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)

Whether you're convinced you're a plant killer or looking for a low-maintenance bit of green for your home, a lucky bamboo plant is a great choice. Not only are these plants as resilient as others on this list but bamboo plants are thought to help attract good luck and happy vibes. 

While they may look like mini versions of bamboo plants, lucky bamboo is a smaller relative, more succulent than tree. With how adaptable lucky bamboo is, they're happy to sit anywhere – as long as you keep their roots wet. Many choose to place single or multiple stocks in glass containers or vases. 

Lucky bamboo is also often used to improve the Feng shei of a room. As Feng Shei consultant Anji Cho writes for The Spruce, plants with three to nine stalks can be placed in different areas of your home to attract things like wealth, happy relationships, and promote focus. 

Cho recommends placing a lucky bamboo plant on your work desk, which can help inspire personal and career growth. Or, you can place a plant in the relationship corner of your home – the corner furthest to the right when you walk in your door – to help promote harmony and happiness. 

How to care for your lucky bamboo plant: The easiest way to care for your lucky bamboo is to keep it in a glass container where you can always see the water level and place your plant in bright, indirect sunlight. Lucky bamboo can be "planted" in water or stone and water. Just make sure you submerge roots and change the water occasionally, especially when you notice algae growing. 

Lucky bamboo can be planted in soil, too; just make sure to use well-draining soil. Lucky bamboo planted in soil is a little trickier to take care of because you need to balance keeping the soil moist and avoiding root rot. Well-draining pots, combined with the soil, can help keep your lucky bamboo plant happy. 

How to propagate lucky bamboo: As lucky bamboo plants grow and mature, they will grow offshoots. From these offshoots, you can easily propagate new lucky bamboo plants. 

Once an offshoot has grown four to six inches, cut as close to the parent stalk as possible. Place the cutting either in water or well-draining soil. If you're propagating lucky bamboo in soil, make sure at least one node (little notch on the stalk) is about an inch into the soil, as this is where your new roots will grow. 

New roots will take about a month to grow on your propagated lucky bamboo, whether by water or soil. This is when it's safe to transfer your new lucky bamboo plant into a different, bigger vase or pot if you want. 

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Succulents are excellent choices for anyone new to indoor plants or busy travelers. But like lucky bamboo, jade plants are secret succulents as beautiful as they are adaptable. Not only are jade plants resilient, but they'll live for years – and take years to reach their maximum height, which can be 3 - 6 ft tall and 2 - 3 ft wide if kept in the right conditions. 

Since they're known to have air-purifying qualities, jade plants are great additions to bedroom nightstands or office bookshelves. Try using a wall planter or hanging planters if you're looking to spruce up a room without taking up precious surface space. 

Jade plants can live independently or be grouped in various sizes for a miniature indoor garden. When picking a container, consider the size of your plant, whether you're planting it alone or with more – and keep in mind that jade plants are slow-growing. Putting your plant in a pot that's too big can result in the soil holding too much moisture, which can lead to fungal issues with the roots of the plant.  

You can always start with a small succulent pot and transfer your plant to something bigger later. 

How to care for your jade plant: All your plant needs to be happy is indirect sunlight, well-draining soil (succulent mix is best), and a well-draining pot. Jade plants only need watering when their soil has completely dried out, especially during the winter when the plant goes dormant. 

You can water the plant's growing seasons more frequently in the spring and summer, but the soil should be moist, not soggy. 

How to propagate your jade plant: Like pothos, jade plants are straightforward. During the summer, when conditions are ideal for growing, cut a piece of healthy plant two to three inches long. After you let the cutting dry out and callous over in a warm, dry place, put the cut end in a mix of potting soil and vermiculite or perlite. 

Or, you can cut the leaf from your jade plant, cutting the stem directly from the main branch of the plant. Let your cutting callous over for a few days, then place the cutting on top of a blend of potting soil and vermiculite or perlite. After placing the cutting in a warm, bright place, mist the leaf occasionally, keeping the plant slightly damp.

Once roots and baby plants appear around the leaf's edge, you can care for your propagation like any other jade plant. 

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

Also a popular ground covering, English ivy is an easy, elegant plant that's as forgiving as the others on this list. So whether you're new to indoor gardening or looking for plants that can stand neglect, you can't go wrong by adopting a pot or two of English ivy. 

This classy vine is a stunning addition to single pots on table tops and bookshelves because of how the plant's vines hang. English ivy looks great hanging in front of a window or against the wall. Like pothos plants, you can let your ivy grow and hang naturally or incorporate a trellis into your indoor landscape design. 

When it comes to choosing a trellis, the options can be overwhelming. However, go with a style that suits the overall vibe of the space. You can choose something small that will keep the plant growing inside the width of its pot, or go with a more prominent wall display your ivy can grow around. 

How to care for your English ivy: Like spider plants, drainage is the key to keeping English ivy happy. Overall, these plants are hardy and can take skipping a day or two of watering. But to get your ivy's leaves deep, dark green, you need to keep your plant somewhere the temperature and humidity will be steady. 

Other good rules of thumb to follow when caring for English ivy are to use well-draining soil and only water when the top inch of soil is dry. 

How to propagate English ivy: There are two simple ways to propagate your ivy plant. First, you can cut a four-to-six-inch section of the vine and, after removing any leaves that would be submerged, place the cutting in water or a small pot of well-draining soil. 

Or you can divide plants while you repot. Repotting should only happen once a year, but you can separate root-bound sections of English ivy during the process. If you're dividing an ivy plant, you can put the divided plants right into fresh, well-draining soil. 

Roots should begin to grow and stabilize in either process in a few weeks. 

Radiator Plant (Peperomia) 

Last but not least, the Radiator Plant, aka Peperomia, is a Central and South American native that adds a touch of modern stylishness to any room they're in. There are over 1,500 varieties, and you'll find radiator plants in different shades of green, with varying textures of leaf and color marbling. Since these plants are adaptable and low maintenance, they make great additions to any indoor garden, even if you're neglectful with your plants. 

Since peperomia can grow up to 12 inches tall and just as wide, there's a wide array of ways you can decorate with these house plants. Whether in a pot by themselves or in more extensive arrangements with other planters, radiator plants do well on plant stands, bookshelves, tabletops, large floor pots, wall planters, or even hanging. 

Just be sure to pick a size planter that doesn't leave too much extra room. These guys like to feel the sides of their pots. But you can repot your plant and move up to larger sizes as it grows. 

How to care for Radiator Plants: Peperomia, like most plants, need well-draining soil and indirect, bright light to be happy. However, radiator plants also do well under fluorescent lights, making them great office plants. That said, window light is the best to ensure bright foliage. 

When it comes to watering, make sure the soil is dry to the touch. You'll want to pay closer attention in the spring and summer, during peperomia's growing season, but going an extra day or two won't kill your plant. 

How to propagate Radiator Plants: Creating new radiator plants is simple. Just cut off large leaves, including the stalk (petiole), from the main branches of the plant. After dipping the stem in rooting hormone to help increase your odds of success, bury the cutting in a small pot with seedling starter soil. 

After placing the cutting in a warm, bright place, you should see new growth within a month. Once you see this new growth, you can transplant the seedling to a bigger, permanent container. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Indoor House Plants

How much light do my indoor plants need? 

The amount of light your indoor plants need depends on their species. Generally, there are three light categories:

• Low: Plants can thrive in indirect or filtered sunlight, away from direct rays, like snake plants. 

• Medium: These plants prefer bright, indirect sunlight. They thrive near east or west-facing windows, like spider plants, lucky bamboo, and peperomia. 

• High: These plants, like aloe plants, need direct sunlight for several hours a day. 

How often should I water my indoor plants?

Watering frequency varies depending on plant species, pot size, and room humidity. A general rule of thumb is to water when the top inch of soil feels dry. Avoid overwatering, which can lead to root rot, and underwatering, which can stress the plant. 

Can I use tap water for my plants?

Tap water is generally safe for most indoor plants, but it may contain chemicals like chlorine or fluoride that can be harmful. To make tap water plant-friendly, let it sit in an open container for 24 hours to allow these chemicals to dissipate. Alternatively, use filtered water or rainwater when possible.

It's always best to use room-temperature water so you don't shock plants with water that's too cold or too hot. 

What's the best type of potting soil for indoor plants?

Most indoor plants thrive in well-draining soil. You can purchase pre-packaged potting mixtures for specific plant types, like succulents or orchids. Or, to improve drainage, you can create your own mix by combining regular potting soil with perlite, vermiculite, and orchid bark.

How do I prevent pests from infesting my indoor plants?

To keep your plants pest-free, regularly inspect them for signs of insects like mealybugs, spider mites, or aphids. If you find insects, isolate the infected plants and treat them with neem oil or insecticidal soap. 

Quarantine new plants for a few weeks before introducing them to your collection to prevent potential infestations.

How can I improve humidity for my humidity-loving plants?

Increase humidity by misting your plants, placing a humidity tray (a shallow tray filled with water and pebbles) nearby, or using a room humidifier. Grouping plants can also create a microclimate with higher humidity levels – something that's especially helpful in dry climates and during the winter. 

Should I fertilize my indoor plants, and if so, how often?

Yes, indoor plants benefit from occasional fertilization, especially during their growing season (spring and summer). Use a balanced, water-soluble fertilizer diluted to half strength and apply every 4-6 weeks. Just be careful not to over-fertilize; like with water, under-fertilizing is better than over. 

How do I know if my plant needs repotting?

Signs that your plant needs repotting include roots emerging from the drainage holes, slow growth, and becoming top-heavy. Generally, it would be best to consider repotting every 1-2 years, usually in the spring. At the very least, your plant will appreciate fresh soil. 

Happy gardening!