5 Indoor Plants That Are Hard to Kill
Do you love indoor plants, but have a hard time keeping them alive? Here are 5 indoor plants that are hard to kill. They are easy to care for and may even survive a little neglect.
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My mom has a beautiful yard full of gorgeous plants and colorful bushes. When I was a little girl she had a bookshelf full of books on plants and gardening. I’m pretty sure she knows everything there is to know about any kind of plant, bush, or tree. I’m sad to say that her green thumbness (is that even a word?) did not pass on to me. I can kill just about any plant there is.
If you are like me and have no green thumb, there might just be some hope for us! Today I’m going to discuss 5 indoor plants that are hard to kill. These plants are very easy to take care of and will even surprise you and survive some neglect.
5 Indoor Plants That Are Hard to Kill
1. Aloe
We had an aloe plant when I was growing up (my mom still has one). That plant was the best thing in our house. Whenever we’d get a minor burn, we would just break off a piece of the aloe leaf, squeeze it a little until the juice came up to the top and then rub the gel right onto our burn. Immediate relief! Did you know that you can also take that leaf and seal it up in a plastic bag and store it in the refrigerator for a few days? Cold aloe gel feels even better on burns.
Aloe plants are members of the succulent family. They only need to be in a room with bright light, such as a kitchen near the window (where my mom keeps hers). Just remember to water them every two weeks or so.
2. Spider Plants
Spider Plants have long stems that have “babies” and flowers at the end, which go out all over the place! They just keep going and going, so you have to remove some of the “babies”. These plants only need to be watered when they’re almost dry, usually every 10-15 days. While they prefer bright light, lower light conditions also work well.
Another huge benefit to Spider Plants is that they clean the air around us. They actually take in the toxins that we don’t want to breathe in, essentially making them air purifiers. How cool is that?
3. English Ivy
I personally think this is one of the prettiest of the ivy plants. I love those older brick houses that have ivy creeping up the sides. They remind me of houses in fairy tales! English Ivy can also be grown indoors and looks beautiful on a windowsill or a shelf by a window. Or perhaps an indoor ivy wall!
English Ivy needs bright indirect light and moist soil. It needs to be watered when the soil is dry to the touch. Just like the Spider Plant, English Ivy is also an air-filtering plant. However, this plant is poisonous to cats and dogs. So if you have pets this might not be the plant for you.
4. Begonias
Begonias are a very popular houseplant, mainly because of their large, beautiful blooms and and striking foliage. They should be placed somewhere where they will get bright, indirect sunlight and plenty of humidity. If they air in your house is dry, like mine gets in the winter, put your plant in a terrarium. A shallow tray filled with water and pebbles makes a gorgeous terrarium.
Begonias don’t like heavy watering, so the soil should be a bit dry before the next watering. Be careful! Begonias don’t like getting their leaves and stems wet. They are a bit of a diva.
5. Philodendron
The most popular Philodendron houseplant is the Heart-Leaf Philodendron. It is super easy to grow and care for and adapts well to almost any indoor setting. They will survive in low-light conditions, but will produce more leaves and grow faster in medium or bright, indirect light. Because of their tolerance to low-light they can easily survive on bookshelves or draping over a fireplace mantel.
Philodendrons should have moist, but not soggy soil, so good drainage is crucial. When the top inch of the soil becomes dry to the touch, it’s time for some more water.
Where to Buy Indoor Plants
Lowe’s and Walmart are my go-to places for indoor plants. Their plants are inexpensive and you can find indoor plants on clearance a lot. These plants look neglected, but with a little love and care you can easily nurse them back to health. I love going to a nursery to look at all the beautiful plants they have, but sometimes they can be pricey and I don’t want to spend that much money on something I might kill.
I personally love having plants indoors. It’s like bringing the outside in! And it’s so helpful that there are plants out there that are hard to kill. I need all the help I can get when it comes to plants!
Do you have any indoor plants? What is your favorite plant to have inside?
For more on indoor plants, check out houseplantsecrets.com.
Of course there’s always the easy way to have beautiful flowers in your home with ProFlowers! No need for planting or research or shopping. They come right to you!
Looking for more great posts on gardening? Check these out:
All About Window Box Gardening
Vertical Gardening
Pro Tips for Potted Plants
Planting & Growing Herbs
I’ve thought about some herbs, like mint and maybe lavender. Useful and smells good!
That’s a great idea! I love the smell of those and rosemary, too.
Mint is apparently indestructible… I planted some in a pot and sat it off the porch 2 years ago. After winter I thought I’d be buying another come spring. It started sprouting leaves and returned!
From my understanding, mint is kind of like a weed so I think that explains it’s hardiness.
Some plants can definitely surprise you! I’ve had some I hated so I threw them into the woods and they kept on growing!!
Sounds like my yuccas! I accidentally ran over one one night. Thought I killed it so I pulled it up and threw it in the ditch. We went through winter and spring comes along and I looked in the ditch one day and it was living and growing! So I pulled it up and replanted it. It looked like it was going to die for a while. But perked up and is growing in its spot again ??
Haha! That’s awesome!!
I love indoor plants…but only have limited room for them! 🙂 I do want to get a spider plant at some point. My dad had one when we were growing up and I always liked the look of them.
My mom had a spider plant for years! She tore off some babies for me and I actually managed to keep it alive for a little while. 🙂 They are very pretty.
Cool! When my father in law visited over spring break, he bought both our kids a plant. My son got an aloe plant and my daughter got an Orchid. They love taking care of them. It’s nice having plants in the house. 🙂 God bless!
That’s such a neat idea! It’s teaching them responsibility even though they may not realize it. 🙂
I love having plants indoors, especially with our long winters it’s nice to have some green to look at! But it can be tough to find plants that are okay for cats. My cat, Muffin, always liked eating the spider plant which I had read was okay. But she developed itchy sores and arthritis like symptoms and I had her on some expensive medication. Then I read that spider plants can do that to some cats, so I moved it to where she can’t get at it and gave her some oat grass to eat. Her problems cleared up and she no longer needs that medication and she is doing great now. I like African violets too since they will bloom all winter which is nice, plus my aloe plants. Great post!
Oh no! I’m glad she’s ok. That’s the hardest part about indoor plants and cats. Sometimes you never know how they might react to the plant, even if it says they are okay for pets. I love African violets, too. They are so pretty! Thank you for sharing! 🙂
My pleasure! Yes, every cat is different that way, I had 2 cats before Muffin and they had no problem with spider plants. I always enjoy your posts! Have a great day!?
I have raised all of these at one time or another. You’re right–if they survived my golden thumb, they are hearty!
I’m with you – I need plants that survive some neglect! 🙂 Thank you for reading!
Thanks for the ideas!
You’re very welcome!
🙂 My indoor plants are a little too hearty at the moment. Soon, they’ll be back out on the porch and we will be able to move around the kitchen with ease. The biggest problem was the palm tree I found in the alley. It looked so sad. It’s now huge. 🙂
What a find! I bet the palm tree is pretty! 🙂 I’m sure it’s glad you rescued it.
I love indoor plants, they can really make the house prettier! Despite I really like them, I don’t have many as I’m terrible at watering them, but definitely, I’ll keep in mind this list next time I go plant shopping 🙂 Thanks for sharing, Michelle!
Isa
I agree! They do make the house prettier. Maybe some from this list would be good for you, since you don’t have to water them very often. 🙂 Thank you for reading!
P.S. At the moment I only have a little purple orchid but would love an aloe plant too 🙂
Orchids are so pretty! I do love aloe plants. 🙂
I’ve killed pretty much all of these. At least once. Maybe twice.
Oh no! At least I’m not alone when it comes to killing plants. ?
I have killed most house plants but my aloe plants are about 15 years old. Useful and incredibly hardy. And still thriving.
Oh wow! That’s great that you’ve had it so long! ?
Philodendrons grow well. Thanks for sharing Michelle.
Yes, hopefully they’re one I can actually keep alive. ?
They are pretty tough houseplants. There is one in my home that has been around for years.
Except for the Aloe plant, I’ve had all of these at some point or another and killed all of them 🙁 I’ve been thinking of getting Lavander to keep in my kitchen.
Lavender smells amazing!! And you can use it for so many different things. ?
Yes, I need to read up on how to take care of it, thank you for this post you’ve inspired me to get lavander. <3
Love a bit of greenery in a house! Although I admit that most of our indoor plants are indeed fake. I loveee ivy as well! There’s something just so charming about it, isn’t there? I’ve never had an aloe plant, but a good friend of mine likes to buy aloe leaves and uses them for all sorts of purposes. I’m so intrigued by that!
I agree! I love ivy!! I have a few fake plants as well. It’s so much easier. ?
This post is absolutely perfect for an unintentional plant killer like myself ? I would love to have Aloe!
Thank you! ? I’m trying very hard to actually keep my plants alive for once. ?
This is a great selection of indoor plants, Michelle! I have had an ivy for several years now and after reading your article I think I also want to add begonias.
Thank you! Begonias are so pretty! ?
We always had aloe and spider plants growing up too! Unfortunately I’ve killed aloe. However those spider plants are near impossible to kill and root easily in a glass of water in a sunny window.
My mom finally had to get rid of her spider plant because it was taking over! ? But they are really pretty the way they hang down.
This is so helpful. As now I know what plants I can start off with. Thank you so much x
Thank you! I’m glad you found it helpful! 🙂
Ohhhh!!! So pretty! I’m not good with plants. I either kill them or they get bugs in the soil. Ewww! I only have one bamboo inside right now. I gave up. ?
I love bamboo! I think it’s so pretty. 🙂
Very informative post. Thank you! I’ve always seen Spider plants everywhere. These type of plants Are amazing. I never knew their names till now. Not only are they great as indoor plants I think they will thrive quite well in country where I live at… which is warm and sunny all year round.?
Thank you! I think spider plants would thrive well there, too, especially in a sunny window. I think they are so pretty the way they hang down.
Yesss coz their long leaves look so pretty when they are allowed to let loose. My grandmother used to actually grow a lot of them before that’s why I became quite familiar with these beautiful plants. ?
You must have written this just for me Michelle, I have a black thumb! Your aloe plant story reminded me of my mother, she used to have one too for the same reason! I do choose begonias for the patio every year, they are so low maintenance for outdoor gardening. I’ve got to get some planting done this week!
Jenna
I’m glad I could help! 🙂 I think begonias are so pretty! And I do love a low maintenance plant, otherwise it will not survive in my house. Happy planting!
It’s so funny that aloe is the first one on your list. 🙂 We both have a black thumb…every plant dies when it is in our care. But somehow we have managed to keep our aloe alive for the past 9 months!
I’m glad I’m not alone! 😀 I think aloe is the hardest plant to kill! Which is a good thing for me. 🙂 Thank you for reading!
I love this post. I have never been any good at keeping plants alive. I have been wanting to get some but was undecided on what to get. Now I have a few ideas. Just have to find out if any of them are cat friendly. I have a cat that will eat anything. It’s funny when I was a kid I was terrified of spider plants because I always thought that’s where spiders came from and I have severe arachnaphobia! I would never go near them!
Thank you! I’m glad I could help! That’s too funny!! I can see how that would get confusing to a kid! 🙂 Thank you for sharing that!
We need all the help we can get when it comes to keeping plants alive!
Same here! ?
That´s exactly what I needed! I travel so much that these are the only plants I could possibly have lol I had no idea about the Begonias though, the blooms look gorgeous + easy to care! Will get some for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Have a nice week!
Anna
http://atlifestylecrossroads.com
I’m glad I could help! Begonias are probably my favorite out of this list. ?
Michelle, I feel like you wrote this post for me! I am such a black thumb with the indoor plants…I can do vegetables but I can’t help but kill things once I start caring for them inside 🙂
I’m glad I’m not alone! I have no idea why I find it so hard to keep an inside plant alive! 😀
As much as I love outdoor gardening Michelle, I’ve given up on indoor gardening. I use to have a lot of indoor plants, and after replacing them year after year—because they died, and I now only stick to outdoor gardening. I wish I had the green thumb like my mom did, as she was pretty good at it. Very nice and informative post. You make me feel like starting up again.
Thank you! I seem to have much better luck with outdoor plants than indoor ones. I have no idea why!! 🙂
I know…most people seem to be better with outdoor plants. I think it’s the winter months and the dryness and fluctuating temps that create the problem?? Not sure though.
Great post Michelle. I am having such difficulty growing plants in my new house except Philodendron. I think, like you mentioned, the air is dry. I love begonias and we always plant them in the garden. I have never really thought of having them inside. I will have to try that with the terrarium.
Thank you! A lot of plants are really hard to grow indoors. I have better luck with plants outside. 🙂
Thank you for the suggestions!
You’re welcome! Thank you for reading!
My pleasure ?
My pleasure
No green thumb so I needed this blog! 🙂 I’ll be taking it with me to the flower shop!
Thank you! I’m glad I could help! ?
I would go as far to saw that spider plants are a bit too hardy and prolific. We started with one and now we have a dozen. We can no longer give them away to friends because they all have several from us. We have a Philodendron in our house that is almost 60 years old. We got it from my husbands grandmother and it’s still going strong. I’m pretty sure that darn plant will outlive us too.
I can agree with you about the spider plants. My mom’s plant kept growing and she finally got tired of cutting so she ended up giving the whole thing away. That’s awesome that your Philodendron is so old! 😀
Believe me; They can be killed 😀
Haha!!! 😀 You always manage to make me laugh!
You certainly picked out some really hard to kill plants. I have a snake plant in one of the bathrooms that gets no natural light, no window. It is growing great!?❤️️
Wow! That’s amazing!! ?
☺️❤️️
☺️❤️️ Snake plants grow great in dark rooms too!
This is a post I definitely needed to read as I do not have a green thumb! Now just think, if I had an aloe plant I could have been making my own hand sanitizer during this COVID-19 since you can’t find aloe in the stores right now! Thanks so much for linking up with me at #AThemedLinkup 16 for Gardening, open April 30 to May 10. All entries shared if social media buttons are installed.
That’s true! I need to get an aloe plant for myself, too. Thank you so much for reading!
CONGRATS! Your post is FEATURED at #AThemedLinkup 17 for Chocolate Desserts from my previous linkup for Gardening, open May 15 to 25. All entries shared if social media buttons are installed.
Yay! Thank you so much!!
LOVE your plant list, Michelle! ♥ Spider plants are one of my husband’s favorites. We’ve got one hanging in a basket by the sunroom window. It’s at least 20 years old. Their babies to me are unique, don’t you think?
The begonias are beautiful! Their colors are stunning.
Phalaenopsis orchids are my favorite houseplant (usually!) They can be tricky but once you understand their needs, they’re easy! Your mom sounds like she is a wealth of information when it comes to plants. The two of you can c’mon over and we’ll have us a good ol’ time! 😀
Sending lots of love to you and your family!
Thank you so much! My mom used to have a spider plant hanging by the window in the living room. I loved the little babies that would hang off of it! I thought they looked like miniature plants. 😀
I love phalaenopsis orchids, too! They’re beautiful!
We would definitely have a great time together! 😀
Hugs and love right back!!