If you’re a first-time plant owner and desire a plant that won’t take up too much of your time, then you’re going to want a plant that is low-maintenance, and hard to kill. Tough plants that can withstand a range of growing conditions and (mostly) like to be left alone do exist. In fact, we’ve compiled some of the toughest, hardiest, and forgiving houseplants around for you below. Start with one of these awesome plants and learn from there. You’ll soon grow to love having them in your home and will want more because of all the wonderful health benefits plants provide.

Best Hardy, Tough-As-Nails Plants

Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)

Pothos is an attractive trailing vine plant with medium-sized leaves that are dark green or yellow and green variegated. They look best on top of a tall bookshelf or in a hanging planter. They are hard to kill and can tolerate nearly any type of growing environment. They can also hand infrequent waterings for those who sometimes forget to water their plants. For your pothos to thrive, place in indirect medium light and water once every one to two weeks.

ZZ Plant

Another plant which is actually a succulent, the ZZ plant has dark green, oval leaves that have a waxy shine and grow in abundance from vertical stems giving the plant a lush look. The ZZ Plant is nearly indestructible and can survive adverse conditions such as low light and drought. They can be placed anywhere in the home and will do just fine but prefer bright to moderate indirect light. Let the solid completely dry out between waterings.

Monstera (Swiss Cheese Plant)

For a plant that has a bit of drama, pick up a Mostera, also known as Swiss Cheese Plant due to the unusual holes in the leaves. Large, glossy green leaves give off a very lush, tropical vibe. This plant is easy to manage and requires very little maintenance. Although, it can growt rather large but it’s easy to prune. Just place in a spot that gets indirect bright light and water once a week during spring and summer. Every other week during the fall and winter is fine.

Spider Plant

One of the more popular house plants, spider plants are festive, full, fun plants that are tough to kill. Their long, thin leaves hang gracefully over their pot which makes them perfect for hanging planters. They can tolerate most lighting conditions and infrequent waterings. When they grow they make quite a few spider “babies” that can be planted in pots and grow to maturity. Just place this plant in a bright spot and keep the soil moist and it will thrive.

Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant)

As its name implies, this is one tough plant. It can withstand neglect, low light, low humidity, and spotty watering. The large, pointed dark green leaves grow directly from the stem underground which gives this plant a very full and lush appearance. A slow-growing plant, it won’t outgrow its location for a while and can live up to 50 years. Best conditions for this plant to thrive are indirect moderate light and waterings once soil has dried out.

Peperomia

A striking little plant that comes with beautiful, ornamental leaves. There are numerous species of this plant that have thick, waxy leaves with solid, variegated, marbled red, green, or purple shades. This is plant that gets noticed. Adaptable to a variety of environments, this little beauty makes a great desk plant and will flourish even under flourescents. Water once soil has become completely dry and place in moderate to low indirect light.