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When moving into your first apartment, house plants are an ESSENTIAL.

Especially if you are moving into a small apartment, they can add the perfect subtle touch. Plants are the perfect way to add life and color to a room but can be hard to care for if they are high maintenance.

Keep reading to find out what plants you need for your apartment that are low maintenance and impossible to kill!

Tips to minimize maintenance and ensure your plants stay healthy:


Water Wisely: Overwatering is SO common. Make sure you understand the specific water needs of your plants and allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Using a moisture meter has been an absolute lifesaver for me to keep my plants alive! Especially if you have no clue how much water they need.

Position Plants Strategically: Place your plants in spots where they’ll receive the right amount of light for their needs. Some plants thrive in low light, while others need bright, indirect sunlight.

Clean Plant Leaves: Dust and dirt can accumulate on plant leaves, blocking light and hindering the plants’ ability to grow. Gently wipe leaves with a damp cloth or give them a shower with lukewarm water to keep them clean and vibrant.

Rotate Plants Regularly: Turn your plants every few weeks to ensure even growth and prevent them from leaning toward the light source. This helps maintain a balanced, healthy shape and ensures all parts of the plant receive adequate light.

Monitor Temperature Fluctuations: This tip is such a small yet important factor in plant health. Keep your plants away from drafts, heaters, and air conditioners. You may not realize the hot or cold air from the air conditioner that is constantly blowing on your plant, negatively affecting it!

When looking for indoor plants for my own apartment, I wanted to find ones that were cute and easy, but most importantly I wanted ones that would be forgiving if I forgot to water on time. So, I did some research and was given some great recommendations. 

Read each of the descriptions in the list to make sure you are placing your plants in the right places to help them stay healthy.

I strategically picked low maintenance plants, and I’ve now had these plants decorating my apartment for the last 3 years, keeping them not only alive, but healthy.

This post is a list of the 9 best low maintenance indoor plants that are great for apartment living!

1. Snake plant

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Snake plants are one of the most durable plants to own. If you are a new plant owner looking for the easiest plant possible to own, this is your best choice! They are built for a very dry environment, so you rarely have to water them. Only when you stick your hand down into the soil and it is completely dry should you give them some water- usually about two to three weeks! If your snake plant leaves start turning yellow, that’s a sign that you might actually be overwatering them! They do best in indirect sunlight – direct sun can actually damage the leaves. This plant can eventually grow up to 5 feet if well maintained, making it a great statement plant for a room!

2. Cactus

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Similar to snake plants, these plants thrive in drought, so they require very little water. This is another great plant if you know you are not going to be the best at staying on a watering regimen. These plants love bright, direct sunlight, so pick a spot in your apartment that will have the most sun! Saguaro Cactus’s are my favorite since they remind me of a classic dessert cactus. Water them no more than twice a month, and only if when the soil feels completely dry, just like the snake plant, it loves a dry environment! 

3. Philodendron 

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

All plants in the philodendron category are easy to care for. They should be put in a room with brighter indirect light. This basically means a living room with a few windows around will be perfect. Water when the top few inches of the plant are dry – about once a week! Philodendrons can be vining or non-vining. The picture above is a Brazil philodendron, which is a vining plant, so it has a fun messy look that pours down over the pot. These plants are also unique for the varying colors of green in their leaves!

4. Fiddleleaf Fig

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Fiddle leaf figs are one of the best indoor plants to make a statement in a room. Their tree like leaves make them a great option if you are looking for a plant that can fill up a space. These plants can grow up to 6 feet tall if you know how to really care for them! Placing them in a room next to a window that gets morning sun would be best- they light partial shade most of the day. These plants like a moderate amount of moisture in the soil, so make sure the soil stays consistently moist but not waterlogged. When the top inch feels dry, they need to be watered again. Roughly this will be about once a week!

5. Pothos

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Pothos are another indoor plant that are great for beginners and are not only easy to care for, but forgiving. This is another plant I have had for the last 3 years in my apartment and has done a great job of staying alive even with my inconsistent watering! This marble queen pothos is one of the most tolerable plants, and speckled leaves can eventually grow and vine down over the pot giving it a fun look! This plant should also be watered when the soil feels completely dry. This means a little more often than a snake plant, but not as often as a fig!

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Pothos can be extremely fast growing, gaining up to 12 inches of length every year. Check out this one pothos plant that now can cover an entire mantel place!

5. ZZ plant 

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Similar to the snake plant, a ZZ plant likes a dry environment, and can even go months without water, making it another great, low maintenance plant. Make sure the soil is dried out before watering again, usually around three weeks to a month! Set this plant somewhere that it will get plenty on indirect light.

6. Money Tree

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

The braided trucks of these trees make them one of my favorite plants. They do like to be watered often, at least once a week, so if you are looking for a plant that can be a bit overwatered if you tend to overwater your plants, this is a great option. Once the very top feels dry, they can be watered again. Place this plant in an area with bright indirect light.

7. Fern 

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

Ferns don’t need much sunlight; they can survive in both the shade and indirect light. They love a humid environment, so in addition to watering them when the topsoil feels dry, keep a spray bottle around and spray the leaves every few days. You might see them mostly in bathrooms or kitchens where there is not much natural light.

8. Monstera

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

There are several different types of monstera plants, and similar to ferns they like a more humid environment. This indoor plant has a big heart shaped split leaf and are sometimes referred to as a Swiss cheese plant. With big leaves and full shape make them a nice statement plant in a room! Water them when the topsoil feels dry, and place somewhere where they will get indirect light.

9. Sanseveria Starfish

low maintenance house plants that are great for beginners!

This plant is a type of succulent with leaves that fan out resembling a star. It grows well indoors with little care, needing seldom watering and indirect light. Water this plant only when the soil is completely dry, similar to a snake plant. The unique look of this plant makes it another fun houseplant that will liven up any room.

This list of indoor plants are all great options for beginners.

If you are looking for new decor to brighten up your space, a houseplant is a great option. They are easy to care for and are the perfect way to lighten up any room. If you are looking for a hard to kill plant that will last, any one of these plants are perfect!

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