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The 7 best apartment-friendly plants that are super easy to keep alive, according to an expert
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Indoor plants add a homey and airy feel to any living space. In most instances, if you have an empty corner or high, bare walls and ceilings, the right indoor plant will instantly fill that void, leaving your home looking like a page out of an interior design magazine.
Most folks tend to shy away from purchasing plants for their homes out of fear of eventually killing them. Even with the genius inventions of moisture meters and grow lights, owning an indoor plant is still an intimidating task for some. If you share this sentiment but still want to add some greenery to your space, investing in the best low-maintenance indoor plants is your best bet.
Also, you no longer have to visit a brick-and-mortar store to purchase your plants. Now, with trusted direct-to-consumer brand Bloomscape, you're able to order the plant you like online and have it shipped directly to you.
In fact, I recently received a tall Sansevieria (Snake Plant) from Bloomscape, and it came extremely well-packaged. All I had to do was take it out of the box and place it in my preferred spot in my apartment. It's that easy!
Bloomscape has some of the best and most stunning low-maintenance plants you'll find anywhere. Also, if you live in an apartment with limited natural light, these are perfect since they thrive in high and low-light conditions.
We've separated each plant into a defining category to ensure that you choose the right one for your needs and lifestyle:
Best Overall: Sansevieria (Snake Plant)
Best For Beginners: ZZ Plant
Fastest-Growing: Philodendron Heartleaf
Best Succulent: Hedgehog Aloe
Most Adaptable To Low Light: Parlor Palm
Best For Travelers/Careless Plant Owners: Ponytail Palm
Best Bundle: Bloomscape Tough Stuff Collection (Sansevieria, ZZ Plant and Hoya)
To ensure that you choose the right low-maintenance plant for your place, we've received some plant recommendations and tips on how to care for them from Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn.
Take a look at our seven top selections below.
1. Best Overall: Sansevieria (Snake Plant), $149
$149 at Bloomscape$60 at Greendigs
The Sansevieria — more commonly known as the snake plant and mother-in-law's tongue — is one of the most common and widely purchased no-fuss indoor plants you can buy. Since it's native to the arid deserts of West Africa, it doesn't require much water, especially during the winter months.
Its stiff, architectural and swordlike leaves make it the perfect choice for those who don't like the look of foliage and more traditional leafy plants. If you're new to plant ownership or just looking for an easily maintained indoor plant, the Sansevieria is the absolute best choice.
Also, here's a tip — If you want to give your Sansevieria plant a bit more height in your home, order Bloomscape's Wooden Plant Stool or Plant Stand.
Care instructions:
Place this plant in low to bright indirect sunlight.*
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"The Sansevieria, also known as the snake plant, features stiff, sword-like leaves and is highly adaptable to various environments. This hardy plant can survive in a wide range of growing conditions, but will do best in indirect sunlight with very infrequent waterings."
2. Best For Beginners: ZZ Plant, $69
This medium-sized ZZ Plant is perfect for those who don't have a lot of space or just need something for a tabletop, coffee table, end table or bookshelf.
According to Bloomscape, this completely no-fuss, carefree plant is "nearly indestructible." In fact, the brand describes it as "ideal for beginner plant owners and those who don't have the time for an extensive plant care routine."
The ZZ Plant is adaptable to many indoor environments, thriving in low light and with less frequent waterings. Basically, if you're extremely forgetful or need a plant that you don't need to babysit, this is your best choice.
Care instructions:
Place this plant in low to bright indirect sunlight.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"The hardy ZZ plant is a hands-off plant that is perfect for the most forgetful plant owners. Water the ZZ plant only when the soil is dry about every three-four weeks depending on your indoor climate. Bright yellow leaves indicate you’re watering too often, but don’t lose hope! Allow the soil to dry out and wait — ZZ plants store water in their potato-like roots and typically re-sprout after a month or two of rest."
3. Fastest-Growing: Philodendron Heartleaf, $39
This small plant is perfect if you have a tiny apartment and just need to add a bit of greenery to your space. This plant is small, but it is extremely fast-growing and easy to take care of. Its glossy, heart-shaped leaves trail gracefully on long stems along your wall or a bookshelf. If you prefer that "spilling out" look, place it on a plant hanger from your ceiling.
Careless plant owners love this plant because it's incredibly forgiving and survives even when neglected. From low light exposure to poor soil and inconsistent watering, this beautiful easy-going plant survives it all.
Care instructions:
Place this plant in low to bright indirect sunlight settings and water it about once a week or whenever the first couple of inches of the soil feels dry.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"This fast-growing, vining plant features graceful, heart-shaped leaves. Another forgiving plant, these philodendron plants can tolerate all kinds of neglect including low light, poor soil, and inconsistent watering. They are great air-purifying plants to add some natural beauty without a lot of maintenance."
4. Best Succulent: Hedgehog Aloe, $39
Succulents are among the easiest plants to take care of, and this is one of our favorites. The Hedgehog Aloe is a very forgiving succulent that's perfect for first-time plant owners. Its gorgeous blue-green leaves produce unique spikes or coral-red flowers in the spring and late summer, giving you something to look forward to each year.
As with most succulents, this plant needs very little water to flourish. Once it's placed in a space with exposure to bright light, it does its thing on its own with little help from you
Care instructions:
Place this plant in bright indirect to direct sunlight and water it very little Just make sure it's in a bright, sunny spot in your apartment and it will flourish on its own.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"Hedgehog Aloe is a forgiving succulent, making it the perfect option for a hectic household or newbie plant owners. The Hedgehog Aloe needs very little water and will thrive in a bright, sunny spot. It can also be used to soothe burns and skin irritations just like a regular aloe plant."
5. Most Adaptable To Low-Light: Parlor Palm, $69
If you're looking for a slow-growing plant that always looks full but won't take up much space, the Parlor Palm is the one to buy. This compact plant thrives in tons of different light situations and particularly loves tight spaces.
It, however, loves sitting in bright areas but easily (and quickly) adapts to low light extremely well. This plant also requires little care and is an excellent natural air purifier, making it perfect for living rooms and bedrooms.
Care instructions:
Place this plant in low to bright indirect sunlight and water it about once a week or whenever the first couple of inches of the soil feels dry.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"The Parlor Palm is a slow-growing, compact palm that will thrive in a variety of light situations and tight spaces. It requires very little care and is a no-fuss plant. The Parlor Palm will do best in bright, filtered light, but will readily adapt to lower light in offices that have less than ideal conditions, as well."
6. Best For Travelers/Careless Plant Owners: Ponytail Palm, $79
If you often forget to water your plants, the chic Ponytail Palm will quickly become your favorite houseplant. It's drought tolerant, slow-growing and requires very little care.
This plant's also perfect for those who often travel or don't have much free time on their hands. If you water this plant once every few weeks, it will be fine once it's in a well-lit area for it to soak up tons of sunlight.
Care instructions:
Place this plant in low to bright indirect to direct sunlight and water it once every couple of weeks or whenever the first couple of inches of the soil feels dry.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"This whimsical plant (ideal for people who have little time or travel quite often) requires very little care as it's drought-tolerant and slow-growing. It only needs watering every couple of weeks in the spring and summer (its bulb-like trunk stores water), sparingly in the winter months, and can be left alone to soak up the sunlight. This plant thrives in dry conditions, so the drier the air, the better for your plant!"
7. Best Bundle: Bloomscape Tough Stuff Collection (Sansevieria, ZZ Plant and Hoya), $79 (Orig. $105)
If you prefer shopping in bundles instead of singularly, these final two options are going to be right up your alley. Bloomscape's Tough Stuff Collection includes some shopper favorites: Sansevieria, ZZ Plant and Hoya, all of which thrive in low-light conditions and require very little work to maintain.
Each plant is categorized as "extra small" and ranges between 5 and 12 inches tall.
Whether you're starting your plant family or adding to it, these easy plants are perfect for arguably any condition. Each of these handpicked plants will adapt to nearly any available light and are extremely forgiving. Best of all, since they're so small, you get to watch them grow over time.
Care instructions:
All three plants are no-fuss and carefree and thrive in low to bright indirect sunlight.
Bloomscape's plant expert, Lindsay Pangborn's tips:
"This curated collection of plants (trio of the Sansevieria, ZZ Plant and Hoya) are perfect for newbie plant parents that need resilient plants. The trio comes in 4-inch pots that are perfect to group on a desk, nightstand table, or window sill. These plants thrive in less-than-ideal conditions and can adapt to nearly all light levels, while requiring very little water."
*Indirect sunlight means a barrier between the sun's rays and the plant. So, imagine a window or blinds as the barrier between the sun and your plant, in this case.
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