8 Best Houseplants That Are Hard to Kill

Do you love plants just like I do? Well then, this post is for you! Here’s a list of my top 8 houseplants that are difficult to kill.

I love plants; however, sadly I am only a mediocre plant parent. Only the strong survive in this house. Think “Eye of the Tiger” from the movie Rocky. 😉

Inconsistent watering, sporadic repotting, occasional fertilization, and intermittent moving from one window to another. These are all things that plants need to put up with in my home to be survivors.

Well, I’m happy to report that these guys have been put through the test and have come out on top. Read on for the list of my top almost impossible-to-kill houseplant favorites!

Pothos Houseplant

Starting out the list with one of the toughest of the tough. Otherwise known as Devil’s Ivy, the Pothos plant comes in a variety of different colors including, but not limited to… golden, marble queen, neon, and Manjula.

This indestructible plant looks really pretty on a shelf with the leaves trailing down. I have mine in a little nook off the bedroom that gets a low level of light. Doesn’t matter to this guy! He is not only growing but thriving!

This plant prefers indirect light and also, it’s a good idea to allow the top inch or two of soil to dry out between waterings. This prevents root rot.

If you might be looking for a few cool ways to age terra cotta pots and give them some texture like in the above picture…then look no further!

Rubber Tree Plant

Tough and beautiful with large purplish-green leaves, the rubber tree plant is one of my all-time favs.

In an outdoor environment in certain areas this beautiful plant can grow to 50-100 feet tall and its winter hardy in zones 10-12.

As most of the other plants it prefers quick draining soil and bright indirect light. I have mine near an east facing patio door where it does get a good deal of indirect light and is flourishing.

I’ve read that this plant likes to be watered frequently, however, mine is very forgiving about being watered. It gets watered at much the same frequency as my succulents. When the first inch or two of soil is dry, that’s when I water it!

Peperomia Plant

This little gem of a plant I found at my local greenhouse. It comes in different leaf colors, but the one I bought is a light silvery-green color. I just love silvery plants!

Slow growing and low maintenance, this plant can be planted in a pot that just fits its root ball. I planted mine in a tall, thin-ish pot that has killed many plants that have come before it, and the little peperomia is thriving in there!

This sweet little plant likes bright, indirect light and well-drained soil. Peperomia may need to be re-potted infrequently – like every 2-3 years. Dry the soil to touch between waterings!

Jade Plant

Jade plants have been a longtime friend of mine! I remember owning one of these back in college.

They can grow to 3-6 inches in height. And these adorable plants make great housewarming gifts because they are supposed to symbolize good luck.

They enjoy bright indirect light and well-drained soil, and they do not like to sit in water. So, their ‘water catching dish’ should be emptied after watering.

Mine has never done this but these houseplants can produce white flowers in late winter.

My jade is sitting near a south-facing window and it also gets some east facing light from a patio door.

Very easy to care for and pretty rounded leaves! This guy is a winner!

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Of course, I had to include the ever-popular fiddle leaf fig! Or fiddley-fig as my kids like to call it. This guy can grow up to 10 feet tall and is such a beautiful plant I can understand its popularity!

I bought mine as a little one for twelve bucks at our local greenhouse, and the plant has actually been really easy to care for!

Mine sits by a south-facing window so it gets plenty of light. I water it about every 7-10 days. It’s good to water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry so be careful not to overwater this fella!

I do rotate the plant once a week to make sure all the leaves are getting a pretty equal amount of light. If the leaves get dusty, I wipe them off with a soft cloth.

Now that my fiddle has grown bigger, I have been trying to gently shake it a few times a week for about 2 minutes at a time. This helps to strengthen the trunk as the plant can be a little top heavy.

Aloe Plant

Not actually a cactus but a succulent and a member of the Asphodelaceae (say that three times fast) family, this plant has been a love of mine for a long time. I remember my mom snapping a leaf off to help with burns when I was a kid.

This guy can grow up to 3 feet tall but is generally 1-2 feet tall. It likes
bright light (but if you notice leaf browning move your plant to a more indirect light area).

The Aloe plant prefers well-draining soil (let’s face it they all do)! And allow the soil to dry out between waterings.

This houseplant produces ‘pups’ that propagate easily – you can see some growing on mine!

Snake Plant

Another totally classic plant is the snake plant! Very easy to grow and maintain! I have read that this plant cleans the air of toxins well too. You can see why the snake plant is a favorite just about everywhere!

This houseplant can tolerate very bright areas, as well as dark corners so it’s a very versatile plant! These plants are also slow growers and it’s good to let the plant dry out between waterings.

I have a couple of different varieties of this guy in my home!

And if you’re looking for a DIY rope-wrapped planter like the one in the pic above, then I have just the post for you!

Lacy Tree or Split Leaf Philodendron

Ah yes, and last but certainly not least, this big guy! I got mine from a local grocery store for 13 bucks, originally thinking it looked like a Monstera. However, the Monstera is not actually a philodendron like this fella.

These guys like a deep pot and they need a big space because they can grow wide! They also like bright indirect light and well-drained soil (all of them seem to!) I have mine by a north facing window and this houseplant is doing very well there!

You can set it outside in the summer on your patio and it makes quite a statement! I basically water mine when the top 2 inches of soil get dry. Water more often during spring and summer, and less often during wintertime.

Also, one more trick I learned with this plant…if there are some leaves that are too long and gangly, I just snap them off about a foot from the base. Then in a day or two the rest of the leaf stem will die off and you can easily pull it from the central trunk!

Easy peasy to take care of!

Bonus – Monstera Adansonii or Swiss Cheese Vine

This is my bonus plant on the list because I haven’t had him long enough to determine his toughness! He appears to be growing well with little care right now.

Again, as with the above Philodendron, I thought this was a baby Monstera Deliciosa (the big plant with holey leaves seen all over Instagram). Fooled again!

After researching, I found that this plant is a Monstera Adansonii instead and he will vine down as he grows (unlike his larger Monstera relative). So, this houseplant would look great in a hanging basket.

I’ve read that he likes high humidity, and he hasn’t weathered the dry winter months in my home yet! Hence why this guy is a bonus plant on my list.

I water when the top inch of soil is dry, and he sits by my patio door which is east facing. And of course, enjoys bright indirect light!

Overall, even though this houseplant is not the insta-famous Monstera Deliciosa (still need to get one of those!) I think he is a pretty cool-looking houseplant in his own right!

Concluding Thoughts on Nearly Impossible to Kill Houseplants

The majority of this post comes from my experience owning these hard-to-kill houseplants, but I did read about a few of the light and watering requirements on thespruce.com.

So, which one is your favorite from this list? These houseplants will withstand even the most neglectful plant parent! And they are beautiful too!

Let me know in the comments if you’d recommend any other hardy houseplants for plant parents like me!

As always, happy house planting!

Which one of these hard-to-kill houseplants would you like to add to your home? Hardy house plants are some of my favorite home decor items, and bonus they help to clean the air too!

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