5 House Plants to Try if You Tend to Kill Plants and Have Low Light

Do you want to be a plant mom but so far nothing has survived? Whether where you live has low light, very few windows or you just can’t seem to remember to water them, I’ve got you covered!

I’ve tried multiple times to be a plant mom of different plants and always felt like a failure.
I always had a spider plant because my mom had one that ALWAYS had babies. So she was happy to part with a new little one for any of my siblings or family to try again.

But I think I’ve found it!

It’s been over 2 years, even longer for others, and these are the 5 plants I’ve found the most success with! Some even so that I’ve been able to propagate and give as gifts! So if you’re looking for fun and creative gift ideas, this can also help you there as almost all of these can be propagated.

Let’s dive in!

These are low maintenance plant options, YES!

In case I need to better clarify this, I can’t do high maintenance right now. I can barely take care of myself, so I definitely wouldn’t be able to keep a very specific plant alive.

And just to prove it, we live in a small starter home my partner purchased like 8 years ago. The only southern facing window is in his office and the backdoor. Our nice big window in the front of the house is facing north.
The other windows in the house get maybe 2 hours of GOOD sunlight, and that’s a big of a stretch too.

So all of my plants have survived without ANY direct sunlight.

I also water them super inconsistently. It can range from 1-2 weeks, sometimes even 3 if I forget when I did it last.
I know they’re mad at me and just doing their best, but here I am!

Also, as I go over the 5 house plants, know I am NOT giving specifics or advice as a professional. This is coming from someone who’s had success over the last few years.
And by success, these are the plants that have survived and thrived with me.

So I have high hopes for you!

Spider Plant

Starting strong with the tried and true, the one where you start with the plant and all your friends and family get the babies! Unless you decide to kill them.

This is such an easy one to grow and keep. I actually have my aunts giant one my mom gave her years ago. I thought I would “have” to throw it away (I was honestly just getting tired of where to put it because it’s SO big) but it’s still kicking and somehow looks even better!?
And the one I put in a coffee cup is now needing to be put into a bigger pot as well. And I’ve moved that one all over the house.

They’re pretty flexible, and I know one I had years ago but lost in one of my many moves, survived being water maybe once a month.
Of course, don’t do that! Try and be nice watering it weekly or biweekly. But all that to say, they’re pretty hardy!

Snake Plant

I’ll be honest with you, I’m debating if my snake plant is actually fake and Walmart lied to me. I don’t know how this thing is alive!

I’ve forgotten about it so many times and only water it monthly, and the pot it’s in is supposed to hold “extra” water so you have to water it less. That’s a lie! It was just peeing on my carpet for who know how long!

So either it’s the strongest plant I’ve ever had and is totally comfortable staying the exact height it is, or it’s plastic and I just haven’t realized it yet.

I got it because it said Snake Plants are supposed to be good for bedrooms and circulating the air. Which duh, any plant is good to be around! But it’s sitting in my kitchen now and doing just fine.

Again, a super low maintenance plant, or fake. You decide!

Pathos Plant

This one was a happy accident! My aunt passed away unexpectedly a few years ago and had so many plants. I was lucky enough to get a few, and one was this giant Pathos Plant.
She loved plants and knew so much about them, however, I don’t know what she did to this one. It was TIED UP on itself! Literally!

I had my mom and sister come over to help me figure this out and some of the longest vines were over 10 feet long! 10 FEET!

Once they were all separated, we propagated 7 jars full of them. Which means I had 7 separate “new plants” of the same plant!

Check out my 6 Simple and Lazy Adult Hobbies to Try to see a picture

And, somehow, they’ve all survived. I just recently gave my sister one of the plants because I’m having to cut even more because it grows so much! Honestly, this will also be a great plant to give as presents too.

But this guy too, I water every 1-2 weeks and it’s so happy! I maybe have to cut and propagate when it gets too long like 1-2 times a year. And they’re totally fine and happy to do it.
Honestly though, I love it SO much! They’re such a cool vine plant that can go almost anywhere and be happy. I would however be aware that they can get a little too happy in one place and start attaching itself to the wall, carpet, curtain, anything it can grab.

Be careful!

Succulant

This one is a bit hit or miss. The succulents I envision in my mind have never liked me. I’ve killed them all.
Which sucks because they’re so cool and SO easy to keep! For some reason though, they hate me.

However, the aloe vera plant my mom randomly showed up with for me is thriving. I have to re-pot it because I think it’s trying to escape at the moment!
And this too, watered at least every other week and it’s doing just fine.

So the only advice I’d give is to just try a few and see what sticks. See if they like a certain room in your house more than another.
Move them around, see if they like some direct sunlight, no sunlight, partial sun, could care less. I literally have no recommendations on what’s best.

My Aloe Vera plant is LITERALLY in the exact same spot all my other Succulents died in. Luckily you can find them for under $5 each, so grab a few and see which survives.

Trader Joe’s Plant

And on that note of cheap plants, here’s the most random and fun suggestion: Trader Joe’s!
I know this is a weird one but hear me out! Trader Joe’s has SO many different little plant options available each season. All under $15, some as low as $5.

Their most expensive flower bouquet is $20 and those WILL eventually die. So why not spend your flower money on a plant instead!?

If you’re new here, I highly recommend buying yourself, if not weekly flowers, monthly flowers because why not. You deserve to feel special and have some color on your counter and around your house.

So instead of buying your flowers, which I will always highly recommend getting your flowers from Trader Joe’s than anywhere else because why is everything so expensive elsewhere, buy a cute little plant.

I’ve bought plants from there that lasted a couple months, and one that’s still going strong and growing after a year. You never know what will want to survive in your home. Plus, they have really cute pots for their plants too!
So if you don’t want to go to a greenhouse or don’t have friends or family with baby plants to try, check out Trader Joe’s if you can.

It’s been a fun way to add new plants to my house that I never would’ve tried or found elsewhere.

And those are the 5 house plants I’d recommend trying! Again, whether you kill all your plants or just have really low light in your house, I’d definitely try these out.
Think of it as a fun hobby! You have minimal work to do, can enjoy some real greenery in your home and maybe find out you like being a plant mom!

And if you want to work on creating a healthy lifestyle all around without numbers, stress or perfection (if you haven’t guessed from this list of plants is my forte), then join me in the Year of Health and Hobbies!
Otherwise good luck in motherhood!