Who is terrified of buying house plants because you always kill them within a matter of weeks?! Well, that was me too! And now we own 18.

I had never been a plant person until the last few years. I thought I couldn’t own them because every time I had one it would wind up dead within days. But what I realized after a few plant gifts I received was that I was just buying the wrong plants. As soon as I got my first two plants that I didn’t kill and they not only survived but thrived, I became a little obsessed.

Did you know that indoor house plants are good for your health?

As NBC stated, “They essentially do the opposite of what we do when we breathe: release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide. This not only freshens up the air but also eliminates harmful toxins. Extensive research by NASA has revealed that houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours. Studies have also proven that indoor plants improve concentration and productivity (by up to 15 percent!), reduce stress levels and boost your mood — making them perfect for not just your home but your workspace, too.”

And in my opinion house plants also make your home feel so much more alive yet, peaceful, warm, and calming. And a pop of green throughout your home doesn’t hurt for some good interior styling either.

So today we wanted to share with you our favorite indoor house plants that we love and use, are low maintenance, are affordable and also make for some great gifts too!

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ZZ Plant

If you are looking for a plant you absolutely cannot kill, this one is it!

We loooove the ZZ plant, hands down one of our favorites and we have a few throughout our home. Not only do they require minimal sunlight but we only water ours maybe once a month and we’ve never had even one dead leaf. They are always looking green, shiny and bright year-round!

Devil’s Ivy

Another goodie and close 1st favorite of ours, Devil’s Ivy, also called the Photos plant. This plant is a tropical vine that has crisp shiny leaves and comes in lots of different colors and has different leafy designs.

Another one that is almost impossible to kill. When I’ve come close because I haven’t watered it in a month and it’s starting to droop, I throw a cup of water in the pot and you can literally almost watch it come right back to life and start perking up in a matter of hours.

One of our favorite ways to use Devil’s Ivy is when we style shelving.

They create the perfect subtle touch of greenery, are very low maintenance so you don’t need to be up and climbing on chairs or your countertops every day to water, and when they start to grow they fall perfectly over any shelf. And when they get too long you can easily just trim them up with a pair of scissors.

Fern

Ferns, another one of our favorites. Although they are low maintenance they do require a bit of upkeep.

My mother-in-law has gotten me into ferns over the last couple of years and taught me all I need to know about these babies. She buys them every summer but then doesn’t want to maintain them indoors (because truth be told, they can be really messy) so instead of tossing them out she gives them to me.

We now have a few throughout our home, and despite the work of cleaning them, they make me so happy! I mean look how big and beautiful these are? And through the cold winter months in Minnesota, it almost makes me feel like I’m somewhere warm and tropical.

You can find and buy a pair of two for $46.99 and will last you year-round to bring from the outdoors to inside.

Here’s my trick for the mess of ferns…don’t move them and don’t touch them. So wherever you place them, know that you want them to stay there for a while. I like to move our plants around throughout our home, much like my furniture, so they’re always on the run. But with our ferns, I usually set them and leave them. We have a couple in our dining room and a couple more on the ledge in our basement.

Another trick to keeping ferns low maintenance is to be sure to replant them into a pot or place them into a basket that has a waterproof liner. Ferns like water and you can’t ever overwater them. So the water can also quickly run through the dirt. So to make sure you avoid any additional messes, have a safety net underneath.

Maidenhair Fern

Another fern that we love is called the Maidenhair Fern! The big reason why ferns don’t need a lot of outdoor light is that they’re used to growing on forest floors that were completely shaded by forest trees, making all ferns pretty low maintenance. All ferns, however, do like high humidity which is why we keep a lot of our ferns in our basement.

You can find this Maidenhair Fern for as low as $23.99 online.

Dracaena

Our favorite thing about the Dracaena plant is the height it gives to any space without it overwhelming the room.

We often use these plants when styling our clients’ spaces. And of course, have a few in our home and office as well.

This plant does not require a lot of light and is extremely low maintenance! Another one that needs zero sunlight and only needs to be watered a couple of times a month. And even better, they are an inexpensive plant that you can find at your local home improvement stores, such as Home Depot, or get them delivered from them straight to your door.

You can find any style Dracaena ranging from $15.00- $30.00!

Christmas Cactus

This was one of the best plant gifts I received, a Christmas Cactus. My favorite thing about this plant is that the flowers bloom when most aren’t so it’s a bit of colorful surprise when you need it the most…right around Christmas time.

You can find these as low as $24.99 and it will last for years. Makes for some good Christmas gifts too!

Philodendron

There are many looks and styles of Philodendron’s but all are great indoor house plants that require little to no maintenance and also are very inexpensive ranging from $5.00- $20.00!

We sprinkle these plants throughout our home and clients’ homes that literally have no light, such as our guest bathroom that has no windows.

You can find just a few of our favorites, here.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

The Fiddle Leaf Fig, the plant trending in home decor right now. And I get why! It’s one that is easy to maintain and is beautiful with those big bright leafy greens. And yet again, you can find this plant for an affordable cost, as low as $14.99 online.

This plant only requires watering about once a month

Source: NY Times

As the NY Times states…“Sourcing good-looking plants for interiors was always challenging,” Mr. Sherman said. “Some of them are too waxy, there’s not a lot of character. The fiddle-leaf broke the mold.”

Indeed, designers love them because they have scale, work with a range of styles from modern to granny chic and seem to magically transform any room.

“You can plop it in a dead corner and suddenly everything comes to life,” said Miles Redd, who dressed up the solarium of a California home he designed that was featured in Architectural Digest with six-foot-tall flanking fiddle-leafs.

Said Ms. Thornton: “I think that sets them apart from a palm or a ficus. Those plants don’t have the same pop or dramatic impact as a fiddle-leaf fig.”

Fiddle-leaf figs have been around for years. But the plant’s current stardom may best be explained by something Mr. Kanter discovered. After seeing them online and in social media, he took to his blog in 2012 to proclaim, “I wanted desperately to get in on the Fiddle club.”