The Spruce's Houseplant All-Stars

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Must-have products for any green thumb

Not everyone has room for a traditional outdoor garden, but anyone can grow houseplants! You absolutely have the space and the ability to care for at least one indoor plant. And The Spruce is here to help you develop your green thumb.

At The Spruce, we test dozens of products daily in The Lab and at home in order to recommend the very best for you and your home. When identifying the best gear to help you care for your houseplants, we (literally) dig in and get our hands dirty. We've spent hundreds of hours testing the latest planters, grow lights, watering cans—even researching houseplants, themselves!—and more to identify the must-haves for your houseplant toolkit.

Consider these 16 selections our best of the best for planting, watering, and growing your houseplants.

Houseplants

Bloombox Club Dracaena 'Limelight'

To buy: $25; bloomboxusa.com

If you're unsure about your gardening skills, start with Dracaena 'Limelight,' a low-maintenance houseplant that's native to tropical Africa. One of the easiest plants to care for, it can flourish in and adapt to many environments, says our reviewer.

Featured In: The 10 Best Indoor Plants of 2023

Bloomscape ZZ Plant

To buy: $149; bloomscape.com

The popular ZZ pant, or the Zanzibar gem, is a resilient drought-tolerant plant with waxy, oval-shaped leaves. Medium-sized, this plant thrives in indirect sunlight and is one of the best for low-light situations. This is the perfect option for the "hands off" plant owner who still wants to have a statement piece in their home, explains our tester. This houseplant can easily be propagated to create more plants by dividing the rhizomes. It comes in an 11.8-inch diameter pot with a detached drainage saucer.

Featured In: The 10 Best Indoor Plants of 2023

Planters

Serenehuman Self-Watering Hanging Planters

To buy: $37; amazon.com

Each planter comes with a footed water tray in the bottom of the pot, so there's no concern about overwatering. The raised base keeps the roots in good shape (the plants do not sit in the water) and the water reservoir provides optimal moisture for your plants.

Featured In: The 10 Best Planters of 2023

Bloem Self-Watering Planter

To buy: $13; homedepot.com

The Ariana planter keeps your plants from drying out. Inside the planter, a hidden reservoir holds approximately 1 to 3.5 inches of water (depending on the planter's size). An insert keeps soil and roots above the reservoir.

Featured In: The 11 Best Self-Watering Planters of 2023

West Elm Pure Ceramic Planters

To buy: From $39; westelm.com

These earthenware pots from West Elm add a sleek, minimalist look to your home, putting all eyes on foliage rather than the vessel itself. The neutral finish and watertight container make it safe for furniture and floors.

Featured In: The Best Indoor Planters of 2023

Propagation

Bloomscape Multi-Tube Propagation Kit

To buy: $45; bloomscape.com

Turn one plant into many with this multi-tube propagation kit from Bloomscape. The set includes a concrete terrazzo stand and glass tubes, step-by-step instructions for propagating, and a rooting hormone. We love it for vining plants like pothos, philodendron, and ivy cuttings.

Featured In: The 9 Best Propagation Kits of 2023

Watering Tools

Terrain Beech Wood Handle Watering Can

To buy: $38; anthropologie.com

With its mix of gunmetal-gray stainless steel and smooth beech wood, this watering can is "a great choice for something to display on a shelf," our tester says. Although the handle isn't specifically listed as ergonomic, our tester found it was still the case. "The connector piece that attaches the handle to the watering can was the perfect place to rest my thumb for extra support and steadying. It was easy to carry and no water poured out," they said. Because the can is so small, it can be easily filled in either a bathroom or kitchen sink.

Featured In: The 9 Best Watering Cans of 2023, Tested by The Spruce

Levoit Classic 300S Ultrasonic Smart Humidifier

To buy: $80; amazon.com

This humidifier works with the VeSync app, which allows you to control settings from anywhere, identify plants, and customize schedules for specialized plant-care management. Auto mode will maintain the room humidity you choose.

Featured In: The 13 Best Humidifiers of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Offidix Glass Plant Mister

To buy: $13; amazon.com

Lightweight and functional, this vintage-style 6.3-inch-tall plant mister can be used for both indoor and outdoor plants. The plastic pump is easy to use.

Featured In: The 12 Best Plant Starter Kit Essentials of 2023

Haws Bosmere Handy Plastic Watering Can

To buy: $22; amazon.com

This inexpensive watering can holds one liter, so it's best for people with only a few plants to water. It's also a good option as an extra watering container for a child to use. Our testers called it "easy to carry, pour, and aim" and loved its featherweight size. One cool feature is a removable rose at the top that you can attach and detach for indoor and outdoor watering.

Featured In: The 9 Best Watering Cans of 2023, Tested by The Spruce

Grow Lights

Soltech Solutions Hanging Grow Light

To buy: $150; amazon.com

This hanging grow light is as sleek and attractive as it is functional. It comes in two sizes: 5.8 x 3.8 inches with 2,000 lumens or 7 x 4 inches with 4,000 lumens. Both are extremely powerful and provide a nice amount of natural-looking light. We also like that this lamp is stylish and comes in two colors—black and white—to match your decor. Although this hanging light is one of the more expensive options on the market, it should last longer than the competition. According to the manufacturer, this grow light can last for up to 15 years when used for an average of 16 hours per day.

Featured In: The 10 Best Grow Lights of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Aceple LED Grow Light

To buy: $12; amazon.com

This light produces green shoots of results at an affordable price and offers a combination of red and blue LED light, which are both required for photosynthesis. Attach it to any table, chair, or desk.

Featured In: The 10 Best Grow Lights of 2023, Tested and Reviewed

Soil & Soil Enhancers

Wonder Soil Premium Organic Potting Soil Mix

To buy: $33; amazon.com

When choosing soil for houseplants, a quality mix is the easiest way to set yourself up for success. This potting soil is our top pick for its unique blend of slow-release organic nutrients, including earthworm castings, kelp, and perlite.

Featured In: The Best Potting Soils For Indoor Plant Enthusiasts

Organic Lava Rocks

To buy: $18; The Sill

You can mix lava rocks into your soil to improve drainage and aeration. Bonus: These porous rocks from The Sill can absorb water and slowly release excess as it evaporates.

Featured In: The 12 Best Plant Starter Kit Essentials of 2023

Tools & Accessories

Edward Tools Garden Trowel

To buy: $9; amazon.com

Made from carbon steel, this hand trowel is bend- and break-proof in both heavy clay and rocky soils, so it's good for most home garden use. Though it won't be put to a durability test while repotting houseplants, we still find it useful.

Featured In: The Best Trowels for All-Purpose Gardening

Garden Works Bamboo Garden Gloves

To buy: $15; amazon.com

Made from 100% bamboo fiber with a seamless liner, these garden gloves keep hands cool and dry while providing protection from irritants. The palm is coated with foam latex.

Featured In: The Best Gardening Gloves, Tested by Us

About The Spruce Approved

Over the last five years, we've built a reputation for delivering expert-driven design inspiration and plant care guidance, step-by-step DIY instructions, and tried-and-true "What to Buy" recommendations. Our goal is to help you make an informed buying decision, so you'll know what you're getting before you click the buy button.

Every product we test is evaluated using comprehensive and repeatable testing methodologies established to pressure test a product’s functions and features. We grade products on how they measure up in essential factors you care about, such as comfort, usability, value, and design to help decide which one we believe will be a good fit for most households.

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