Turn Your Home Into a Tropical Oasis With These Easy-Care Houseplants
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Ready for a home refresh? Add some tropical houseplants! Plants make us feel good, and they add instant style to any room. Plus, you don’t have to be an expert green thumb to have a home full of plants. The best tropical houseplants are easy-to-grow so you won’t have to constantly fuss over them.
The first step to keeping any new plant happy is to give it the right conditions. Despite the fact that many houseplants are tropical in origin, they often don’t like direct sunlight, which can scald their foliage. Many tropical plants prefer bright, indirect light, such as a foot or so from an east, south, or west-facing window. You also can use grow lights if you have dark rooms.
Tropical plants that thrive indoors don’t just add greenery to a room; many have colorful foliage, beautiful variegations and handsome leaf shapes. In fact, houseplants with splashes of chartreuse, pink, and white are trending right now.
No matter how many plants you have (or if you're bringing home your very first!), there’s always a new plant to discover. Every year, new plants are introduced to the market so there’s always something exciting to add to your collection. Of course, many old favorites have been popular for decades — sometimes even since Victorian times when houseplants were first kept indoors by the middle-class.
Ahead, check out the best tropical houseplants, with recommendations from our editors and houseplant expert Barbara Pleasant, author of The Complete Houseplant Survival Manual.
Aglaonema
“This plant is easy to grow, and many types have variegated leaves,” says Pleasant. Look for fun varieties with splashes and speckles of pink and red. They’re forgiving plants, especially if you occasionally forget to water them for a week or so.
Average height: 1 to 3 feet
Native to: Southeast Asia
Light: Bright, indirect but will tolerate low light levels
Water: Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch
Syngonium
Also called arrowhead plant, this is a great choice for beginners. “This is a plant I depend on to deliver tropic looks with no fuss at all,” says Pleasant. “It will even grow in water alone.”
Average height: 3 to 6 feet, vining form
Native to: Central America
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: Keep soil slightly moist
Bromeliad
Bromeliads, which come in many varieties, can be stunning, low-care houseplants. “Their stiff, pointed foliage contrasts well with other houseplants with flat leaves,” says Pleasant.
Average height: Varies by type, from a few inches to 2 feet tall
Native to: Central and South America
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: Wait until soil feels dry before watering; for types with a leaf cup called a “tank,” keep full at all times
Calamondin Orange
These darling little trees have fragrant leaves and flowers that develop into cute little orange fruits, which are edible (though they’re super-tart, so they’re best as garnishes, in jams, or used in marinades).
Average height: 6 to 8 feet tall
Native to: Southeast Asia
Light: Direct sunlight or a grow light for 8 or more hours per day
Water: When surface feels dry
Dracaena
There are many different types of dracaena, some with strappy long leaves and some with tall canes with leaves on top. They’re great statement plants because they have a strong, upright form and don’t take up a ton of floor space, says Pleasant.
Average height: 2 to 6 feet tall
Native to: Tropical Africa
Light: Bright, indirect light but will tolerate medium light
Water: Keep soil slightly moist
Rabbit's Foot Fern
Fuzzy, little rhizomes resembling — yes, a rabbit’s foot! — make this fern irresistible. It’s one of Pleasant’s favorites because it’s so rewarding to grow.
Average height: 6 to 36 inches tall
Native to: Fiji, Micronesia, Columbia
Light: Bright, indirect light
Water: Keep soil slightly moist, and mist rhizomes regularly
Monstera Deliciosa
This handsome plant is popular for a reason: It’s beautiful, carefree, and can become quite large and striking, especially as the leaves mature and develop the characteristic splits, says Pleasant.
Average height: 6 feet or more
Native to: South and Central America
Light: Bright, indirect but can adapt to moderate
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Golden Pothos
Probably one of the easiest houseplants to grow, this handsome vining plant has splashes of golden yellow. It makes a sturdy plant for first-time plant parents. If given good light and a trellis, the leaves become larger and more dramatic in size.
Average height: 6 feet or more, vining form
Native to: Polynesia
Light: Bright, indirect but will tolerate moderate to low light
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Heart Leaf Philodendron
There are many different types of philodendrons, but this is an old favorite for its charming vining form and pretty, little heart-shaped leaves. It’s super-easy to care for, so it’s a great houseplant for new plant parents.
Average height: Up to 13 feet tall, vining form
Native to: Central and South America
Light: Prefer bright, indirect but will tolerate moderate to low light
Water: When top inch or so of soil feels dry
Snake Plant
With a strong architectural form, you can’t go wrong with snake plant. The dramatic foliage may be sword-shaped or cylindrical. It’s also forgiving if you forget to water it for a few weeks.
Average height: A few inches to 4 feet tall, depending on variety
Native to: Africa
Light: Prefers bright, indirect but will tolerate low light
Water: Every few weeks when soil feels mostly dry
Bird's Nest Fern
This fern has slightly leathery leaves and a pleasing vase-shaped form. It’s one of the easier ferns to grow indoors, says Pleasant.
Average height: 1 to 2 feet tall
Native to: Polynesia, Hawaii, Southeast Asia, Madagascar, Australia
Light: Prefers bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Neon Pothos
Just as hardy as golden pothos, this variety has gorgeous chartreuse-green leaves that seem to glow in the dark. It’s a fun variety that contrasts nicely with other dark green houseplants.
Average height: 6 feet or more, vining form
Native to: Polynesia
Light: Bright, indirect but will tolerate moderate to low light
Water: When top few inches of soil feels dry
Birkin Philodendron
This is another variety of philodendron that has become very popular for its handsome creamy-white striped foliage. It’s also easy to grow, says Pleasant.
Average height: 3 feet tall
Native to: South America
Light: Bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or two of soil feels dry
Rubber Tree
This handsome tropical houseplant grows in tree form and adapts well to lower light levels, says Pleasant. Look for new types with variegated leaves.
Average height: 6 to 10 feet
Native to: Southeast Asia
Light: Bright, indirect but will tolerate moderate light
Water: When soil feels mostly dry, even few weeks
Brasil Philodendron
This pretty vining plant is a cultivar, or cultivated variety, of heart leaf philodendron, so it’s just as hardy and easy-to-grow. But it boasts cheerful splashes of green, yellow and cream on each leaf.
Average height: Up to 13 feet tall, vining form
Native to: South America
Light: Prefer bright, indirect but will tolerate moderate to low light
Water: When top inch or so of soil feels dry
SHOP BRASIL PHILODENDRON PLANTS
Ric Rac Cactus
The zig-zagging flat stems of this plant resemble old-fashioned ric rac trim. This is one of the easiest of all types of cacti to grow. It looks amazing draping out of a hanging basket.
Average height: 2 feet tall
Native to: Mexico
Light: Prefer bright, indirect
Water: When top inch or so of soil feels dry
ZZ Plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia, or ZZ for short, has shiny green or black leaves and an upright form that’s striking in any room. It’s another great plant for beginners.
Average height: 2 to 4 feet tall
Native to: Africa
Light: Prefers bright, indirect but will tolerate very low light
Water: When soil feels mostly dry, every few weeks
FAQs
•What is the easiest tropical houseplant for beginners? “The easiest tropical houseplant for beginners is aglaonema,” says Pleasant. “Pothos is a close second, with leaf colors and variegation patterns that change as the leaves age.”
•What is the most common mistake new plant parent make?
“It’s moving plants around too much,” says Pleasant. “It’s best to find your plants a spot, and let them stay put for a while. After all, plants are stationary life forms.” They’re not moving around in nature, so give them time to adapt to the spot where you’ve placed them.
Another common mistake is overwatering. More plants die from overwatering than underwatering, so always poke your finger into the pot to test the moisture levels before giving your plants a drink. Plants don’t like wet feet, so make sure your pots always have drain holes so excess water trickles out.
•What tropical houseplants are toxic to pets? Unfortunately, many common houseplants, such as pothos and Monstera, are toxic to pets if they take a nibble, says Pleasant.
If you have pets, make sure to keep plants out of your fur baby’s reach, especially if they’re curious, or choose plants that are safe for pets. The ASPCA keeps a searchable list of common toxic plants here, or check out some of our non-toxic plant recommendations for cats, with safety tips from a vet.
And if you think your pet has ingested even a nibble of a houseplant — even if you’re not sure — contact your vet right away! It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
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