No doubt you’ve seen the spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) before. These plants aren’t picky—they will grow pretty much anywhere. My neighbor had some on his balcony, and gave me a couple of pots as a gift. They grew faster than I could keep up with, despite the fact that I rarely watered them.

According to GardeningKnowHow.com, spider plants grow best in bright, indirect light and “well-drained soil.” But don’t worry if you can’t find the perfect spot: It takes a lot to truly kill a spider plant. In other words, if you have trouble keeping plants alive, spider plants are perfect. As a bonus, they’re also great for indoor air cleaning, according to NASA’s Clean Air study.

If you have a fair amount of space and want a tree-like plant to fill it, the areca palm, (Dypsis lutescens) is an easy option. It’s another plant that offers better indoor air quality, too.

According to SF Gate’s Home Guides, areca palms can eventually grow into a fairly large indoor tree (up to six or seven feet tall). They also like bright, indirect light—a south- or west-facing window is recommended—and the soil should completely dry out between waterings. In other words, you probably shouldn’t be watering them more than once a week, if that. One word of caution: You can’t prune areca palms without the risk of damaging or killing them, so consider the tree’s potential height when picking a container size.

The bamboo palm (Chamaedorea elegans) is another air-purifying plant on NASA’s list. It’s also considered to be a relatively easy plant to grow indoors, which makes it a popular houseplant. Gardening Know How says you can keep them in bright or indirect sunlight, and here’s what they suggest for watering:

Bamboo palm plants do not take a great deal of time or energy to care for. Water the palm, using room temperature filtered water, when the soil surface feels dry. Water the plant until the soil is evenly moist. Do not overwater the palm plant or leave it sitting in water. Check often to be sure that the plant is draining properly.

These are great statement plants for decorating, too, as they can grow up to 10-12 feet high with a width of three to five feet.

According to VetStreet, not all ferns are safe for pets—but the true ferns are, including the Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). Boston ferns do well in high humidity with indirect light, and for that reason, we’ve suggested hanging them in the bathroom. The atmosphere ensures they get the humidity they need without too much light. In short, you have just the right conditions for hands-off maintenance. If you decide to put your fern in an environment with low humidity, Gardening Know How suggests misting it a couple of times a week or setting it in a tray of pebbles and water.

If you’re a fan of succulents—or plants that don’t need much water in general— the Echeveria (Echeveria derenbergii) is a perfect, pet-friendly option. It’s a versatile plant for decorating, too, because it comes in a variety of sizes and colors. Plus, it just looks pretty. Like a lot of succulents, you can also cut their offshoots and grow new plants from the clippings.

You’d think all succulents are easy to care for, but as someone who’s killed several cacti (who knew they could actually droop?), I can tell you that some are easier than others. I’ve had quite a bit of luck with echeveria, though: They’re drought-tolerant, meaning you never really have to water them, and they also tolerate other extreme temperatures, including frost. For proper care, however, make sure they get plenty of light and keep their soil slightly moist.

The Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea Recurvata) is another interesting option for home decor. It’s actually a succulent that happens to look like a palm, with a thick trunk and long, thin leaves. Ponytail palms work well as accent plants, and they can grow up to three feet tall— so if you’re looking for a small indoor tree, they’re a great choice.

Ponytail palms are also very easy to care for. Their trunks actually store water, so they can go for quite a long time without a proper watering; according to Almanac.com, in the winter they only need occasional watering. They do best in bright light, but will grow in a variety of lighting conditions, as Gardening Know How explains:

Technically, a ponytail palm tree needs bright light, but because it is such a forgiving plant, it will be okay if you give it bright light about half the time. In fact, if you keep it in low light conditions half the year and provide bright light conditions the other half the year, it will be perfectly happy. This means that as long as you place it outdoors in the summer, it will tolerate any indoor light conditions you keep it in during the winter.

The many varieties of Pilea involucrata are called “friendship plants” because they’re super easy to propagate from cuttings. Some varieties have fuzzy leaves and some have smooth leaves, but they all look great in a cute pot.

Friendship plants are also low-maintenance, although they have some specific needs that can make them hard to grow in some climates. Like all tropical plants, they need warm temperatures and a decent amount of humidity to thrive. For the best growth, GardeningKnowHow.com recommends “at least 6 to 8 hours a day of light (but not direct sunlight), ample humidity, and evenly moist soil.”

Christmas cactuses (Schlumbergera bridgessii) are classic low-stress houseplants. They require very little care, and once a year, your (minimal) efforts are rewarded with an eruption of gorgeous, electric fuchsia blossoms. They’re also easy to propagate, so you can even give cuttings as gifts.

These plants will survive just fine in low light conditions, but according to GardeningKnowHow.com, they bloom better with light exposure. You’ll want to water your Christmas cactus regularly, too, so the soil stays slightly moist. (If you’re a chronic over-waterer, this might be the plant for you.) Finally, consider the temperature and humidity in your home. Here’s what GardeningKnowHow.com recommends:

When considering how to care for Christmas cactus, keep in mind it also prefers temperatures hovering between 60 and 70 degrees F (15-21 C), with average to high humidity levels. Placing a tray of pebbles filled with water beneath the Christmas cactus container is a good way to add more humidity to the home.

If you’re a pet owner and you’re looking for low-maintenance plants that won’t poison your pets, any of these these should offer some versatile options. They’re also fairly common, so you shouldn’t have trouble finding them at your local garden center. Better yet, if a friend or family member already has a thriving plant you like the looks of, ask for some cuttings and propagate them yourself—it’s free and easy.

This story was originally published in April 2016 and updated on October 3, 2019 to add additional information and again on June 1, 2021 by A.A. Newton to reflect Lifehacker’s current style guidelines, to add two new plant recommendations, and updated links.