How Not to Kill Your Houseplant (New Edition)
by Veronica Peerless
Survival tips for the “horticulturally challenged”, covering 119 popular houseplants. A good first book.
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Buy Plants That Make Good Gifts Online
By the Plantshop.com Editorial Team · Updated · How we research · Report an error
Shopping for a gift now?
See what is in stock this week, with prices: plant gifts under $30 · under $50 · pet-safe plant gifts · shipping plants in winter
Easy, good-looking plants that survive a new home.
The best gift plants are forgiving, look good on day one and come with clear care. Check the recipient's pets before you choose.
How to choose
- Start with your light, then pick from the plants below that match it.
- Compare by pot size, not plant name, when comparing prices.
- Order in mild weather or from a shop that heat-packs in winter.
- Pets: check the pet column; not every plant here is pet-safe.
Photo: Vinayaraj / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsPeace LilySpathiphyllumMedium lightNot pet-safeEasy
Philodendron BirkinPhilodendron 'Birkin'Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Flickr user Forest and Kim Starr / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsString of PearlsCurio rowleyanusBright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Abu Shawka / Public domain, Wikimedia CommonsJade PlantCrassula ovataBright + some sun lightNot pet-safeEasy
Photo: Øyvind Holmstad / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsMoth OrchidPhalaenopsisMedium lightPet-safeModerate
Photo: Sang83 / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsHoya (Wax Plant)Hoya carnosaBright indirect lightPet-safeEasy
Photo: James St. John / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsPeperomiaPeperomia obtusifolia and othersMedium lightPet-safeEasy
Money TreePachira aquaticaMedium lightPet-safeEasy
Ponytail PalmBeaucarnea recurvataBright + some sun lightPet-safeEasy
Photo: Pepe-MS / CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsChinese Money PlantPilea peperomioidesBright indirect lightPets: checkEasy
Photo: Didier Descouens / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsBegoniaBegonia spp.Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: ANNE LOTTE / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsAfrican VioletSaintpaulia spp.Bright indirect lightPet-safeModerate
Photo: Ragesoss / CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsIndoor Bonsai TreeUsually FicusBright + some sun lightNot pet-safeModerate
AlocasiaAlocasia spp.Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeChallenging
Photo: Sciencia58 / CC0, Wikimedia CommonsAnthuriumAnthurium andraeanumBright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Daderot / CC0, Wikimedia CommonsAir PlantTillandsia spp.Bright indirect lightPets: checkEasy
Photo: Andrey Butko / CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsChristmas CactusSchlumbergera spp.Medium lightPet-safeEasy
Photo: Хомелка / CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia CommonsLavenderLavandula angustifoliaBright + some sun lightNot pet-safeChallenging
Photo: Nathaly 1106 / CC0, Wikimedia CommonsBromeliadGuzmania and other bromeliadsBright indirect lightPet-safeEasy
Photo: Carol VanHook / CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsKalanchoeKalanchoe blossfeldianaBright + some sun lightNot pet-safeEasy
Photo: Tangopaso / Public domain, Wikimedia CommonsNorfolk Island PineAraucaria heterophyllaBright indirect lightPet-safeModerate
Photo: James St. John / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsPolka Dot PlantHypoestes phyllostachyaBright indirect lightPet-safeModerate
Photo: Sangianense / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsStaghorn FernPlatycerium bifurcatumBright indirect lightPet-safeModerate
Photo: qwright10 / CC0, Wikimedia CommonsGardeniaGardenia jasminoidesBright + some sun lightNot pet-safeChallenging
Photo: cultivar413 / CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia CommonsMonstera Thai ConstellationMonstera deliciosa 'Thai Constellation'Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Srikandi73 / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsPhilodendron Pink PrincessPhilodendron erubescens 'Pink Princess'Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Dandarmkd / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsBegonia Maculata (Polka Dot Begonia)Begonia maculataBright indirect lightNot pet-safeModerate
Photo: Jule.Kat / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsRhaphidophora Tetrasperma (Mini Monstera)Rhaphidophora tetraspermaBright indirect lightNot pet-safeEasy
Photo: Obsidian Soul / CC0, Wikimedia CommonsAlocasia Black VelvetAlocasia reginula 'Black Velvet'Bright indirect lightNot pet-safeChallenging
Photo: Dandarmkd / CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia CommonsHoya Carnosa (Wax Plant)Hoya carnosaBright indirect lightPet-safeEasyAt a glance
| Plant | Light | Water | Pet-safe | Difficulty | Shops confirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peace Lily | Medium | Keep lightly moist | No | Easy | 4 |
| Philodendron Birkin | Bright indirect | When the top inch is dry | No | Moderate | 2 |
| String of Pearls | Bright indirect | When soil is dry | No | Moderate | 1 |
| Jade Plant | Bright + some sun | When soil is dry | No | Easy | 3 |
| Moth Orchid | Medium | About weekly | Yes | Moderate | 3 |
| Hoya (Wax Plant) | Bright indirect | When soil is mostly dry | Yes | Easy | 3 |
| Peperomia | Medium | When the top half of soil is dry | Yes | Easy | 2 |
| Money Tree | Medium | When the top 2 in is dry | Yes | Easy | 4 |
| Ponytail Palm | Bright + some sun | When soil is dry | Yes | Easy | 4 |
| Chinese Money Plant | Bright indirect | When the top half of the soil is dry | Not listed | Easy | 1 |
| Begonia | Bright indirect | When the top 1 in of soil is dry | No | Moderate | 1 |
| African Violet | Bright indirect | When the top 1/2 in is dry | Yes | Moderate | 1 |
| Indoor Bonsai Tree | Bright + some sun | When the top 1/2 in of soil is just dry | No | Moderate | 2 |
| Alocasia | Bright indirect | When the top 1-2 in is dry | No | Challenging | 1 |
| Anthurium | Bright indirect | When the top 1-2 in of soil is dry | No | Moderate | 4 |
| Air Plant | Bright indirect | Soak or rinse at least once a week, then dry upside down | Not listed | Easy | 2 |
| Christmas Cactus | Medium | When the top 1 in of soil is dry | Yes | Easy | 3 |
| Lavender | Bright + some sun | When the soil is dry 1-2 in down | No | Challenging | 0 |
| Bromeliad | Bright indirect | Keep the soil lightly moist | Yes | Easy | 3 |
| Kalanchoe | Bright + some sun | When the soil is dry | No | Easy | 0 |
| Norfolk Island Pine | Bright indirect | When the top 1 in is dry | Yes | Moderate | 2 |
| Polka Dot Plant | Bright indirect | Keep lightly moist | Yes | Moderate | 2 |
| Staghorn Fern | Bright indirect | Soak the mount every 1-2 weeks | Yes | Moderate | 2 |
| Gardenia | Bright + some sun | Keep evenly moist with room-temperature water | No | Challenging | 4 |
| Monstera Thai Constellation | Bright indirect | When the top 1-2 in (2.5-5 cm) of soil is dry | No | Moderate | 2 |
| Philodendron Pink Princess | Bright indirect | When the top 1-2 in of soil is dry | No | Moderate | 2 |
| Begonia Maculata (Polka Dot Begonia) | Bright indirect | When the top 1 in of soil is dry | No | Moderate | 1 |
| Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma (Mini Monstera) | Bright indirect | When the top 1-2 in of soil is dry | No | Easy | 0 |
| Alocasia Black Velvet | Bright indirect | When the top 1 in is dry | No | Challenging | 1 |
| Hoya Carnosa (Wax Plant) | Bright indirect | When the soil is mostly dry | Yes | Easy | 1 |
Where to buy plants that make good gifts
Each plant's buying guide lists the shops we have confirmed currently stock it, with what each shop is best for. For shipping and guarantee terms side by side, see Online plant shop policies compared. To compare the shops themselves by reviews, see the best places to buy plants online.
Best houseplant books (gift guide)
Books make an easy, no-watering gift for someone who has just bought their first plants. Our picks, in no particular order.
Plantopedia: The Definitive Guide to Houseplants
by Lauren Camilleri & Sophia Kaplan
A large illustrated houseplant encyclopedia; handy for putting a name to a plant. Many reviewers mention buying it as a gift.
View on AmazonFor the Love of Houseplants
by Tanner Mitchell
Care profiles for 30 popular houseplants (2026), written for keeping plants with confidence.
View on AmazonWild Interiors: Beautiful Plants in Beautiful Spaces
by Hilton Carter
A plant-styling book about designing rooms around plants, including big statement plants.
View on AmazonHouseplants for Beginners
by Rebecca De La Paz
About 120 plant profiles, each with notes on whether the plant is pet-friendly.
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