10 Houseplants You Don’t Have to Water (Much)

It's easy to forget the simple things ... like watering your houseplants when you have a busy schedule. But that doesn't mean you can't create an oasis of flowers and foliage in your home. 

Houseplants have many benefits: they purify the air, help to alleviate stress and anxiety, and improve your performance and focus, so there are lots of sound reasons to flex that green thumb (even if it’s not-so-green). If you have a habit of killing plants before you can benefit from them, the trick is to choose plants that don't need much water or attention. That way, you can just set yourself a reminder to water them once every few weeks. Read more for the 10 houseplants that don’t need regular watering.

1. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Needs water: about once a month

Snake plants are striking and distinctive with their upright, spear-like leaves. They have dark green leaves edged in shades of yellow or silver and can grow up to 4 feet tall. Perfect for the forgetful indoor gardener who wants to create a dense leafy jungle, snake plants require watering about once a month.

2. String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)

Needs water: once every two weeks

For those looking for a quirky, hard-to-kill plant, string of pearls could be the answer. This weird little creeping succulent grows strings of round, fleshy "leaves" that look just like peas or mismatched beads on a string. And, if you give them enough bright sunlight and just a little TLC, you may eventually get small, pastel yellow flowers that smell faintly of cinnamon. 

String of pearls makes a fabulous addition to a succulent wall planter. Just be aware that this plant is somewhat toxic if eaten, so it's not the best choice if you have curious kids or pets that like to chew on your stuff.

3. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Needs water: every two to three weeks

Pothos does best in direct sun, but it can cope in shadier parts of your home, too. This hardy houseplant needs minimal watering and has attractive, large bright green leaves with pale green-to-white splotches. It's tough and drought-resistant and its slow-growing vines can reach 8 feet.

“Pothos is also an easy plant to propagate by taking a leaf cutting and placing it in water to root out,” says Tara Dudley, Angi Expert Review Board member and owner of Plant Life Designs. “Once it has rooted out, it can be transferred to a small pot of soil.”

4. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

Needs water: once a month or less

The ponytail palm is actually a succulent, and it's hardy and drought-resistant. A long woody trunk and thin, "messy" curly leaves that grow out of the top make this hardy houseplant genuinely striking. 

You'll only need to feed it twice a year, and only water it once a month or less. You should let the soil dry out almost completely between waterings to avoid root rot. And, during colder months, you should follow basic winter houseplant care to avoid killing this succulent during its dormant period.

5. Aloe (Aloe barbadensis)

Needs water: every two to four weeks

Aloe vera is a popular houseplant that's difficult to kill. Prized for its healing properties, aloe vera grows quickly and only requires water every two to four weeks, and only when the soil is pretty dry. One sure-fire way to kill an aloe is to overwater it or leave it standing in a saucer of water. It's not overly greedy when it comes to food, either. A little fertilizer once a year, in spring, will suffice.

6. Devil's Backbone (Pedilanthus tithymaloides)

Needs water: every two to four weeks

Devil's backbone thrives indoors in bright sunlight and can reach 5 feet. Only needing water every two to four weeks, this tropical houseplant has alternate, lance-shaped leaves on tall, wiry stems. Just be aware that the milky sap can be toxic if ingested, so it's not the best choice for households with young kids or plant-loving pets.

7. Cast-Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Needs water: when the soil dries out

So-named because it's nearly indestructible, the cast-iron plant has distinctive glossy, dark green, lance-shaped leaves that curve downward from pale green stems. The leaves can reach an impressive 2 feet long and, unlike many houseplants, the cast-iron plant can tolerate living in heavily shaded conditions. 

Cast-iron plants don't require much maintenance and generally prefer to be left alone, receiving food once a year in spring, and water whenever the soil dries out.

8. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)

Needs water: every seven to 10 days during summer; once or twice a month in winter

The rubber plant has big, glossy rounded leaves that have a waxy, rubbery appearance. While the most common is the distinctive deep green rubber plant, you can get deep red-purple and red-black variants including Black Prince or Burgundy. 

The rubber plant is another houseplant that can cause skin irritation and stomach pain, so it's important to keep small children and pets away. They do need a little more care during spring and summer than some of the others on this list, and you'll need to water them about every seven to 10 days. But starting in late fall, you can water them once or twice a month throughout winter.

9. Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)

Needs water: once a month

Burro's tail is a cute little succulent that produces interesting, trailing fleshy stems that look like pale green tails. It likes bright sunlight and does not like to be watered any more than once a month. 

The interesting texture of those pillowy leaves is caused by the way the plant holds water, so it's very drought-tolerant and can easily die off if you get too enthusiastic with your watering can. The trailing "tails" cascade prettily over the edge of the container, so burro's tail makes an excellent hanging houseplant.

10. Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Needs water: when the soil dries out

Jade plants look like little trees, have nice blooms, and can reach 3 feet. These long-lived succulents thrive in dry conditions and should be allowed to fully dry out between waterings. 

You'll need to check the soil weekly, as the conditions in every house differ. Other factors like pot size and soil type also impact how often you should water your jade plant, but you typically won't need to water it more than once a month, even during summer. In winter, watering should be much less frequent. You'll need to provide your jade plant with at least four hours of indirect sunlight every day.