Ten plants that are almost impossible to kill

There's no such thing as "I don't have a green thumb." What there is, is choosing the wrong first plant. These ten forgive almost anything, ranked from most to least indestructible.

1. Snake plant (mother-in-law's tongue)

The champion. It handles low light, weeks without water and dry rooms. Water every 20 or 30 days in summer and practically never in winter. The only way to kill it is to water it often.

2. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas)

It stores water in an underground rhizome. It survives a month without water and corners with very little light. Glossy, very decorative leaves. It's the ultimate office plant.

3. Pothos

It grows anywhere, propagates for free in a glass of water and tells you when it's thirsty. Details in how to care for a pothos.

4. Cacti and succulents

With one non-negotiable condition: lots of sun. If you have a bright window, they're immortal. If not, don't buy them. See how to care for cacti and succulents.

5. Spider plant

It grows fast, tolerates everything and fills the pot with babies you can plant or give away. Great as a hanging plant.

6. Aloe vera

A succulent that needs minimal water and is useful too: the gel in its leaves soothes minor burns and insect bites.

7. Peace lily

It tolerates low light, blooms and visibly faints when it needs water. See how to care for a peace lily.

8. Fiddle-leaf fig and rubber plant

One step more demanding, but very forgiving if you give them plenty of indirect light and regular watering. The rubber plant is the more tolerant of the two.

9. Sword fern

Quite a bit tougher than the common fern. It likes humidity: a bathroom with a window is its ideal spot.

10. Lucky bamboo

It lives right in water. Change it every two weeks and that's it. Technically it's a Dracaena, not a bamboo, but that takes nothing away from it.

The three rules that keep them alive

1. Underwater. Far more plants die drowned than thirsty.
2. A pot with a hole. No exceptions, ever.
3. Choose based on the light you have, not on which one you like best in the photo.

Everything else is in how to care for an indoor plant.

A warning if you have pets

Several on this list — pothos, peace lily, snake plant, ZZ plant — are toxic if chewed. If you have a cat that bites plants, the safe options are calathea, ferns, peperomia and the areca palm.