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Plants for people who forget to water
31 plants. Edible or not, these plants would rather be left a little dry than kept wet, so the occasional missed watering does them no harm. Overwatering kills far more plants than drought.
Aloe Vera
Aloe vera is an easy, drought-tolerant succulent that wants bright light and very little water. Note it is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed, despite the gel’s use on human skin.
Arbequina Olive
The olive is the symbol of the Mediterranean, and ‘Arbequina’ is the cultivar people actually grow in pots — compact and partially self-fertile. Treat it first as a handsome evergreen container plant: fruiting indoors is hard, since it needs a cool winter spell and strong light, but a sunny balcony gives it a chance.
Bunny Ear Cactus
The bunny ear cactus is a spineless-looking Opuntia whose flat pads sprout in pairs like ears. It is not chemically poisonous, but its dense tufts of tiny barbed glochids detach at a touch and lodge painfully in skin — a poor choice around curious pets or small children.
Burro’s Tail (Donkey Tail)
Burro’s tail is a trailing succulent with thick overlapping leaves that form long plump tails. It is generally considered pet-safe, but its leaves drop and shatter at the lightest touch.
Cuban Oregano
Cuban oregano is a true global crossover — an oregano substitute in the Caribbean and Latin America, karpooravalli in South India, used across Africa and Southeast Asia. The fleshy, fuzzy leaves make it one of the easiest plants to keep, though it is toxic to pets.
Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
The dragon tree is a tough, upright foliage plant with thin spiky leaves on slender canes. It is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed.
Echeveria
Echeveria is a compact rosette succulent prized for its symmetry and pastel colours, and it is generally considered pet-safe. It needs bright light to keep its tidy shape.
Epazote
Epazote is the signature herb of Mexican bean and quesadilla cooking, used in small amounts for its sharp, distinctive flavour. It is easy and vigorous, but its essential oil is toxic in quantity, so it is a flavouring, not a salad green.
Golden Barrel Cactus
The golden barrel is a classic round, ribbed cactus that asks for bright light and almost no water. It is not chemically toxic, but its stiff spines can injure pets and people.
Hens and Chicks
Hens and chicks is a hardy rosette succulent that clusters into a "hen" surrounded by offset "chicks." It is generally considered pet-safe and tolerates a lot of neglect.
Hoya (Wax Plant)
The wax plant is an easy, long-lived trailing vine with thick waxy leaves and clusters of star-shaped scented flowers. It is generally considered pet-safe.
Jade Plant
The jade plant is a long-lived, tree-like succulent that stores water in its plump leaves and needs little fuss. It is toxic to pets if chewed.
Kalanchoe (Florist Kalanchoe)
Florist kalanchoe is an easy succulent grown for its long-lasting clusters of small bright flowers. It is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed.
Living Stones (Lithops)
Lithops are tiny stone-mimic succulents that look like a pair of pebbles and store nearly all their water internally. They are generally pet-safe but demanding about a strict dry/wet cycle, so they suit patient growers.
Oregano
Oregano is an easy, productive Mediterranean herb that likes bright light and lean, well-drained soil. Note it is listed as toxic to pets, so keep it where animals can’t graze on it.
Panda Plant
The panda plant is a fuzzy succulent with felted silver leaves edged in brown "stitches." As a Kalanchoe, it is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed.
Peperomia (Baby Rubber Plant)
Peperomia is a compact, pet-safe foliage plant with thick, semi-succulent leaves that store water, so it forgives the occasional missed watering. A good low-fuss choice for small spaces.
Phalaenopsis Orchid (Moth Orchid)
The moth orchid is the most beginner-friendly orchid, blooming for weeks and asking only for bright indirect light and careful watering. It is pet-safe.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a drought-tolerant woody herb that prefers a bright spot and dislikes wet feet. It is slow to establish but then long-lived and low-maintenance.
Sage
Sage is a forgiving, drought-tolerant woody herb that likes bright light and dry-ish soil. It stays fairly compact and rewards occasional trimming.
Snake Plant
The snake plant is one of the hardest houseplants to kill and tolerates low light and neglect. It is toxic to pets, so keep it out of reach of chewers.
String of Hearts
String of hearts is a delicate trailing succulent with heart-shaped, marbled leaves on thin purple stems. It is generally considered pet-safe and is one of the easier trailing succulents.
String of Pearls
String of pearls is a trailing succulent with strands of round bead-like leaves that spill over a pot or shelf. It is toxic to cats and dogs if chewed and the sap can irritate skin.
Summer Savory
Summer savory is a peppery culinary annual, somewhere between thyme and marjoram in flavor, that is classically cooked with beans. It is undemanding and prefers a sunny spot with lean, well-drained soil.
Sweet Marjoram
Sweet marjoram is a milder, sweeter cousin of oregano that does well in a bright window with sparing water. Like oregano it is mildly toxic to pets in quantity.
Tarragon (French)
French tarragon is a refined anise-flavored herb prized in French cooking. It must be grown from a plant or cutting rather than seed, and prefers a bright spot with sparing water. It is toxic to pets.
Thyme
Thyme is a small, tough, drought-tolerant herb that does well in a sunny window and shrugs off occasional dryness. It stays compact, so it suits small containers.
Watermelon Peperomia
Watermelon peperomia earns its name from the silver-and-green striped leaves that really do look like watermelon rind. It is compact, pet-safe, and easy — it stores water in its leaves, so it forgives a missed watering more than it forgives a soggy pot.
Za'atar / Syrian Oregano
Syrian oregano is the herb behind the Levantine za’atar blend, central to Lebanese, Palestinian, Syrian, and Jordanian cooking. Like its Mediterranean relatives it wants a sunny, dry-ish pot and asks very little.
Zebra Plant (Haworthia)
The zebra plant is a small, slow-growing succulent with stiff dark leaves banded in white, and it is generally considered pet-safe. It is well suited to small pots and bright windowsills.
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant thrives on neglect, low light, and infrequent watering, making it a solid choice for forgetful or low-light growers. It is toxic to pets if chewed.
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