It can be tough keeping plants alive indoors, especially during the dark, dry, winter months.
But if they can thrive, indoor plants have all sorts of benefits. Plants can regulate indoor humidity, and they've been shown to make people feel content and peaceful around the world. In Norway, office workers report that having plants at work helps them stay productive and healthy. In Japan, plants literally fight crime — a Tokyo neighborhood dealing with a spate of break-ins planted flowers and saw its burglary rates fall 80%.
Even rocket scientists agree: when NASA studied houseplants in the 1980s, the space agency found that they can remove dangerous organic chemicals from indoor air, like formaldehyde, benzene, and the industrial solvent trichloroethylene.
Business Insider spoke to New York City plant expert Matthew Schechter, who's worked in a family plant business his whole life.
Here are his top five "idiot-proof" plants that are perfect for anyone who lacks a green thumb. None of these need to be watered unless the dirt they're in feels dry to the touch. They are built to survive for up to a month without watering.
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The low-lying Cast Iron Plant has evolved to adapt to "basically any kind of climate," Schechter said.
The bush plant is native to Taiwan and Japan, but was brought to Victorian England in the 1800s, where it became a status symbol plant for the rich.
The glossy leaves on this Janet Craig plant are super-hardy. Schechter said a tough Janet Craig plant once lived in a dark closet for two months and survived to see the light of day.
Schechter says this one is known as a "workhorse plant" because "not all plants have that big, bushy look, but can tolerate low levels of light."
The Mexican Ponytail Palm is pet-friendly and used to dry, arid conditions. It can live for two to three weeks without water.
It's ASPCA approved as non-toxic for dogs, cats, and horses.
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