Every plant on this site
Chosen for how often they are grown and how often they go wrong, which is not the same list as the prettiest ones. Each is grouped by the kind of plant it is, then by how much it forgives.
113 plants.
Foliage plants, palms and succulents
forgiving
Tolerant of a missed week.
Aloe veraMushy tissue at the base of the aloe vera
Arrowhead plantEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Baby rubber plantLeaves turn glassy from the stem outward
Bunny ears cactusLeaves go soft and slightly see-through
Cast iron plantBlade tips go crisp and brown
Chinese money plantBrown tips on the newest leaf blades first
Chusan palmBleached patches on the side facing the glass
Crown of thornsLeaves soften and curl inward
HoyaDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Inch plantBleached patches on the side facing the glass
Jade plantPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Lucky bambooCrisp margins that appear in winter
Mexican snowballPale dry areas across the upper leaves only
Parlor palmCrisp margins that appear in winter
Ponytail palmBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
PothosBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Sago palmDry, curled edges on fronds near a heater
Satin pothosCrisp margins that appear in winter
Snake plantBlades hang and feel thin between the fingers
Spider plantEdges of the blades brown while the middle stays sound
Spineless yuccaBlade tips go crisp and brown
String of heartsNew leaves arrive smaller and paler than the ones below
ZZ plantLeaves soften and curl inward
middling
Will tell you when something is wrong, with time to act.
Areca palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Asparagus fernBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Baby's tearsBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Bird's nest fernCrisp margins that appear in winter
BougainvilleaCrisp margins that appear in winter
Burro's tailLeaves soften and curl inward
Christmas cactusGrowth slows and what does arrive is thin
Creeping figLeaf blade tips go crisp and brown
DracaenaBrown tips on the newest blades first
Dumb caneLeaf tips go crisp and brown
English ivyCrisp margins that appear in winter
Heartleaf philodendronA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Kentia palmDry, curled edges on fronds near a heater
Lacy tree philodendronEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Lady palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
MonsteraBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Peace lilyBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Polka dot plantEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Purple passionLeaf blade tips go crisp and brown
Purple shamrockA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Pygmy date palmA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Rubber plantCrisp margins that appear in winter
String of pearlsDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Sweet basilA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Swiss cheese vineEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
difficult
Where most of the “why is it dying” searches come from.
AlocasiaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Boston fernA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Elephant earCrisp margins that appear in winter
Fiddle-leaf figEdges of the leaf blades brown while the middle stays sound
Maidenhair fernBrown tips on the newest fronds first
Moth orchidCrisp margins that appear in winter
Nerve plantDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
Peacock plantLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Polka dot begoniaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Prayer plantLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Rex begoniaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Staghorn fernDry, curled edges on fronds near a heater
Venus flytrapA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
unrated
Added from the sources; how much it forgives has not been judged yet.
Flowering plants
forgiving
Tolerant of a missed week.
Blue passion flowerA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Bush lilyDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
Dog roseEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
English lavenderBuds form and fall before they open
Flaming KatyA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Hardy fuchsiaBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
HyacinthFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
NasturtiumFlowering stops while the foliage carries on
OleanderBrown brittle margins with a green centre
RosemaryCrisp margins that appear in winter
SunflowerBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
Urn plantBuds that yellow and drop on a leafy plant
Wild daffodilBuds form and fall before they open
Zonal geraniumBleached patches on the side facing the glass
middling
Will tell you when something is wrong, with time to act.
African violetBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Bigleaf hydrangeaA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Bird of paradiseCrisp margins that appear in winter
Busy LizzieBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Calla lilyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
CamelliaBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Cape leadwortCrisp margins that appear in winter
CarnationBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Chinese peonyBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
Easter lilyFaded, yellow-white areas on the sunny side of the plant
Flamingo flowerBrown brittle margins with a green centre
Goldfish plantCrisp margins that appear in winter
Lipstick plantBuds that yellow and drop on a leafy plant
Madagascar periwinkleBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
Pink jasmineBuds form and fall before they open
Scarlet starDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
difficult
Where most of the “why is it dying” searches come from.
Barberton daisyEdges of the leaves brown while the middle stays sound
Dendrobium orchidA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
Florist's cyclamenBuds that yellow and drop on a leafy plant
GardeniaBuds form and fall before they open
Indian azaleaDry, bruised edges after a cold, windy spell
Zebra plantBrown, papery patches on the leaves nearest the glass
Trees and shrubs
forgiving
Tolerant of a missed week.
middling
Will tell you when something is wrong, with time to act.
AvocadoDry scorched spots after a move into a sunnier spot
Chinese banyanFaded, yellow-white areas on the sunny side of the canopy
Coffee plantLeaf tips go crisp and brown
Crape myrtleCrisp margins that appear in winter
Japanese mapleDry, curled edges on leaves near a heater
Norfolk Island pineBleached patches on the side facing the glass
OliveA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
PomegranateBrown tips on the newest leaves first
Southern magnoliaA thin dry rim that crumbles between the fingers
difficult
Where most of the “why is it dying” searches come from.
What this does not cover
This is not a survey of plants. The list leans toward the ones people grow in pots and struggle with, and a plant is only here when the sources this site reads publish enough about it to fill a page. The difficulty grouping is this site’s own judgement rather than a sourced figure.