5 houseplants that require actual skill to kill

We all know those people who couldn’t keep a plant alive if their life depended on it. You might be one of those people. I sure am. But don’t give up on your houseplant dreams just yet!

Studies show that indoor plants have countless health benefits, including regulating indoor humidity, decreasing stress levels and boosting your overall mood. It’s even been scientifically proven: NASA studied houseplants in the ’80s and concluded that they can eliminate organic chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde from the air. You wouldn’t want to miss out on that, would you?

So which plants are the easiest to keep alive? New York-based plant expert Matthew Schechter shared his top five hard-to-kill plants with Business Insider, listing which plants can last up to a month without water. Even the most neglectful, green thumb-lacking individual should be just fine in keeping these babies alive.

1. Cast Iron Plant

Also known as the bar room plant, the cast iron plant was once a status symbol plant for the rich. Today it has evolved to adapt to nearly any kind of climate, withstanding both hot summers and frigid winters, and surviving in low light conditions. Plus, insects tend to leave it alone.

2. Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’

These hearty plants have glossy leaves and are especially resilient even when raised with low light levels, though they thrive best in filtered light. Great for offices, a dracaena “Janet Craig” can handle elements such as low humidity, air conditioning and infrequent care better than most other plants.

3. Ponytail Palm

The ponytail palm is a pet-friendly plant (it’s ASPCA-approved as non-toxic for animals, though some cats like to eat those long, curly fronds) that can go for as long as two to three weeks without water.

4. Snake Plant

This desert plant stores water in its leaves and only need more moisture if the soil is dry (which goes for all the plants on this list). These easy-care plants survive low light levels and drought, and snake plants rarely have issues with insects.

5. Cactus

Last but not least is the trusty cactus. This is the only plant out of the five that needs a sunny spot to survive. Other than that, water it maybe once a month and it’ll stay nice and healthy.