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It’s always nice to have a few houseplants in your home - providing some greenery and helping to keep the air clean (although the impact they have is regularly overstated).
There’s even some evidence that they are good for your mental health and can even reduce your energy bills.
Unfortunately many of us are a bit rubbish at taking care of our indoor greenery, with the time it takes between an impulse supermarket purchase and the plant’s inevitable death best measured in days rather than weeks.
Luckily, there are a few plants that can survive - even thrive - when they are neglected by their owners.
Here are 13 of the hardiest.
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9. Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
This stylish plant is known for its slender, spiky leaves. It’s drought-tolerant, thrives in low to medium light, and can endure occasional neglect with aplomb. You regularly find then for sale in supermarkets, but be careful where you put them - they are toxic to pets. | Canva/Getty Images
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10. Cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa)
A staple plant of British homes for decades, the Cheese Plant - or Swiss Cheese Plant - is a fast-grower that has the potential to take over entire rooms, whether you water them regularly or not. Also known as Monstera, in the wild they sprout strange cylindrical fruit that are a delicacy in their native Central America. Capable of burning the mouth when first picked, once they ripen they taste a bit like pineapple. | Canva/Getty Images
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11. Yucca (Yucca elephantipes)
The Yucca plant can survive in a desert, so a couple of waterless weeks on your dresser shouldn't be much of a challenge. They do enjoy a bit of light though - stick them next to the window and they'll be a round for many years to come. | Canva/Getty Images
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12. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
Another plant with a long history of living in UK houses, the Rubber Plant is originally from eastern parts of South and Southeast Asia. They need minimal care, aren't too fussy about light, and actually benefit from infrequent watering. Poorly looked after they'll survive, well looking after you might have a small rubber tree on your hands. | Canva/Getty Images