When choosing a house plant as a gift, stick to the easy-to-grow varieties to play it safe.

Giving the gift of a plant represents something aspirational – a long future with many repottings. But of course it also brings the chance of a great failure: That beautiful foliage may look great on Christmas, but by the time you visit your in-laws again, it’s droopy, or worse, totally dead.

“It may not be their fault,” offers Amaya Llanes, a plant slinger at Dirty Girl Plant Co. in Monterey. “It may be their space. And some plants are just trial and error.”

There are, of course, some ways to minimize the room for error that are wise to take into account when shopping for a plant as a gift. First, if you know the recipient’s conditions – lots of direct light, or none at all? Do they have a green thumb or are they terrible at caring for even a pet rock? – you can bring useful information to a vendor to help guide your selection. If you don’t have such details, opt for an easy-to-grow, tough-to-kill variety.

Llanes and Jesse Donovan, a retail associate at the plant shop at The Power Plant in Moss Landing, both recommend snake plants or ZZ plants, which can get by on being watered as infrequently as once a month. Plant people will tell you these are as easy to keep alive as a fake plant and if well tended, they’ll grow big and tall. “A snake plant can become a statement piece,” Llanes says. “It will grow as big as you want it to.”

Next on both of their lists are pothos, with more elegant, fluttery leaves. Donovan’s favorite is cebu blue pothos. She bought one for herself, hung in a south-facing window and has since experienced great success.

In the leafy category, compared to more spear-like snake plants, Llanes and Donovan also both suggest philodendrons. “They are going to do great anywhere and they are going to grow like crazy no matter where you put them,” Llanes says.

Still, it’s wise to ask for instructions for care when you’re choosing a plant as a gift. (Dirty Girl offers handwritten cards with specific instructions and the species name.) This is a living thing, after all, and a fussy one. Some plants prefer distilled water, others tap water only. Some thrive in shady apartment corners, others crave bright light.

Some general advice: Tell your recipient not to repot from the nursery pot and soil for a few months to avoid shocking the plant (a decorative pot can be a nice touch to embellish your gift), and remember – if this plant ends up in the compost, you can always just try again.