Greenery belongs just as much indoors as it does outdoors. If you live with a cold and austere interior, then it might be time for you to upgrade it with some sculpturally organic forms, such as plants. Aside from their highly pleasing aesthetics, plants can bring much-needed life to your home. Don’t worry about caring for them because the plants on our list are exceptionally easy to grow, even if the only experience you’ve had with plants is displaying some artificial ones. A word of caution though: cultivating plants indoors can be quite addicting.
With that out of the way, let’s get started on our list of easy-to-grow, decorative indoor plants.
1. Sansevieria (Snake Plant)
Tough, dramatic, and extremely tolerant of neglect, snake plants are fantastic options for people who have yet to learn about indoor plants. These come in multiple varieties, including dwarf snake plants that are perfect for windowsills and tabletops. Snake plants are a perfect complement to most minimalist decor due to their linear growing habits.
While the snake plant prefers bright light, it can tolerate shade as well. Keep the snake plant away from cold drafts and low temperatures. Watering can be as irregular as once a week or only when the soil is dry. The only time you can kill this plant is when the roots are kept constantly wet. For that reason, always be careful with watering. Nail that, and this plant will happily live, and brighten up your home, for years to come.
2. Spathiphyllum (Peace Lily)
Bringing elegance and a touch of opulence, peace lilies soften harsh interior spaces with their graceful heart-shaped leaves and flowers. Some even have variegated leaves in case you want to add a bit of pattern and texture to your interiors. They look so effortlessly chic when tucked away in corners. The peace lily can thrive almost anywhere as long as its roots are placed in moist soil. Once dehydrated, it droops. Fortunately, you can easily revive your peace lily by watering it, and the drooping is an easy indicator of when it’s time to water. Your peace lily does best when placed in a bright spot with indirect lighting but does quite well in even low-light conditions.
3. Monstera Deliciosa (Swiss Cheese Plant)
Despite being showy and tropical, the Monstera actually works almost anywhere. Their glossy leaves only get bigger with more pronounced gaps as the plant matures which further adds to the plant’s beautiful and unique look. The great thing about Monstera is that you don’t need the perfect soil since it is a climbing plant with aerial roots.
To grow Monstera well, simply place the plant where humidity and temperature levels are high. It prefers bright filtered light but can grow well in partial shade. Some homeowners even place the Monstera in the bathroom to mimic a tropical jungle.
4. Zamioculcas Zamiifolia (ZZ Plant/Zanzibar Gem)
ZZ plants are incredibly undemanding and tolerant of many cultivating mistakes. Like the snake plant, you can leave your ZZ plant without water for a week and it will still be fine. It has impressively thick and glossy leaves that spray out to form a tropical foliage fan. You can also find them in a variety of colors; my personal favorite is black which looks striking and exotic.
You’ll find that ZZ plants can grow in a variety of light conditions, from high to low. It does grow faster in bright light, but will not mind it if you place it in a dark corner of your room. Give it water only when the soil goes dry as constantly wet soil can encourage root rot.
5. Philodendron
The philodendron is a charming Caribbean climber that will easily fit anywhere in your room. You can train them on plant poles or allow them to ramble on your bookshelves. Any way you want to display them, philodendron plants bring the softer and livelier side of nature to any empty room.
Philodendron plants prefer bright filtered light, but they can tolerate partial shade. To encourage bushier growth, pinch off the leaves growing from single stems. However, if you’re after larger leaves, place your plant in an area with high humidity, such as your bathroom.
6. Succulent Plants
There are so many types of succulent plants that it is almost impossible to cram them into one article. Succulent plants like the Jade plant, Haworthia, and Aloe are some of the most popular houseplants around. Since they come in every color, size, and shape, you can pick as many as you want.
The one thing that succulents thrive on is neglect because watering them too often will cause them to die. The trick is to water the soil only when it is completely dry. This can be as little as once per month, or even every other month, for the more hardy varieties. Additionally, this means placing succulents in areas where they receive a high amount of sunlight, such as a bright windowsill or south-facing spot.
7. Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)
Pick Pothos when you want a tropical, dramatic climber that requires very little care. Selecting them is slightly difficult since there is so much to choose from, starting with bright neon green varieties to cool silver-blue greens. This variety gives you lots of options and ensures that there will be one that fits your design goals. Pothos plants make great options to showcase high ceilings.
Pothos plants can grow in bright filtered light to partial shade. They prefer high humidity but dislike soils that are frequently wet. Other than these, you won’t have much to worry when growing Pothos indoors as this plant is quite hardy and easy to grow.
8. Calathea (Peacock Plant/Prayer Plant)
There’s a reason why this plant is named after the spectacularly showy bird. Calatheas have very distinct patterns on their leaves in shades of white, yellow, green, pink, purple, red, and even black. The choices are seemingly endless, but the visual effect remains the same: impressive.
At night, the Calathea folds itself up, hence the other common name, Prayer plant. As long as you place it in an area that does not receive strong direct light, it should be fine. Water it only when the soil dries out to prevent your Calathea from wilting due to overwatering.
9. Bromeliad
These tropical plants look so exotic and high-maintenance that you might be surprised that they require very little care. They come in many color combinations and only become more vibrant once they receive higher levels of sunlight. As their rosette growth pattern makes them spread out a bit, place them in an area where they can be left alone.
Just like most of the plants on our list, Bromeliad plants detest sitting in wet soil, but they appreciate high humidity. Make sure the soil is completely dry before you water your plant, although you can mist Bromeliad plants to increase humidity. Better yet, place them in a sunny spot, sitting on a gravel-filled tray half filled with water. Brighter light will lead to bolder colors while an area with more in-direct light will lead to more greenery.
10. Ficus Lyrata (Fiddle-leaf Fig Tree)
You may have seen this impressive plant in many interior spaces already, and it’s a popular indoor specimen for a reason. The Fiddle-leaf plant has large attractive leaves shaped like the musical instrument that it gets its name from. While you can’t use the leaves to play music, you can grow this plant to bring nature inside.
Fiddle-leaf plants require bright filtered light, warm temperatures, and a normal amount of humidity. Watering is about once a week or only when the topmost inch of the soil is dry. Avoid overwatering because this tropical beauty can easily get overwhelmed by too much moisture.
11. Howea Forsteriana (Kentia Palm)
Bring a bit of the tropics indoors with the Kentia palm. The lush fronds and bright green foliage liven up any indoor room, inviting summer dreams and coastal getaways. The Kentia palm can take in some neglect by tolerating infrequent watering, dry air conditions, and cooler temperatures.
It can spread out a bit, so placing this plant against your wall would not be the best interior arrangement. Instead, showcase the Kentia palm in an area where it can get bright filtered light while remaining undisturbed. Lastly, water the palm only when the topmost soil is dry.
12. Aspidistra Elatior (Cast Iron Plant)
This plant is as resilient as the material it is named after. The Cast Iron plant can tolerate a high amount of neglect and grows even in the shadiest parts of the room. If you plan to grow this plant with lush dark foliage, then any room will do.
It thrives in well-draining soil that is kept slightly moist. Keep the Cast Iron plant in a warm area away from cold drafts, and pretty soon, it will start to fill the container with young shoots. Don’t worry too much about caring for this plant as it is almost impossible to kill.
Conclusion
There are many benefits to having plants inside your home. Aside from lowering your stress levels, most of the plants listed in this article have been found to improve their surrounding oxygen levels, according to NASA. Keep one or several in your room, and watch how your interiors become better with indoor plants!
