How to choose the perfect indoor plant for each room in your home

We all know the beautiful effect a well-tended and designed garden can have on a home’s exterior appeal, but what about an indoor garden?

Indoor plants and swathes of greenery provide more than just a decorative element. Numerous studies have found plants in the home can lower stress, improve your mood and even boost the air quality.

But growing indoors plants successfully is mostly about choosing the right plant for the right conditions. Here is a guide to choosing the right plant for the right room or environment.

Low-light areas

For low-light positions, look at mother-in-law’s tongue, dieffenbachia, devil’s ivy, fiddle-leaf figs, philodendrons and some varieties of ferns.

If you’re wanting to improve air quality, these air-purifying indoor plants are worth considering: rubber trees, spider plants, peace lilies, dracaena and weeping figs.

Indoor palms, such as the very hardy parlour palm, can add a touch of the tropics to any decor and because they tolerate low light, humidity and dry soil, even those with the blackest thumbs can get these plants to prosper in most areas of the home.

Bathrooms

For bathrooms, with their mix of high humidity and warmth, try aloe vera, begonias, bamboo and bromeliads. If you’re the adventurous type, orchids can also thrive in a bathroom environment. Be warned, though: they are temperamental.

Bedrooms or living rooms

Trailing indoor plants such as the indestructible devil’s ivy are perfectly suited to a position on a bookcase or shelf, where their vivid variegated foliage can be fully appreciated. Choosing a planter that fits your colour scheme and design elements will help your plants be a fully integrated part of your home’s style.

Small spaces

If you don’t have the space or patience for growing plants indoors, there’s nothing to stop you from using large tropical leaves and cuttings from plants like monstera deliciosa or the philodendron family to create a dramatic design statement in a vase or bottle.

Not all of us have that elusive green thumb necessary for indoor plants to thrive, however, and if you fall into that category, there’s now an amazing range of ultra-realistic faux plants that boast lifelike textures, colours and even reflective qualities.

Blending real and faux greenery enables you to create a rainforest illusion with the minimum amount of cost and care. Remember to clean the leaves of any fake plants; they have a tendency to gather dust and will benefit from a regular wipe down with a damp cloth.