Go Green: The Best Plants for Every Room in Your Home

Here's a question we've all been asking ourselves lately: How many houseplants are too many houseplants? If you take a look at the long list of plant health benefits, perhaps there's no such thing as a max limit. 

You can, however, make sure you choose the best plant types for each space, whether that means opting for the right light, humidity, or safe distance from pets if the plant is considered toxic or harmful.

Best Plants for the Living Room

Let's face it—living rooms are slowly transforming into the modern greenhouse. These spaces typically have a bit more sunlight, airflow, and available surfaces compared to other rooms, making them ideal for plant life. 

The living room is also an ideal spot for potted indoor trees or shrubs. Here are our top picks.

1. Fiddle Leaf Fig

The broad-leafed beauties love unlimited indirect sun, so make sure your living room floods with light for the majority of the day. Their vibrant green leaves add color to both a minimalist or eccentrically decorated room and can grow up to 6 feet tall. Keep a consistent watering schedule, but let it drain and dry out in between.

2. Pothos

With leafy vines that wander up to several feet, you can pop a pothos on a bookshelf or hang it from the window for a natural, unruly look in the living room. It is incredibly resilient in both direct and indirect sun and you only need to water it every one to two weeks.

3. Air Plants

Air plants are excellent options to add a bit of green to any room design since they require very little maintenance and don't even require soil. Hang them in front of a window or place in an open, airy planter—since they do need airflow to survive. Keep them watered—by briefly dunking them or spritzing them—at least once a week.

Best Plants for the Bedroom

Plants in the bedroom should add to the sense of serenity and encourage a clean and fresh space. Be sure to keep allergies in mind when placing bedroom plants next to your sleeping area. 

Here are the best plant types for the bedroom: 

1. Lavender

Place a fresh lavender plant on your windowsill in direct light or dried lavender on your bedside table. Its light scent links to a feeling of calm and acts as a reminder that this is the room for decompression. 

2. Rubber Plant

Spruce up the corner of your bedroom with one of the many varieties of rubber plants, preferably next to a window with direct light. Its thick waxy leaves show off different colors depending on its type, from pale green to deep purple.

3. Heartleaf Philodendron

An excellent plant for newbies, this resilient plant loves both moderate and direct all-day light, so you don't have to worry about adjusting it. As the name suggests, you'll enjoy large heart-shaped leaves that sprout over the edge of the pot and even wander like ivy.

Best Plants for the Bathroom

The bathroom often gets overlooked when it comes to plant life. But plenty of potted pets enjoy the tropical-like humidity and indirect light it provides. 

Here are the top bathroom-ready plants.

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants are happy hanging anywhere in your bathroom, even far away from the window. Their adorable spider-like offshoots can be propagated for new plants, so it's really the plant that keeps on giving. Let the soil dry out before watering it, especially if it's still moist from the humid atmosphere. 

2. Gardenia 

If you consider yourself a houseplant expert at this point, give gardenias a go in your bathroom. They like consistent temperatures and humidity, making the relatively stable haven of the bathroom ideal for their blooms. Just make sure they have a great window with direct light.

3. Bird's Nest Fern

This sprightly green potted plant will stand out from the rest because of its long, slightly crinkled fronds. It also loves the moisture-filled bathroom that stays warm and cozy throughout the day. It will need light from a window, but filtered light does just fine.

Best Plants for the Home Office

Whether you recently transitioned to a full-time WFH setup or tackle weekend projects at a desk, it's important to have natural reminders to take a deep breath and slow down. Be sure to add a few plant coworkers around your desk.

Here are the best plant types for the home office: 

1. Chinese Money Plant

Also nicknamed the coin plant, the deep green round leaves make a playful addition to your desk when starting your workday—not to mention a little bit of financial and career luck. It only needs moderate indirect light, so it could even thrive in the back corner of your bedroom you transformed into an office.

2. Snake Plant

The dependable snake plant was bound to make this list in one room or another. These floor plants make great additions to home and regular offices due to their resilience and compact, vertical shape. Pop one of these next to your desk and watch it grow as tall as your workspace.

3. Succulents

Home office desks can use a little softness and greenery, but it's best when you're not constantly brushing away fallen leaves. Gather a handful of succulents in small pots or playful planters to liven up your workspace. Make sure you have at least six hours of indirect light and rotate them to make sure all the leaves get a bit of love.

Best Plants for the Kitchen

The monotone simplicity of kitchen cabinets, counters, and tiles make this an excellent contender for plants to add a clean pop of color. Place plants on shelves about the counter or hanging over the sink in front of a window.

Try these popular picks for the kitchen: 

1. Aloe Vera

Keep this skin-smoothing plant close by in the kitchen by placing it on a counter or in the center of the kitchen island. It doesn't love direct sunlight but is happy with plenty of indirect rays. Make sure you provide it with well-draining soil and a well-draining pot so the soil can dry out between plantings.

2. Basil Plant

With a basil plant on hand, you're likely to find yourself incorporating the fresh herb into every recipe. Whenever possible, place in a south-facing window with plenty of light and avoid letting the soil get soggy. Prune your basil plants every few weeks to keep those tasty leaves coming.

3. Swedish Ivy

If you're on the hunt for a great hanging kitchen plant, Swedish ivy offers spirited green leaves that explore beyond the pot. They thrive in a range of light conditions and love the warm humidity of the kitchen. You can even propagate the offshoots to spread the beauty around the house.

Before adding any plants to your home, check the ASPCA’s list to find out if they’re toxic or non-toxic to pets. If you've officially crossed into the territory of too many plants to handle, remember you can call in local plant watering specialists to lend a hand.