The Best Indoor Plants – and How to Care for Them

Having plants is perfectly attainable whether you live in a home or a walk-up. Not only are they an excellent way to add dimension and style to a room, they also clean the air, making a space more healthy to be in. Indoor, potted plants are much easier to maintain than outdoor plants, so those without the care of a green thumb can still prosper. Adding some greenery in your home is a great way to liven up a space (no pun intended). It doesn’t hurt that Greenery was named Pantone’s 2017 Color of the Year either. Here are some of our stylish favorites.

Fig Tree

The largest plant on this list, fig trees add the biggest punch of greenery to a room. You probably have seen them featured in interiors all over Pinterest with their skinny stalks and fanned out leaves. Fig trees function as an accent piece in a room, almost like an additional piece of furniture, due to their size. Put them in a corner next to a window – they thrive best in bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of soil is dry.

Aloe

Aloe is an extremely useful plant to have around. Not only do aloe plants have air healing properties, but they also have skin healing properties. The gel that can be squeezed out of the leaves is an amazing natural medication for cuts, scrapes, and burns. A good way of telling when aloe needs to be watered is when the top two inches of soil are dry. This plant should be placed by a window.

English Ivy

As this plant grows, it will spill over it’s pot, giving it a romantic and ethereal vibe. English Ivy is one of the best plants for cleaning the air, so place it in an area where a lot of people tend to congregate often, like the kitchen. It’s fairly low maintenance and should only be watered when the soil is dry to the touch.

Bamboo

Bamboo adds an instant exotic vibe to a space without being overly fussy and drawing focus, and fares best in dim, indirect sunlight. Bamboo’s minimal stalks are made all the more zen by growing in a pot of water with rocks. Choose a clear container to showcase the effect, and change the water every three weeks.

Cacti & Succulents

Possibly the least maintenance of all, cacti and succulents only require watering once per week. The only requirement for care of these types of plants is that they be placed in areas of direct sunlight for 6-8 hours a day. Small potted cacti and succulents look very aesthetic lined up on a balcony or mantel.

Peace Lily

The peace lily is a lovely, low-maintenance plant that only requires watering once a week. The white lilies make it look the most “floral” out of all these listed options, and the plant can survive just fine in dim settings, so they are perfect for a bathroom or nightstand.