Houseplants are now taking pride of place in many homes across the country. The surge in their popularity is a real reflection of the shifting times. So much so that we have a national Houseplant Week which takes place in the second week in January each year. This annual event encourages people to appreciate and care for their houseplants, and to consider adding new plants to their homes. It is the perfect opportunity to grow your knowledge, expand your collection, and deepen your appreciation for the green companions that brighten our days.

Benefits of Houseplants

According to RHS research, the addition of a houseplant or two can help improve mood, reduce stress levels and feelings of tiredness and improve attention span – great for the many that spend more hours working at home. Caring for plants also offers a sense of purpose and mindfulness.

Many of us want to connect more with nature and find a greater sense of wellbeing in our lives, not just from being outdoors, but in our indoor spaces too. Apart from bringing a sense of wellbeing, houseplants do have real health benefits attached to them, some are brilliant for purifying the air. For example, the humble spider plant will reduce the levels of carbon monoxide and unwanted chemicals in the air, which makes them ideal for a home office or bedroom. And the beautiful Areca Palm Dypsis is another efficient air purifying plant.

Displayed individually or grouped together, houseplants can provide colour, texture, beautiful foliage, and if you choose, flowers too. With a vast array or varieties to transform dark corners or sunny spots alike, there’s no better time to bring a gorgeous hit of greenery into your home.

Here we give a little guidance on how to curate and care for houseplants by room recommendation, as conditions can and do vary in different parts of our home. Not all rooms will offer consistent temperatures, and the light levels will differ in each, depending on the size and facing of the windows. Bathrooms tend to have more humid air, whereas living rooms are drier, especially in winter when the central heating is on. Seasonally the temperature changes in our houses too. So it’s important to select houseplants to suit your chosen room location, to ensure they will thrive and look their best without too many problems or excessive maintenance.

Let’s take a look at which plants work best in each room of your house.

LIVING ROOM

Sansevieria (Mother in Law’s Tongue)

The popular Sansevieria, cheekily nicknamed Mother in Law’s tongue for its sharp form, is one of the easiest houseplants to grow. Its strong, sword-like leaves create the perfect plant for a modern home. It is stylish and simple making it loved by interior designers. A good choice for beginners, Sansevieria is near indestructible, only requiring water once every few weeks. They will like a bright room.

Miltonia Orchids

These exotic looking Orchids are often referred to as the Pansy Orchid. These colourful orchids make a lovely decorative addition to a living room environment. They will fill your living area with a lovely fragrance and enjoy intermediate to warm conditions in bright (but not direct) sunlight.

Monstera deliciosa

If you’ve got the room – and it likes a lot of room! – Monstera deliciosa makes a stunning addition to your living space. This easy-to-grow houseplant can grow to a huge size and live for many years. It works well with many different interior styles and can be a real eye-catching plant to have in your living space.

Areca Palm

Great air purifying plants and structurally stunning. Place in a bright location with indirect light, away from direct sunlight. Areca Palms can increase humidity, helping to prevent dry skin, sore throats and respiratory issues.

Bedroom

Ficus benjamina ‘Kinky’

‘Kinky’ is a beautiful houseplant, which boasts fresh pale green and white leaves. This particular variety of Ficus is smaller than most and is delicately attractive. Its compact size makes it a good choice for many, who don’t want houseplants to take up too much space in a room. ‘Kinky’ is also very good at physically filtering toxins from the air, aiding a good night’s sleep.

Aloe Vera

Keeping an Aloe Vera plant in your bedroom is smart because, unlike most plants, aloe releases oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide at night. The gel inside the spiky leaves also makes an excellent moisturiser and is a good addition to homemade beauty products. Additionally, it doesn’t require much care, making it a good option for the newer houseplant owner.

Kitchen

Kalanchoes 

The vibrant, long-lasting flowers of Kalanchoes will brighten up your kitchen. They love bright, natural light and as they are succulents with fleshy leaves and stems you don’t want to keep them constantly wet. They need good drainage so water yours well, let it all drain out and then water again when dry.

Kalanchoes Scindapsus

This great houseplant will be at home anywhere. Hanging or climbing, this houseplant with its distinctive leaves not only makes your home more beautiful, but also starts purifying the air indoors straightaway. It’s no surprise that we consider Scindapsus to be a domestic wonder!

Cacti/Succulents and Dendrobium Orchids also make great kitchen plants.

Bathroom

Nephrolepis (curly fern)

Very low-maintenance, Nephrolepis is a strong, air-purifying plant that requires very little care. A great choice for the bathroom as it thrives on high air humidity but doesn’t like draughts. They will do best when placed in a bright spot, without being exposed to direct sunlight.

Chlorophytum comosum (Spider plant)

Tough little Spider plants are not only easy to take care of, they’re actually hard to kill! They happen to be one of the best plants for the bathroom, since Spiders are one of the few plants that don’t need much light!

Dendrobium Orchids

These orchids like a bright spot near a window and a higher humidity.