A Beginner’s Guide to Houseplants

Are you ready to switch up your home décor? Maybe it’s time to introduce some houseplants. It’s normal if the process feels overwhelming, especially if you’re making the transition from fake plastic plants to the real deal. The good news is that everyone can discover their own green thumb with a bit of patience and willingness to learn.

Before we dive in, let’s look at the benefits of keeping plants in the first place.

Why Do People Keep Houseplants?

There are plenty of reasons to add plants to your space. Not only do they add life and color, but they can also boost your mood, improve indoor air quality, and help reduce stress. Adding a plant to your home puts some personality in an otherwise sterile space and can even act as a natural noise buffer to keep things quieter.

Plants Make Us Happier, Period.

Have you ever noticed how a walk in the park can make you feel better, no matter what your mood was like before? Spending time in nature has numerous benefits, from reducing mental fatigue to improving cognition.

Unfortunately, not all of us can make it outdoors every time we need a brain break. However, indoor plants offer many of the same benefits. Research shows that exposure to nature in any form has a calming effect — and the benefits improve if you can interact with it. So, touching and tending to your houseplants will help you feel more grounded in your space.

Want to increase the benefits? Keep houseplants in your office! Research shows that the presence of plants can improve work performance and staff well-being while reducing sick days.

What Homes are Best Suited for Plants?

Unless you live in total darkness all the time (and we’re not judging if you are!), there’s likely a houseplant that will thrive in your space. All plants need water, nutrients, and light, but the amount of each and their tolerance for variance will differ wildly.

This means that choosing the right varieties needs to come down to more than style. If you put a full-sun jade plant in a dark corner, for example, the plant will struggle. For this reason, you need to thoroughly evaluate your space so you can choose varieties that work with what you have (more on that later!).

Popular Houseplants are Popular for a Reason: Here's Why

If you’re brand new to indoor plant care, it’s best to start with tried-and-true varieties. Here are a few that fit different common indoor conditions.

 
  • Low-maintenance plants: peace lily, pothos, spider plant
  • Low-light plants: cast iron plant, ZZ plant
  • Plants for pet owners: Pilea Peperomioides, bird’s nest fern
  • Flowering plants: orange orchid, anthurium
  • Plants for small spaces: African violet, snake plant, air plant