Best indoor trees for your home, our list of the most popular!
Plastic plants may never die but nothing makes your home come alive like a good indoor tree.
Whether you like to tread on the path of the dramatic or you prefer a minimalist design, there is an indoor tree that will fit right into your home.
Indoor trees not only improve the aesthetics of your home but they also serve other functions.
A good indoor tree in your home will see to it that the air in your home stays crisp and your mood is always on the upside.
If you are not too sure which ones will work best in your home, here are a few options.
Table of Contents
Large Indoor Trees
⦁ Birds of Paradise
Birds of paradise is an awesome addition to any room. Its luscious symmetrical leaves bring nature right into your living room.
With its vibrant yellow and blue flowers; your living space is brought to life.
In fact the bird of paradise is one of the world’s most beautiful exotic flowers.
It is native to South Africa but with the right treatment, it can be grown in any home in the world.
In addition to being an absolute beauty, the bird of paradise has successfully used to treat inflame glands and it is also used to sour milk.
To grow the bird of paradise, you can get a pot seedling from your local nursery store or you can grow them from seed.
If you want to maximize growth, make sure your pot seedlings are in well-drained, fertilized soil.
Remember, the bird of paradise is a tropical plant; you need to place it in the part of your home that has access to full sun.
During spring and summer, it is important that you keep your soil moist.
On the other hand, in autumn and winter, they should be allowed to dry out a little.
Because of how large the leaves of the bird of paradise can get, you need to prune it monthly so that they do not grow out of space in your living room.
If your plant continues to grow and mature, you can divide it and place it in another pot so that it has more room to grow.
However, doing this will prevent them from blooming for a couple of years.
⦁ Rubber Plant:
The rubber plant occurs naturally in South east Asia.
However, no matter what continent your home is located, the rubber plant will fit right in.
If left to grow in the wild, the rubber plant may grow up to twenty meters but indoors, it can only reach a height of three meters.
The first thing you should know about rubber plants is that they cannot support themselves.
The taller they get, the droopier they become. This means that if you want to grow them tall, you may have to stake them.
They also grow really quickly so be prepared to prune them regularly.
For optimal growth, rubber plants should be placed in bright indirect light.
If it does not get enough sunlight, it may start losing leaves. One of the important thing you should know before choosing to grow a rubber plant is how to water it.
Although they prefer moist soggy soil, it is still possible to over water them. You can avoid this by growing rubber plants in well-drained soil.
Rubber plants are heavy feeders so it will be best to apply liquid fertilizer once every two weeks.
If you feel like your rubber plant is becoming too large for your apartment, you can always cut off the top.
When pruning, make sure you’re wearing gloves and eye protective wear as the sap causes irritation to the skin and eyes.
⦁ Norfolk Island Pine
Although the Norfolk pine looks like a pine tree, it is not. Just as the name implies, it is native to the Norfolk Island on the Pacific.
In their natural habitat, Norfolk Island pines can grow up to a majestic hundred feet (sixty-five meters).
However, when they are grown indoors, they are limited to only about three meters.
Caring for this tall indoor plant requires understanding their natural habitat.
Creating a pot of rocky, sandy and well-drained soil is the first step to ensuring that the Norfolk Island pine survives in your home.
They require a lot of direct sunlight so it is advised that you either move them outside (very carefully) during the daytime or place them at a window that gets a lot of direct sunlight.
Normally, indoor room temperature works just fine for this plant, but if they are placed in drafty areas or near heating/cooling ducts, they become less like to survive.
Because they are light feeders, they generally do not require regular fertilizer application.
They do not like soggy soils so be careful not to over water them.
Touch the soil before you water and only do so if he soil feels dry to the touch.
Although Norfolk Island pines may take some time to get used to your home, once they do, they become relatively low maintenance for as long as they live.
Norfolk Island Pine is a favorite in our list of best indoor trees for the home!
Best indoor trees for your home Yucca Indoor Plants
This tough plant grows naturally in the hot and dry parts of the Americas and the Caribbean.
The yucca plant can be grown either indoors or outdoors. In addition to improving the aesthetics of your home, the yucca plant is also known to be a very good air purifier.
It is a very low maintenance addition to your living space.
Yucca plants are known to be drought resistant so they can survive long periods without water.
What this means for you is that you never have to worry about your plants dying if you miss a watering session.
In order for yucca pants to thrive, they need as much direct sunlight as they can get.
If they are placed in positions with low light, they produce fewer leaves and flowers, and trust me when it comes to plants, skinnier is definitely not better.
When it comes to soil types, the yucca plant honestly does not care. As long as the soil is well drained, you plant will stay as healthy as can be.
The leaves of yucca plants have very sharp yips and cause injury.
If you have pets or children in your home, you may want to place the plant out of their reach.
Sometimes our homes are built in such a way that our windows do not get as much direct sunlight as required by some indoor plants.
Well, this is no excuse. Several plants are known to thrive in low light conditions and some of them will be discussed below.
Low Light Indoor Plants
⦁ Asparagus Fern
Although it is used as an ornamental plant in various parts of the world, the Asparagus fern is considered a weed in some parts.
Native to South Africa, the asparagus fern is sometimes referred to as the “indestructible house plant”.
This means that it will take a lot more than some lack of care to get rid of it.
If you are a novice gardener, you might want to start with this plant.
Irrespective of the name, it is neither an asparagus nor a fern (a real faker).
In fact, it is toxic when ingested. Although they are called indestructible, they still need some form of effort if they are going to thrive in your home.
Asparagus ferns love humidity, so if your home is a little dry, you may need to mist the plant every now and then.
This can be easily achieved with some water and a spray bottle. Make sure that your plant is always watered and fertilized.
Asparagus ferns can thrive in both bright light and low light conditions.
However, you want to keep them as far from direct sunlight as possible. This can cause yellowing and dropping of leaves.
Finally, if you plan to grow the asparagus fern long term, you will need to re pot every few years.
⦁ Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese money plant, as you may have guessed, is native to southern China. It is named the money plant because of its coin shaped leaves.
Even though it is native to China, the Chinese money plant is most popular in Scandinavian countries.
This evergreen plant is relatively small and can fit into any home regardless of size.
The little houseplant does not like direct sunlight at all as it dries out the leaves.
It grows best in areas with mild indirect sunlight. Caring for this plant requires minimal effort.
Simply place them in a pot with well-drained soil and a little fertilizer every now and then and you are good to go.
They like to stay dry so avoid over watering them.
If you have pets and children, the Chinese money plant should not be a problem because the leaves are non-toxic.
⦁ Elephant Ear plant
Just as the name implies, the leaves of this plant are shaped like the ears of an elephant.
The Alocasia (as it is more commonly known as) is native to India and Southeast Asia. Alocasia plants come in a variety of colors and they are best grown in very big pots.
The leaves are known to grow large, making them perfect for a variety of uses.
As indoor plants, they can be used as shade for smaller plants that require a little less sunlight.
When grown outdoors, the Alocasia is perfect as a background plant, a ground cover or as a lining for pathways.
Growing Alocasia is an easy process.
They thrive best in warm moist soil. Although they can adapt to direct sunlight, they are best grown in low light conditions.
During summer, you should water your elephant ears regularly. Because of their large leaves, elephant ear plants are heavy feeders.
Feed them with liquid fertilizer during their growing season. Alocasia plants should be re potted annually with fresh soil and if you can, divide the plant to create more room in the pot.
All of the plants we have discussed so far are perfect additions to any home. However, they might a little more suited for houses with yards and gardens.
So what happens to those who live in apartments?
Do we leave them out of this discussion?
Well I do not think so. If you live in the big city and you want to get your gardening on, you most definitely can.
Here are some plants that would do great in your apartment.
Best Indoor Plants for Apartments
⦁ Fittonia
This small colorful plant is the perfect fit for your apartment. It is pretty and it takes up very little space.
The fittonia plant grows naturally in the rain forests of South America.
There are different variations of this plant some being green and white and others being red and green.
Although this little houseplant loves humidity, it is not exactly in love with irrigation.
It also thrives in low light conditions making it perfect for apartments.
Avoid placing them in drafty areas and feed them as often as recommended by your local nursery and the fertilizer brand.
⦁ Pothos
This small plant with heart shaped leaves is another great houseplant for apartments.
In addition to being rightly beautiful, they are also known for their air purification properties.
They can survive long periods without water and they thrive best in shaded areas.
When placed in well-drained soil and humid areas, Pothos plants will be just fine.
Other indoor trees you could consider for your apartment include Iron plant, fiddle fig, Peace lily, Ficus Bonsai etc.
At the end of the day, there is an indoor tree for everyone. You no longer have an excuse for not giving indoor gardening a try.