Indoor Plants

The Role of Indoor Plants in Home Decor

Biophilic design is more popular than ever and for a good reason. Not only an indoor herb garden looks attractive as home decor, adding dimension to space and making the atmosphere more vivid - it's also the best natural air-purifying system around. A couple of bathroom plants can turn the place into an urban jungle and showering time into an experience. Furthermore, no kitchen is complete without several potted herbs in attractive indoor planters and pots. 

Cactuses and succulents are also ideal options for effortless workspace greening, accompanied by a small leafy green plant on the work desk. 

Common Types of Indoor Plants

Peace Lily

The Peace Lily boasts a minimalistic look with a simple white flower, a great indoor plant decor choice for minimalist interiors. Its air-purifying ability also puts it on the list as one of the best office plants. It requires some knowledge and attention due to water and sunlight sensitivity. The Peace Lilies leaves have a delicately glossy appearance that adds to its overall attractiveness. 

Fiddle Leaf Fig

The Fiddle Fig Leaf comes from the Ficus family but grows larger leaves than its cousins. While outdoor species can extend over 15 metres high in their natural habitat, they rarely pass three meters indoors. Fiddle Fig Leaf plant makes an excellent focal point in hallways, near fireplaces, and in other prominent parts of the interior - as long as they can get plenty of natural light. 

Snake Plant

Often more recognised by its nickname - Mother in Law's Tongue - a snake plant is characterised by its distinctive, sharp evergreen leaves growing upwards. It appears in many varieties, including flowering types; however, they can rarely produce the flower indoors. Snake Plant's foliage is leathery and quite visually appealing, set in a rosette arrangement that can grow up to one meter tall. 

Money Plant

The Jade is a succulent that resembles bonsai in the way it grows, and a cactus in the way it retains water within the leaves.  A mature plant will produce white or pink flowers. Its longevity depends on regular watering and an abundance of light, hence ideal placement is close to a window, where it will get the sun it needs. 

Lucky Bamboo

The Lucky Bamboo is among the easiest plants to grow. Minimum maintenance requirements made it an exemplary species of common house plants that can fit anywhere. It prefers strong bright daylight over direct sunlight. The lucky bamboo commonly grows up to one meter high and looks attractive in ceramic bowls, vases, or similar decorative objects. 

Goldfish Plant

A Goldfish Plant is native to Brazil and Southern Mexico, where it appears in over 25 different varieties. They grow hundreds of small, thick, shiny leaves while the colourful flowers resemble tiny goldfish, which earned the plant its name. It may bloom all year. For best results, a Goldfish Plant needs a place with bright indirect light.

Hanging Indoor Plants

Golden Pothos

The Golden Pothos is also called the Devils Ivy. It's a good example of indoor climbing species that grows well indoors with the correct maintenance. As a lush vine, it’s a great wall decor for most interiors. Golden Pothos makes quite a focal point with its arrow-shaped leaves that can grow over one meter long. Although it occasionally blooms in the wild, flowering indoors is a rare occasion. 

Boston Fern

Boston Ferns boast a lush display with their generous proportions. Due to their love for humidity, moist soil and indirect sunlight, they make a perfect choice for a bathroom hanging plant.

Staghorn

As an air-plant, Staghorn needs no soil but loves humidity. It will grow almost anywhere, as long as it receives sufficient light and stays protected from winds and sudden temperature changes. 

Silver Falls

This plant looks stunning while cascading from a hanging basket. While essentially an outdoor plant, it can easily grow inside as long as it receives plenty of sunlight.

String of Pearls

The name of this succulent comes from its foliage that strongly resembles a beaded necklace. It's a popular choice of an indoor plant due to its unusual appearance and low maintenance requirements. 

Mistletoe Cactus

The long seaweed-like vines and the unique appeal of Mistletoe Cactus make a great conversation starter. This plant allows more placement freedom, as it doesn't require much sun and can survive under artificial lighting, too.

Air Purifying Plants

The Snake Plant is one of the top plants tested and approved by NASA for air-purifying, due to its strong ability to eliminate benzene, formaldehyde and other harmful toxins.

Ficus is a natural humidifier, another air-cleaning plant recommended by NASA. 

Other beneficial species include:

• Peace Lily
• Bamboo
• Dracaena
• Pineapple plant
• Devil's Ivy
• Snake Plant

Things to Consider When Growing Indoor Herb Garden

Most herbs need as much natural light as possible in order to thrive indoors. Unless specified differently, the best placement is a sunny spot near a window, ideally facing faces south to receive plenty of sunlight.

Poor growth, oversized stems, leaves too small, pale or yellowish are certain signs that the plant needs more light. 

A grow light is an excellent way to supplement daylight in the winter.