The 15 Best Aesthetic Plants To Liven Up Your Home Or Workspace
Whether you are working from home and want something green to look at during the day, or you want to convert your room to a Pinterest-inspired aesthetically pleasing fantasy land, indoor plants can be a great addition to your space. Plants can make your space homier, and can directly positively impact your mood. On top of that, they are great air purifiers, making sure your body is safe from all the harmful toxins in the air.
We're showcasing our favorite easy-to-maintain, beginner-friendly aesthetic plants that can convert your space into an indoor garden fantasy. Look no further!
1. Spider Plant
Spider plants are beautiful and work perfectly for indoor spaces. They're great for people looking for an indoor garden aesthetic, who want to let nature take over the space. They're a great plant for beginners who do not have a lot of time on their hands. Just make sure to keep them in a well-lit room, but away from direct sunlight.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: Spider plants are easy to take care of. They only need bright to moderate light in a room and require watering once a week in the spring and summer. Water them less in winters and allow the soil to dry out between sessions.
Toxicity: Spider plants are nontoxic and pet-friendly!
2. Peace Lily
Peace Lilies are native to the rainforests of America and are beautiful plants that can liven up any space with their white blooms. They blossom in spring but are perennial.
They don't love direct sunlight but are as happy in well-lit rooms as they are in darker spaces. Their air-purifying abilities make them a very popular houseplant that can thrive with a small amount of care.
Ease-of-care: Moderate
Plant Care: Peace lilies like their soil to be moist. They are tropical and are happiest at temperatures over 70°F (21°C). Keep them away from cold drafts in the winter and out of direct sunlight, but make sure they get sufficient indirect sunlight.
Toxicity: Mild. They contain calcium oxalate which can cause stomach irritation when exposed to in large quantities. Keep Peace Lilies away from small children and pets.
3. Dragon Trees
These large, potted plants are great if you want to add a little bit of character to your workspace or home. They're native to Madagascar and have a spiky, tree-like aesthetic with red, white and green stripes.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: Dragon trees approve of all kinds of light, but keeping them insufficient light will make sure they have bright leaves. They thrive in well-lit rooms but avoid keeping them in direct sunlight. They're practically drought-resistant and can tolerate long periods of no watering so make sure you are not overwatering them as that can cause the tips of their leaves to turn brown.
Toxicity: Yes. Dragon Trees can be toxic if ingested by animals, so keep them out of reach from small pets.
4. Fiddle Leaf Fig Trees
With its unique, violin-shaped leave, the Fiddle Leaf Fig is guaranteed to make a statement. Under the right conditions, they can grow to taller than six feet! They're also perfectly okay to be placed indoors if pruned regularly.
Ease-of-care: Moderate
Plant Care: These tropical plants are made for a varied climate. This means that they are used to being rained on, but are also used to a long duration of dry spells. The best way to water them is to completely drench them, and then wait for them to dry completely before watering them again. Being native to the tropics, they do require some amount of humidity. If you live in a temperate region, you can occasionally spritz their leaves with water. They thrive in brightly lit rooms away from direct sunlight and cold drafts, so keep them in a room that gets plenty of sunlight and away from the light of the sun.
Toxicity: Yes. If ingested by pets, they can be toxic and cause oral and stomach irritation.
5. Pothos
The Pothos is probably the best first plant for plant owners. Incredibly easy to take care of, they can thrive in almost all kinds of light and climate. These are air-purifying plants and can filter harmful chemicals such as benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air we breathe.
Ease-of-care: Moderate
Plant Care: Pothos plants are extremely easy to take care of. They can survive in a vast range of environments, from indirect light in bright rooms to darker spaces. The plant likes water so don't let it sit dry for extended periods of time.
Toxicity: Mild. Pothos plants can cause skin irritation and are toxic to cats, dogs and small children.
6. Rubber Tree
The magnanimous rubber tree is visibly differentiated by its glossy leaves which give it much of its character. Though indigenously they can grow to a height of over 100 feet, when kept indoors the range of their height varies from 6 feet to 10 feet.
Ease-of-care: Moderate
Plant Care: Rubber trees like to be in bright, but indirect sunlight. Watering can differ by season. In the warmer months, the soil should be moist. Don't overwater your plant as rubber trees don't take kindly to overwatering. In the winter months, water your rubber tree when the top layer of your plant starts to dry.
Toxicity: Mildly toxic and should be kept away from children and pets.
7. Lemon Tree
There is nothing quite as aesthetic as a lemon tree in the middle of your living room. These plants are typically found outdoors, but with the right amount of sunlight and care, they can completely thrive indoors and make a gorgeous addition to your plant repertoire.
Ease-of-care: Moderate
Plant Care: Lemon Trees need a ton of light to thrive indoors. Place them close to a window where they can get at least 6 hours of direct sunlight, and make sure that they completely dry between two watering sessions.
Toxicity: Mildly toxic to pets.
8. String of Pearls
True to its name, this cascading succulent looks like a veil of green droplets and is a great aesthetic plant to add to your collection. These can be potted in hanging baskets to let their characteristic trailing leaves form a beautiful waterfall.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: String of pearls are easy to take care of and can grow in both indoor and outdoor spaces. It needs plenty of indirect light and should be placed in a well-lit room away from the harsh rays of the sun. They do not like being overwatered, so make sure you check the topsoil for moistness between watering sessions.
Toxicity: Yes, they are toxic to both plants and humans if consumed and can cause mild nausea.
9. Sweetheart Plants
The Sweetheart plant is a succulent that gets its name from its characteristic heart-shaped leaves. In its indigenous environment, it is actually a climber plant with plenty of heart-shaped leaves strung on its long vines. However, where it can't grow natively, it is usually sold as separate leaves.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: Sweetheart plants are extremely easy to take care of. Occasionally dusting, light watering (once a month), and plenty of indirect sunlight should be enough for your succulent to thrive.
Toxicity: No! They are pet and human-friendly.
10. Begonia
In recent years, Begonias have become extremely popular all around the world because of their ease of care. They may or may not flower depending on their type and the care they are given. However, their most beautiful trait is definitely their uniquely patterned leaves.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: Begonia's like humidity, and would thrive in bathrooms. Avoid direct sunlight, but put them in a well-lit room to bring out the vivid coloring of their leaves. Check the top 2 inches of the soil for dryness before watering as begonias do not like being overwatered.
Toxicity: They can be toxic if ingested and should be kept away from pets and babies.
11. English Ivy
While it is traditionally an outdoor plant, English Ivys can be grown indoors as well. Let their leaves grow free and they will form a beautiful drape that will add life to any space!
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: English Ivys are extremely easy to take care of, and unlike the other plants mentioned on this list, actually prefer to be in a cooler spot and can cope with all kinds of light levels. Make sure not to overwater the English Ivy and wait for the top two inches of soil to dry between waterings.
Toxicity: They can be toxic if ingested and should be kept away from pets and babies.
12. Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese Money Plant is known by a number of different names such as Pilea and Pancake Plants (for its characteristic, flat-leaf shape). Native to China, the plant is extremely easy to grow and propagate. Its leaves can grow up to 15cm across their length!
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: They like bright spots (think well-lit rooms), but don't like direct sunlight. They also have a tendency to grow towards the sun, so make sure you rotate your plant every couple of days to ensure that they grow evenly. Check for dry soil before watering!
Toxicity: Not toxic! They are pet and baby-safe.
13. ZZ Plant
The ZZ is native to Central America, which means that it is used to a whole host of different and harsh climatic conditions. It has adapted to survive long periods of drought followed by excessive rainfall. These properties make it almost unkillable and a valuable addition to any busy home.
Ease-of-care: Almost Unkillable
Plant Care: They can cope with almost any light condition (though not complete darkness). This makes them an ideal plant for dark homes. They don't need a lot of water either and can be completely dried out between waterings.
Toxicity: Yes. ZZ plants are toxic to both humans and their pets.
14. Boston Fern
Boston Ferns thrive in humid, shady areas and are native to swampy and forested regions around the world. They can survive (and thrive) in the shade, which makes them a perfect aesthetic plant for homes that don't get a ton of light but still want green spaces.
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: The Boston Fern loves humidity, so it is a good idea to mist your plant from time to time. It can also survive in most light conditions and is ideal for a room with lower light. Frequent watering to always keep the top layer of soil moist is ideal.
Toxicity: No! They are pet and baby-safe.
15. Anthurium
Anthuriums are native to South America and the Caribbean and are a great pop of color to your home or workspace. The red spathe resembles a flower but is actually a leaf that attracts insects. There are over 1000 different types of anthurium in existence!
Ease-of-care: Beginner-friendly
Plant Care: Plenty of humidity (like in a bathroom), a bright room away from direct sunlight and occasional light watering (let the top two inches dry out) are all that is needed to care for this beautiful plant!
Toxicity: The sap from the plant can cause skin irritation and be toxic if ingested.