Best House Plants

Over the last year, our homes have played a pivotal part in our lives, transforming into spaces where we not only rest our weary heads but also work, play, exercise and even educate our children.

From investing in WFH essentials to giving our walls a fresh lick of paint, spending more time indoors has forced many of us to reevaluate our living spaces. While there are a few things that can take your home to the next level – be it a bookshelf or bar cart – there’s one simple home addition that makes a significant difference to both your aesthetics and physical and mental health: plants.

Besides looking really cool and giving gardenless dwellers a chance to flex their green thumbs, there are many reasons to adopt house plants. Some simply provide interest, others have the ability to purify the air and absorb pollutants, and can even help boost your mood and improve anxiety.

In fact, one 2015 study in the Journal of Physiological Anthropology found that interacting with indoor plants can reduce both physiological and psychological stress.

But let’s be honest – most of us aren’t plant experts, and have no idea where to start when it comes to choosing the right one or knowing how to properly care for them.

If you fall into this category, fear not, because it’s easier than you think to own your own collection of handsome green leaves.

The thing to remember when it comes to plants is that they were not all born equal – they come in a huge variety of forms, from large-leaved jungle plants to tiny succulents, which all have slightly different needs.

So, the first thing you need to do is consider the type of environment a plant needs to flourish, and whether you can provide it with those conditions in your home. After all, there’s no point in buying a sun-loving snake plant if you have only dark rooms to offer.

Next, you need to perfect your watering routine and, while it’s important to actually remember to do it, you should also note that doing so every day could be just as detrimental as not watering it at all. As a rule of thumb, the best way to know when your plant is thirsty is to put your fingers in the soil – if the soil is dry, then your plant needs watering.

Whether you want to become a fully-fledged indoor jungle-cultivator or are simply looking for something to brighten up your desk, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best houseplants to buy online, taking careful consideration of each plants benefits, toxicity levels to children and pets and diva credentials.

Patch big ken

Best for: High impact, low maintenance

Air purifying: Yes

Pet/baby safe: Yes

Care: Medium light and weekly watering

Otherwise known as a kentia palm or howea forsteriana, this striking plant is a brilliant all-rounder that promises to make a huge impact on any room in your home. Easy to care for, with impressive fresh green leaves that fan out, it can tolerate most conditions but will be happiest in a position that gets lots of indirect sunlight.

When it comes to watering, kentia palms only need a drink when the soil is dry to the touch, which tends to be around once a week. However, it also appreciates humid environments, so if you want to keep its leaves looking healthy it’s worth giving them a mist a couple of times a week.

While it has simple needs, this plant should be at the top of anyone’s wishlist who is looking to create their own indoor jungle, but beware, while it is a slow grower that can take decades to peak, it can reach a maximum height of 10 metres. But this plant has more than just good looks to offer, as it’s great for improving air quality by removing toxins such as formaldehyde, ammonia and carbon monoxide from the air.

Kentia palms also have quite the claim to fame as they are known to be a royal favorite. The Victorians embraced the plant as an exotic status symbol, with Queen Victoria herself known to be a big fan, insisting the plant was placed around her coffin when she died. Need further convincing? They were also used for decoration on the Titanic.

Buy now £50, Patchplants.com

Bloombox Club snake plant laurentii

Best for: Air quality

Air purifying: Yes

Pet/baby safe: No

Care: Most light conditions and light watering

This plant has an impressive list of nicknames, including “viper’s bowstring”, “tiger’s tail” and “mother-in-law’s tongue”, owing to its spiky green and yellow stems. But whatever you call it we’re certain that you’ll love it.

Notoriously hard to kill, the snake plant is super-tough and doesn’t need much watering, making it a great option for new plant parents. It will thrive in most light conditions, though you should avoid placing it in windowless rooms or in direct sunlight for more than four hours, as you’ll run the risk of its leaves drying up. The snake plant also doesn’t need much water – simply give it a drink when the soil feels dry, which is usually two to three weeks, and even less in winter.

Aside from its hardiness, what makes this plant so great is that it has a NASA-approved magic power. One of the best purifiers, it absorbs harmful toxins from the air and releases lots of oxygen at night, which is said to help you drift off to sleep and lessen the impact of airborne allergens like dust. To make the most of its toxin-fighting abilities, keep your plant free of dust by giving its textured waxy leaves a wipe every now and then.

Buy now £21.80, Bloomboxclub.com

Crocus Chinese money plant

Best for: Beginners

Air purifying: Yes

Pet/baby safe: No

Care: Most light conditions and light watering

If you’re worried about the responsibilities of becoming a plant parent, we recommend picking up a succulent as a starter. While they are available in a variety of colours, shapes and textures, our succulent of choice is the Chinese money plant (pilea peperomioides).

It has perfectly rounded, coin-shaped leaves on long, thin stems, making it a great decorative addition to any home. It’s also said that this plant can bring good luck and good fortune to its owner – though we’ve yet to reap said fringe benefits.

Incredibly low maintenance, the Chinese money plant is designed to make your life easier. Its thick, fleshy leaves retain water better than others, meaning even the most forgetful among us will be able to keep it alive – just make sure not to neglect it completely by giving it a drink whenever the soil feels dry.

The house plant also loves being in a bright spot, and while it can tolerate partial shade, it will grow towards light, so if you want it to develop evenly it’s worth rotating the pot every few days. It will also thank you for a monthly feed with half-diluted liquid fertiliser in the warmer months.

Buy now £14.99, Crocus.co.uk

Beards and Daisies musa dwarf cavendish banana

Best for: Stylish homes

Air purifying: Yes

Pet/baby safe: Yes

Care: Bright light and regular misting

The Musa dwarf cavendish banana is the poster boy of millennial-beloved plants, and it’s not hard to see why. Named after William Cavendish, the sixth Duke of Devonshire, this particular species doesn’t grow very tall, maxing out at around three metres, but its leaves are pretty large, making it a good one for homes with lots of space.

Ideal if you’re looking to make a real statement, its leaves feature unique blotches that gradually disappear as it matures, and it will reward you with lots of new shoots during its growing phase. A word of warning though, this plant is kind of high maintenance.

It prefers to be in a warm spot with bright, indirect light and likes its soil to stay slightly moist, so requires regular watering. Plus, its leaves are extremely fragile, so it is rare to find them without any imperfections. Don’t let that put you off though, you just need to remind the plant of its jungle home by misting it regularly to stop the leaves from tearing. It’s also worth noting that, despite its name, this banana plant won’t fruit.

Buy now £19.99, Beardsanddaisies.co.uk