Crafting the dream living space where you can unwind, entertain and simply be is an art form. It takes love, thought and patience. While focus is often put upon the couch, coffee table, lighting, or statement art pieces, the area too many neglect is often the most important – greenery.
The living room is a space for living, so it’s essential we breathe life into our living spaces by bringing the outside in.
A living room plant can deepen relaxation, purify the air, increase healing times, sharpen focus, inspire creativity and even boost your mood. They also add a visual layer that can’t be matched (no one does beauty quite like Mother Nature.)
Whatever your living room space, vibe or needs are, hop on board and enter a world of living room indoor plants that will transform your space. With the help of our expert plant pals, BloomBox Club UK, we’ve handpicked the best plants for living rooms of all kinds. So, stick with us and get reading – your perfect plant partner awaits …
The Best plants for Living Rooms
1) Best for beginners – Snake Plant
The trusty Snake Plant. Read any article about indoor plants and this bad guy will crop up. Snake Plants thrive on neglect. They are hardy, striking and next to impossible to kill! The perfect living room addition for new plant parents.
The signature leaves of a Snake Plant come in a variety of shapes, lengths and shades, giving us newbies the world to play with. After an ornamental plant with cylinder-like leaves? A light, leafy and large plant that screams elegance? Or an untamed-looking dark green plant to rewild any corner? The Snake Plant is for you.
Care Tip: Snake Plants prefer moderate light but can thrive in low light conditions too. Let the soil dry between waterings.
2) Best for natural light – Areca Palm
For those of us lucky enough to have a living space filled with natural light, Areca Palms are the best plants for living rooms with lots of light.
A striking plant with wild-looking leaves, the Areca Palm is the king of living room indoor plants. Bold, heavenly green and (with the correct care) can grow up to 6 ft!
Care Tip: This plant needs bright light to thrive, however, keep in indirect light otherwise the plant leaves will turn yellow. Let the soil dry out slightly between waterings, water slightly more in warmer months.
3) Best for low light – ZZ Plant
On the other end of the spectrum, not all of us are blessed with arching windows and a luxurious stream of light pouring into our living room 12 hours a day. Not to worry, that’s where the ZZ Plant comes in.
The ZZ Plant proves low-light living room indoor plants really can do it all. With its shiny, waxy leaves, the ZZ Plant adds a mighty punch to any dark corner. It’s striking, great at filtering pollution in the air, and one of the hardiest living room indoor plants around.
Care Tip: Place in indirect light (or as best you can). Avoid direct sunlight as leaves will scorch. Water every 2-3 weeks and only ever when the top few inches of soil are dry to touch.
4) Best for the coffee table – Cacti
Coffee tables are a crucial part of the interior decor of your living space but are also largely functional. This begs for a plant that isn’t overpowering or fussy but striking all the same. Enter the humble Cactus.
These spiky little plants are resilient, easy to care for and are the best plants for living room coffee tables or side tables.
Cacti come in multiple shapes and sizes, so whether you are after a classic cactus, a quirky statement-maker or a large towering cactus – there’s one for you, we promise.
Care Tip: Cacti are native to desert environments, so they like lots of light. Place in bright light (near artificial lamps works). Water every week and always make sure the soil is dry between waterings.
5) Best for bookshelves – Golden Pothos
The perfect way to level up your bookshelf? A draping plant. Trust us, nothing says interior elegance quite like a stack of books peeking through a delicate vine of greenery. That’s where the Golden Pothos comes in.
With their large, bright green leaves, Pothos plants look fabulous when their long vines are left to drape down your bookshelf. Perfect for mantlepieces, shelves or hanging pots, Golden Pothos plants are excellent living room indoor plants to transform your space.
Care Tip: Golden Pothos plants do best in moderate light but don’t like direct sunlight. Let the soil dry out between waterings.
6) Best for a subtle pop of colour – Chinese Evergreen
While nothing beats a sea of green, a pop of colour helps here and there. Introducing the Chinese Evergreen.
While some Chinese Evergreens are, as the name suggests, very green. This ‘Crete’ Chinese Evergreen’ comes with a twist. With shapely green leaves tinted with deep shades of red and purple around the edges, this is the effortless gentle pop of colour you’ve been looking for.
Care Tip: Chinese Evergreens are pretty low maintenance, but will need to be kept in moderate to low-light conditions and with slightly moist soil.
7) Best for a quirky vibe – String of Pearls
For those of us who like to break the norm when it comes to decor, a quirky, eye-catching living room indoor plant is an uncomplicated and creative way to do so.
Nothing says unconventional quite like a string of pearls. Native to southwest Africa, these gloriously goofy plants are known for their bead-like leaves. Perfect for drooping from mantlepieces, bookshelves or displaying in hanging pots.
Care Tip: Place in bright light with occasional direct sun. Allow the soil to nearly dry out fully between watering. For those with busy households, beware – this plant is toxic to children and pets.
8) Best for making a statement – Shark Fin
Eager to build a living space that guests will remember? Time to enhance your living space with a plant that makes a statement. Our suggestion? The Shark Fin plant.
A daring name for a daring plant. The Shark Fin is guaranteed to catch any guest’s eye and leave its mark. One large, dark green, exquisitely shaped leaf. Perfect for minimalists who are ready to drop jaws (… pun intended.)
Care Tip: Water slowly and allow half the soil to dry between watering. Resistant to any light conditions, but will do best in bright light.
9) Best for an offbeat look – Rubber Plant
For those of us who prefer ‘moody’ vibes, perhaps those who like monochrome themes, or are a fan of all things grunge, a leafy green plant would be a little out of place. That’s where the Rubber Plant comes in.
The sleek, dark, mysterious-looking leaves of a Rubber Plant make the perfect living room indoor plant to capture that sulky, sophisticated vibe. Place in a dark stone plant pot against a white wall and voila – you can thank us later.
Care Tip: Different types of rubber plants prefer different light conditions. Read the specific care instructions once you select your rubber plant! Keep soil slightly damp and do not allow it to dry out. Water levels should be checked weekly.
In a Nutshell
So there you have it, the best plants for living rooms of all kinds. While the type of plant you choose will differ, bringing the outside in is always the right answer.
Whether it’s a small sophisticated edition to enhance the moodiness of your living room or a leafy green vine to rewild your space, finding the right plant to make your living space a sanctuary is important. The living room is one of the indoor spaces where we spend most of our time.
The best plants for your living room will change depending on space, purpose and personal preference. While all parts of your interior decor equation make your living space unique, we hope this handy guide allows you to add greenery into the mix with confidence.
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