Last updated on March 11th, 2022
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If you are looking to brighten up your home, then you should include fun, accessible houseplants. Over the last few years, houseplants have become very popular and not only do we now recognise that they can make a room feel more appealing, creating a calm feeling, bringing the outdoors indoors, but also some houseplants even have air-purifying properties too that can be very appealing.
When it comes to choosing the best houseplants, you also need to think about the position of where you want to grow them, because some prefer direct sunlight, for example, in front of a window in full sun, while others prefer to be in a bright position, maybe near a window but not in direct sunlight. Then, of course, we have plants that need shade so are best positioned in a shady corner or position away from the window.
Finally, you need to think about the humidity because some plants (such as the Monstera and Ficus) prefer a more warm and humid environment so misting now and again with water is a good idea, as well as placing the plants on top of a saucer filled with pebbles and water.
Below are our top houseplants for brightening and lightening your home, most have been chosen because they are easy to care for and are considered low maintenance. If you have ever fancied growing your own coffee beans, we start off with Coffee Arabica.
1. Coffee Arabica – Coffee Plant
If you want to brighten your home, this evergreen houseplant is sure to help. It will make an unusual gift idea for coffee lovers, and although you may never get to make coffee using them, they are still an interesting houseplant and a real talking point. While coffee plants that are grown in the wild reach the sizes of large trees, you can prune yours indoors and keep it a manageable, small plant.
It is important to note though that the plants you buy in garden centres and nurseries cannot usually be used to grow coffee beans for you to roast. However, they will still add some brightness to your home with their glossy green leaves. They need bright, indirect sunlight and careful pruning to keep them compact, but they can often reach a size of 5ft in a large pot. Ideally, they need to be kept at 20 to 25 degrees, a little cooler in winter and prefer a humid environment, so spraying once a day is recommended. Come spring you can enjoy a parade of white flowers.
2. Strelitzia – Bird of Paradise
This plant is well known for its distinctive flower. A tropical plant, it has iridescent orange and midnight blue colours for its flowers. These striking colours make the flowers look like exotic birds just sticking their beaks out from behind the clump of long-stalked, oblong, grey-green leaves.
It’s worth noting that they are difficult to get to flower and it can take many years, with plants purchased from garden centres usually having fake flowers inserted. They prefer a bright position but not in direct sunlight and moist but well-drained compost. Water freely in summer during the growing season and feed monthly with a general plant feed.
3. Citrus Lemon Tree
Citrus lemon trees are guaranteed to brighten your home when they start to produce their perfect yellow fruits. They are also very easy to grow and care for. These trees are smaller and won’t take up too much space when grown in containers, so they make the perfect houseplants. They need good drainage so you will need to ensure the pot has extra holes and they prefer heavy loamy soil. They require regular watering and if they don’t get it, the leaves will start to curl and fall off.
As the plant is growing, mix some fertiliser into the potting mixture to encourage additional lemons. Some lemon trees are sold for ornamental purposes and are not edible, so be sure to check beforehand whether it is a variety you can actually eat. The edible fruit is actually high in vitamin C and can be used for juices, jams or whole fruits can be sliced for drinks. They are perfect for growing on a sunny windowsill.
4. Monstera deliciosa – Swiss Cheese Plant
This plant gets its nickname from the many holes that naturally grow inside the large leaves and has become very popular over the years, being featured in many an Instagram post. A tropical plant, the aerial roots grow downwards and give off the sense of a vine. The leaves are quite large and bright green, perfect for adding colour to otherwise shaded, dark areas.
They are flexible insofar as they adapt to partial shade where other houseplants do not. This plant can grow quite large, up to 2 metres if allowed, and it’s actually a climber so larger specimens are often sold attached to a moss-covered post. Plant in a bright position but not in direct sunlight, a perfect houseplant for anyone looking for a large specimen.
5. Areca/Dypsis Palm Tree – Golden Cane Palm
This palm tree also is known as the Butterfly Palm or Golden Cane Palm, it may be a tree but you can easily grow it indoors in your home because of how slowly it develops, and it makes a great (larger) houseplant that is easy to care for. Indoors it will help to keep the space bright with colours other than green. So many houseplants are green of varying shades, however, this plant grows golden-yellow canes to which it gets its common name. You can dictate to a degree, the colour of the canes based on the amount of natural light afforded to the plant, the more direct sunlight, the brighter the yellow. That being said, it prefers bright but indirect light and moist soil.
6. Maranta leuconeura Fascinator – Prayer Plant
The prayer plant is a low growing, tropical evergreen that is known for its leaves, and these are approximately 15cm in length. These leaves are famous for their decorative markings, the leaves being green with pink/red veins and from the centre outwards, some yellow/cream collections of colour. It gets its name from the leaves that open downwards (or straight) all day and come nighttime they close vertically, similar to the shape of closed hands in prayer, which is where its common name comes from. The response is stimulated by changes in sunlight but is nonetheless beautiful.
7. Sansevaria – Mother in Laws Tongue
Another very popular houseplant, this one features upright stiff leaves that can be 30cm or 100cm in height, depending on the variety you choose. So you can pick varieties that fill the space you have, meaning it doesn’t matter whether you need a small tabletop houseplant or a large houseplant for a spot next to the stairs, there is a variety for you.
The leaves are banded in green with a yellow border making them quite beautiful. If you are looking for a houseplant with air-purifying qualities then you will be happy to hear that this plant absorbs toxins, such as nitrogen oxides, and is great for improving indoor air quality. It likes to have plenty of light but not direct so is happiest located near a window so it has plenty of natural light.
8. Ficus eleastica Robusta – Indian Rubber Plant
Traditionally a tree from which sap is converted into rubber, this tree can be grown indoors with ease and will even take a couple of morning hours of direct light. Grown indoors it helps to purify the air by removing formaldehyde, so it is another plant known for its air-purifying qualities.
Pick a spot that doesn’t have a lot of fluctuation in airflow and has indirect light and it should thrive. In regards to watering, they don’t like being wet so only water once the soil is dry to the touch and try and maintain a temperature of 12°C in the winter if possible. Rubber plants also take well when taking cuttings in jars of water.
9. Chinese Elm Bonsai
This Asian plant is known for its size when grown naturally in China, but at home, you can keep a smaller, trimmed plant that fits perfectly with the size of your space. These plants have small leaves, double toothed that stand apart from other bonsai plants with single leaves. They do well in partial shade or full sun and indoors will survive cold winters much better. You should water them generously to ensure the soil remains moist and give them good fertiliser during the growing season. Ideally, they grow well on a sunny windowsill with plenty of direct light but in summer the sun can scorch the leaves, which is something to look out for and move them out of direct sunlight if necessary.
10. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is one of the most popular plants, known for its medicinal uses, and is another very popular houseplant with air purifying qualities. It is a succulent though, so like other succulents it needs dry conditions. If you are growing them in your home, you should use cactus potting compost specifically and ensure the containers you choose have ample drainage holes. Aloe Vera, unlike other indoor plants, needs bright light, so put it near or on a windowsill if possible.
