The best indoor plants for your living room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom..

There hasn’t been a time in history when houseplants haven’t formed a feature in most homes. The history of indoor plants stretches back millennia, with evidence suggesting their use in ancient civilizations for both decorative and practical purposes;.from ancient Greece and China to Victorian Britain, houseplants have been valued for their beauty, as status symbols, and their ability to bring nature indoors.

In the nineteenth century, the houseplant trade boomed, as homes designed with larger windows and heated rooms meant houseplants – largely brought from foreign, warmer shores, could be more easily cared for. Fashions in houseplants have ebbed and flowed, with the aspidistra of the Victorian era (favoured due to its ability to thrive in low lit rooms and tolerate pollution from coal fires and gas lighting) to the spider plants and ferns of the 1970s. 

2020 saw a massive resurgence of interest in houseplants, with a focus on easy-care varieties like succulents and snake plants, both of which are hard to kill and bring a shot of green from the outside in – something we all felt the need for during the lockdown years.

Our interest in houseplants hasn’t waned since 2020, but, it seems our decision making has changed from grabbing the ones that look good on the supermarket middle aisle to making more intentional choices, with a greater understanding of what plants need to thrive, and what they give in return.

Best indoor plants for your living room

In the living room there are too many fabulous houseplant options to list. You can choose a single, sculptural plant such as the snake plant (Sansevieria Trifasciata), which can easily command a corner with its deep green, lime edged leaves; the 70s classic Swiss cheese plant (Monstera Deliciosa), with glossy deep green leaves with those tear-shaped holes; or the Kentia palm (Howea Forsterian), which has palm leaf-style leaves rising from its base to create a jungle feel. All of these require only basic care – a regular watering (but not even every week) and an occasional misting.

Alternatively, go for unusual colours, the lime green leave of the neon pothos (Epipremnon Aureum); the purple false shamrock (Oxalis Triangularis) or the prayer plant (Maranta Fascinator) which has pink ridges running across dark and bright green leaves. These softer leaves need more attention, so getting in a routine with weekly watering is helpful, and as they’re in line of sight most days, you can keep an eye on them on days when it’s hot and dry, or the central heating has been working overtime.

Best houseplants for your bedroom

Bedrooms tend to be warm and dry and less ‘visited’ than other rooms, where walking past house plants may trigger a reminder to water them, so easy-care plants work best here. For health purposes, houseplants that are both easy to care for and really pump out the oxygen at night, while you sleep, are the big win, however, so consider the snake plant, with its bold, tall spiky leaves; the good old spider plant (Chlorophytum Comosum); and the philodendron (Philodendron spp.), which has heart shaped leaves and comes in a range of green tones and even a rich russet red. 

Best houseplants for your kitchen

It might seem obvious, buy potted herbs and make a smashing kitchen plant. Choose a few of your most used herbs and run a row of small pots on your windowsill. They’re ridiculously low cost at most supermarkets, so if one bolts or dies they are quick, easy and cheap to replace. One plant we should all have in our kitchen is the aloe vera. It’s not just an attractive, easy to care for plant (just pop it on a windowsill and drench every couple of weeks) but if you burn yourself you can snap off a leaf and use the sap to soothe the burn. You can use it for sunburn too, making it an all round good choice,

Best houseplants for your bathroom

Bathrooms tend to be a little more humid than most rooms, so ferns do quite well in here, such as the Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). It has graceful, multi fronded leaves and loves to soak up the moisture in the air, looking great in a pot on the side of the bath or hanging from the ceiling. Consider the peace lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), too. They do well in indirect light, away from direct heat (so not next to a radiator) so do well in bathrooms where windows are often frosted. They respond well to a weekly water and you will know if they need more as the leaves just collapse, but will pop up fast the moment you act.

Whatever plants you choose, remember, they are triple givers: they look beautiful, so please the eye; they help purify the air; and they’re great for mental wellness, as having something to care for that so visibly responds to that care is very good for you. Win, win, win.

Eddie – Saturday 26th April 2025.