20 Best Plants for the Living Room | Living Room Indoor Plants
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The living room is one great place to display your collection of indoor plants. The choice of living room plants is important so as to make it more cozy and inviting.
Apart from adding beauty to a space, some plants have been found to clean indoor air, freshen up spaces, reduce stress and improve general wellbeing. At the same time some plants have been shown to have toxic effects on humans and pets.
Therefore, selection of plants is key. As you choose plants for your living room, get those plants that will meet your intended purpose while considering the safety of the occupants.
Remember also to consider the level of care and the growing conditions in your living room to ensure that they match those of the particular plant. Of importance is the amount of lighting and humidity in the room.
Where the lighting is not adequate for the particular plant, consider investing in a grow light to supplement it. To increase humidity especially in the winter months when the heating systems are running, instal a cool mist humidifier.
The plants can be placed on a shelf, a windowsill, a shelf, a tabletop, a pedestal or in a hanging basket. A floor standing plant is superb in a large livingroom.
20 Best Living Room Indoor Plants
Our list of 20 best plants for the living room include; Pothos, Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen, Snake Plant, Asplenium Fern, Monstera, Anthuriums, Alocasias, Tradescantia, Peperomia among others. Keep reading to get the complete list of these plants and their care guides.
1. Pothos (Scindapsus aureus)
Pothos also called Devil's Ivy, Devil's Vine or Money Plant are popular plants that easily adapt to a wide range of growing conditions including a poorly-lit room.
Devil's Ivy can be grown in a hanging basket or as a specimen plant on a table or pedestal where the stems can hang down beautifully.
Money Plants grow best in medium to bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, moderately warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soil. Learn more on how to grow and care for Pothos.
2. Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)
Swiss Cheese Plant is a fast-growing, climbing plant with large, heart-shaped, deeply perforated leaves which are a sight to behold and is easy to grow even for a beginner.
Monstera deliciosa is perfect as a stand alone plant for occupying large empty spaces. To produce an upright plant, provide a moss stick to support it and also push the aerial roots into the soil.
Swiss Cheese Plant thrives in bright to medium, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soils. Read more on how to grow and care for Swiss Cheese Plant.
3. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Peace Lily also called White Sails or Spathe Flower is a favorite, easy-care plant with dark-green glossy leaves and white blooms which will brighten any space.
Peace Lily is also a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of rid of xylene, toulene, benzene, formaldehyde and ammonia from indoor air.
Spathiphyllum wallisii requires bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, well-drained, rich soil. Learn how to grow and care for Peace Lily.
4. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider Plant also called Airplane Plant, Spider Ivy or Ribbon Plant is a fast growing plant and is perfect for a hanging basket, a pedestal, a shelf or a tabletop.
Several varieties of Spider Plants are available with varying variegation form like 'Variegatum' with green leaves trimmed in white and 'Vittatum' with a central white stripe on green leaves.
Chlorophytum comosum thrives in bright, indirect light, average warmth and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soil coupled with regular feeding during the growing season. Learn more on how to grow and care for Spider Plants.
5. Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
Snake Plant also called Mother-in-law's Tongue Plant or Saint George's Sword Plant is a slow growing, low maintenance and extremely hardy plant which is also a good air cleaner.
Dracaena trifasciata also produces large amounts of oxygen at night as it is a CAM (Crassulacean Acidic Metabolism) plant and thus freshens the indoor air.
Mother-in-law's Tongue Plant thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and moderately moist, loose, fertile, free-draining soil. Learn how to grow and care for Snake Plants.
6. Laceleaf Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum)
Laceleaf Anthurium also called Oilcloth Flower, Painter's Palette or Tailflower is a flowering houseplant which bears long, glossy blooms with a straight or arched yellow or white tail.
Many varieties and hybrids of Laceleaf Anthurium have been developed and are available. White, pink, orange and red flowers are available.
Anthurium andraeanum grows best in bright, indirect light, average warmth, humid conditions and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read more on how to grow and care for Laceleaf Anthurium.
7. Chinese Evergreens (Aglaonema)
Aglaonema or Chinese Evergreens are popular plants on account of their spectacular foliage, ease of care, air cleaning properties and ability to adapt to indoor growing conditions.
Numerous varieties and hybrids of Chinese Evergreen are available. It is the green varieties Aglaonema modestum that can tolerate some shade but the near-white varieties need a well-lit environment.
Chinese Evergreens thrive in medium to bright light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, rich, well-drained soils. Learn more on how to grow and care for Chinese Evergreen.
8. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Areca Palm also called Butterfly Palm or Golden Cane Palm is a popular, easy to grow palm which adds an unmatched exotic feel in any space.
According to the NASA Clean Air Study, Dypsis lutescens was found to be a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of formaldehyde, xylene and toulene.
Areca Palm requires bright, indirect light away from hot direct sunlight, average warmth and humidity and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read on how to grow grow and care for Areca Palm.
9. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Rubber Plant also called Rubber Fig, Rubber Tree, Rubber Bush, Indian Rubber Tree or Indian Rubber Bush is a tree-like plant, an ideal stand alone plant that easily adaptable to indoor growing conditions.
There are many varieties of Rubber Tree like Ficus elastica 'Decora', Ficus elastica 'robusta' (Bronze Rubber Plant), Ficus elastica 'Black Prince', Ficus elastica 'Tineke', Ficus elastica 'Shivereana' among others.
Ficus elastica thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Learn more on how to grow and care for Rubber Plant.
10. Bird of Paradise Plant (Strelitzia reginae)
Bird of Paradise Plant or Crane Flower is a spectacular flowering plant with vivid bright orange and blue flowers borne on top of tall stalks and surrounded by large leaves which can last for several weeks.
Bird of Paradise Plant grows to a height of about 5-7 ft and 3-4 ft wide. The evergreen leaves are arranged in two ranks, making a fan-shaped crown.
Crane Flower grows best in bright light with some direct sunshine, cool to average warmth, humid conditions and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read more on how to grow and care for Bird of Paradise Plant.
11. Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
Corn Plant also called Corn Palm, Striped Dracaena or Compact Dracaena is an easy care plant whose glossy, large, yellow-striped leaves will brighten up any space.
Dracaena fragrans is also known as a good indoor air cleaner which gets rid of common VOCs like xylene, toulene, benzene, formaldehyde and trichloethylene from indoor air.
Striped Dracaena thrives in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, average warmth and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soil. Learn how to grow and care for Corn Plant.
12. Heartleaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens)
Heartleaf Philodendron also called Heartleaf Plant or Sweetheart Plant is an easy-care, climbing plant that will thrive in a wide range of conditions.
Philodendron scandens is ideal for a hanging basket or can be grown as a climber on a trellis or moss stick. Firm support for the stems needs to be provided for the climber.
Heartleaf Philodendron grows best in medium to bright indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soils. Learn more on how to grow and care for Heartleaf Philodendron.
13. Rattlesnake Calathea (Calathea lancifolia)
Rattlesnake Calathea also called Calathea Rattlesnake or Rattlesnake Plant is a perennial plant which bears slender pale-green leaves which are heavily marked above with dark blotches and have purple undersides.
Rattlesnake Calathea grows in clumps to a height of about 2-3 ft and is closely related to the Marantas, Ctenanthe and Stromanthe which close their leaves at night.
Calathea lancifolia thrives in bright, indirect light, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read more on how to grow and care for Rattlesnake Calathea.
14. Alocasia 'Regal Shield'
Alocasia 'Regal Shield' also called Regal Shield Elephant Ear or Regal Shield Alocasia is a fast growing plant which bears heart-shaped dark-green to almost black leaves with light-green venation on light-green stems.
Regal Shield Elephant Ear is highly adaptable, fast growing plant which grows to a height of 5 ft and makes a perfect statement plant for a narrow space.
Alocasia 'Regal Shield' thrives in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soils. Learn more on how to grow and care for Alocasia 'Regal Shield'.
15. Scarlet Star Bromeliads (Guzmania Bromeliads)
Scarlet Star Bromeliads are grown for the beauty of their bright-red or orange showy flower-heads with a central cluster of small white flowers.
Several varieties of the Guzmania Bromeliads are available like Guzmania lingulata, Guzmania zahnii, Guzmania Omer Morobe and Guzmania musaica.
Scarlet Star Bromeliads thrive in bright light but away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Learn how to grow and care for Scarlet Star Bromeliads.
16. Polka Dot Begonia (Begonia maculata)
Polka Dot Begonia also called Trout Begonia or Spotted Begonia is an evergreen shrubby plant which bears large, glossy, olive-green leaves blotched with white dot-like spots and hence the common name.
Spotted Begonia is one of the popular cane-stemmed Begonias which can grow to the height of 8 ft or more if left unpruned and the flowers are large clusters which hang from the stems.
Begonia maculata grows best in bright, indirect light, average warmth, average humidity and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read more on how to grow and care for Polka Dot Begonia.
17. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata 'Bostoniensis')
Boston Fern is an attractive, hardy fern which bears gracefully arching fronds and leaves which are highly compound whose edges appear slightly serrate.
The Boston Fern can be displayed on a pedestal, in a hanging basket, as a specimen plant or as a part of plant group.
Boston Fern thrives in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Learn how to grow and care for Boston Fern.
18. Air Plants (Grey Tillandsia)
Air Plants are unique plants that do not need to be planted in a potting medium as furry scales on their foliage take up water from humid air and obtain nutrients from air-borne dust and moisture.
Grey Tillandsia literally live on air and hence the common name "Air Plants". These plants can be displayed by sticking them on coral, shells, drift wood, hanging them and many other ways.
Air Plants grow best in bright light but away from direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions. Learn more on how to grow and care for Air Plants.
19. String of Turtles (Peperomia prostrata)
String of Turtles Plant or Magic Marmer is a compact, perennial, trailing plant that is easy to grow and adapts well to indoor growing conditions.
Magic Marmer bears succulent, heart-shaped leaves with beautiful patterns of white veins which vary in color from maroon to dark blue to purple in young plants and they become silvery-white as the plant matures.
Peperomia prostrata thrives in bright light with some direct sunlight, warm and humid conditions and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Read more on how to grow and care for String of Turtles Plant.
20. Tradescantia Nanouk (Tradescantia albiflora 'Nanouk')
Tradescantia Nanouk also called Fantasy Venice Plant or Spiderwort 'Nanouk' is a spectacular plant on account of its bright green, pink & purple, fuzzy leaves growing on sturdy stems.
Fantasy Venice Plant is a cross between two selected seedlings of Tradescantia albiflora. It is a patented plant which was developed to create a new hardy and vigorous Tradescantia plant.
Tradescantia Nanouk grows best in bright, indirect light away from direct sunlight, average warmth and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soil. Learn how to grow and care for Tradescantia Nanouk.
