16 Best Indoor Plants for the Small Spaces with Names and Pictures

ZZ Plant also called Zanzibar Gem, Zuzu Plant, Aroid Palm or Emerald Palm is among the popular indoor plants due to its compact size, attractive, glossy, dark-green foliage and tolerance to less than perfect growing conditions.

Zanzibar Gem grows to a height of 90 cm from a stout underground succulent rhizome. It is a good air cleaner getting rid benzene, toluene, xylene and ethylbenzene from indoor air. On account of its compact size and air cleaning properties, Zuzu Plant is one of the best plants for for a study table as it boosts concentration and productivity.

Zamioculcas zamiifolia blossoms in bright indirect light, average warmth and humidity, and moderately moist, fertile, succulents potting soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for ZZ Plant.

Pothos are very colorful and very versatile plants. This coupled with their air cleaning properties make these plants excellent choice for hassle-free houseplants.

If kept away from drafts, direct sunlight and with moderate watering, these plants will thrive. Pothos varieties can be treated as a trailer in a hanging basket or as a climber on a moss-stick, a trellis or a wall or as a table-top plant.

Scindapsus aureus 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 Scindapsus aureus Pothos.

Chinese Evergreens are relatively small and exhibit a compact growth with minimum outward growth. The leaves are large, spear-shaped and borne on short stems and have a strong vein running down the middle and a speckled pattern along the sides.

There are numerous Aglaonema varieties and hybrids available for home growing. It is the green varieties Aglaonema modestum that can tolerate some shade but the near-white varieties need a well-lit environment.

Aglaonema thrive in medium to bright indirect light, warmth of 18-27⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, well-drained soils that are rich in organic matter coupled with feeding every 3-4 months in the growing season (spring and summer).

Snake Plant bears long upright and beautifully colored foliage with a minimum outward spread making it perfect for limited spaces. This plant is slow-growing, low-maintenance, extremely hardy and almost indestructible.

The Snake Plants can withstand low light, dry air, drafts and periods of dryness. It is also effective in cleaning indoor air of various indoor air pollutants.

Snake Plants require bright light with some direct sunlight, average warmth and humidity, and moderately moist, loose, fertile, free-draining soil.

Heartleaf Philodendron also called Sweetheart Plant is a popular, air-cleaning plant for the small spaces. It features beautiful heart-shaped leaves which appear bronze and quickly turn green as the plant grows.

Sweetheart Plant is a Vining Philodendron whose trailing stems beautifully cascading downwards in a hanging basket or on a pedestal, tabletop, desktop or plant shelf.

Philodendron scandens thrives in medium to bright indirect light (dappled light), warmth of 18-26⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soils coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season.

Peace Lily also called White Sails or Spathe Flower bears glossy, dark-green leaves with a minimum outward spread which makes it ideal for small spaces and is also a good air cleaner.

White Sails like Cigar Plant (Cuphea ignea) are grown for their beautiful foliage and large flowers which are magnificent in any space.

Spathiphyllum wallisii grows best in bright indirect light, average warmth and humid conditions, and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil. Learn more on how to grow and care for Peace Lily.

Spider Plant also called Airplane Plant, Spider Ivy or Ribbon Plant is a popular indoor plant for a hanging basket, pedestal or a tabletop. It is fast growing, easy-care and is also a good air cleaner.

Spider Plants are extremely adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions; they will grow in hot or cool rooms, in sun or shade and will withstand dry air.

Chlorophytum comosum thrives in bright indirect light, warmth of 16-24⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and consistently moist, fertile, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for Spider Plant.

Corn Palm or Corn Plant grows with a minimal outward spread which saves on space, making it perfect for small spaces. The brightly colored foliage will add a splash of color to any space. It can be grown as a stand alone plant to provide a bold and attractive focal point.

Corn Plant is among low-maintenance Dracaena varieties but does not like to be exposed to direct sunlight as it can cause scorching of the leaves.

Dracaena fragrans requires bright indirect light, average warmth and humidity, and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soil. Learn more on how to grow and care for Corn Palm.

Teardrop Peperomia is one of the favored Peperomia varieties, and bears delicate, fleshy, dark-green, oval-shaped leaves and hence the common name, 'teardrop'.

Teardrop Peperomia is a semi-succulent, slow growing, compact plant which grows to a height of about 6 inches. On account of its compact size, Peperomia orba and its cousins Peperomia verticillata (Red Log Plant), Peperomia obtusifolia (Pepper Face Plant) and Peperomia puteolata (Parallel Peperomia) are perfect for the limited spaces.

Peperomia orba grows best in medium to bright indirect light, average warmth and humidity, and moderately moist, fetile, well-drained, succulents potting soil coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for Teardrop Peperomia.

Desert Cacti are plants with minimal outward spread which is ideal for the limited spaces. The trailing types can be grown in a hanging basket, the ball-like can be grown as a table-top plants while the columnar types can be grown as statement plants.

Desert Cacti like Aloes, Echeverias, Gasteria and Haworthia are small-sized, hardy plants which easily withstand a some level of neglect.

Desert Cacti grow best in in bright light to full sunlight, average warmth and humidity, and moderately moist, well drained, cactus potting soil coupled with monthly feeding during the growing season. Learn more on how to grow and care for Desert Cacti.

Paddle Plant also called Desert Cabbage, FlapJack or White Lady is among favorite Kalanchoe varieties, and features a basal rosette of large, rounded, succulent, stalkless leaves which are grayish-green with red margins under bright light. The leaves are covered with a white powdery bloom called 'farina' or 'epicuticular wax'.

FlapJack like its cousins Kalanchoe marmorata (Penwiper Plant) and Kalanchoe tomentosa (Panda Plant) are popular plants for the limited spaces on account of their compact size.

Kalanchoe thyrsiflora blossoms in bright light to full sunlight, warmth of 16-26⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season. Learn more on how to grow and care for Paddle Plant.

Woolly Crassula is among favored Crassula varieties and features rounded, disc-like, gray-green leaves in an overlapping manner and are covered with tiny white hairs along the edges.

Woolly Crassula is a compact, slow-growing succulent which spreads by means of stolons on which new plantlets grow around the mother plant forming small colonies which makes this plant ideal for an indoor garden or a wide shallow pot.

Crassula tomentosa flourishes in bright light with at least 4-6 hours sunlight, warmth of 15-26⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fast-draining soil coupled with monthly feeding in spring and summer. Learn how to grow and care for Woolly Crassula.

String of Rubies Plant also called String of Pickles Plant, Little Pickles Plant or Ruby Necklace Plant is one of the popular string of plants and is characterized by thin, oval-shaped leaves and reddish-purple stems. The bean-shaped leaves turn a bright ruby red when the plant is grown under bright sunshine.

String of Pickles Plant grows as a trailer, with stems trailing on the ground, rooting where they touch and forming dense mats. The trailing stems are spectacular when they cascade downwards beautifully in a hanging basket, on a pedestal, tabletop, shelf or window sill.

Othonna capensis blossoms in very bright light with at least 6 hours of sunlight, warmth of 20-27⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile, well-drained soil coupled with two feedings during the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for String of Rubies Plant.

Chinese Money Plant also called Missionary Plant, Friendship Plant, Pancake Plant or UFO Plant is among popular succulent plants and features round, dark-green leaves which are held on long petioles. The stem is greenish to dark-brown and often upright straight.

Missionary Plant is an erect, succulent, evergreen, perennial growing to a height of 12 inches only. The leaves held on long petioles are about 4 inches in diameter. It grows a minimal outward spread, thus is perfect for a tabletop, desktop, plant shelf or windowsill.

Pilea peperomioides requires bright indirect light, warmth of 18-28⁰C, humidity of 50-55% and moderately moist, fertile succulents potting mix coupled with quarterly feeding during the growing season.

Arrowhead Vine also called Goosefoot Vine, Arrowhead Plant, African Evergreen, Arrowhead Philodendron, American Evergreen or Nephthytis is a compact plant with arrow-shaped leaves which dramatically change in shape as the plant ages.

There are many Syngonium varieties with the main difference being in the position and extent of the cream or white markings. Some leaves are almost entirely white, pink, red or yellow.

Syngonium podophyllum flourishes in bright indirect light, average warmth and humidity, and consistently moist, rich, well-drained soils coupled with monthly feeding in the growing season. Learn how to grow and care for Arrowhead Vine.

Pygmy Date Palm also called Dwarf Date Palm is among popular indoor palms on account of its beautiful foliage and tolerance to drought and shade conditions.

Dwarf Date Palm like Sentry Palm (Howea belmoreana) is a small-sized plant, ideal for the limited spaces in the home, office and other places.

Phoenix roebelenii prospers in bright indirect light, warmth of 16-28⁰C, humidity of 50-60% and moderately moist, fertile, well drained soils coupled with monthly feeding during the growing period. Learn more on how to grow and care for Pygmy Date Palm.

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