Indoor plants are an excellent way to bring a touch of nature into your home. They’re not only beautiful but also offer many health benefits. Starting an indoor garden is simple, even for beginners.
Plants that require low amounts of light and water are known as indoor plants. Indoor plants can transform a room, providing both aesthetic appeal and health benefits like air purification and stress reduction.
Researchers concluded that working with plants could reduce both physiological and psychological stress. Here’s a guide to some of the best small indoor plants that can thrive in your home or office.
Best Small Indoor Plants
1. Air Plants
Air plants grow floating in the air. They are a unique group of tropical, epiphytic, evergreen perennial flowering plants. They are most commonly known for their small size, low maintenance, and decorative appearance.
Air plants can live without soil purely because of the humidity in the air around them. Though they do need a bit of attention and care, air plants are incredibly easy to nourish, making them perfect for both novices and experienced gardeners alike.
They do grow roots, but air plants do not use their roots for nutrients. For optimal results, you should water or mist your air plants once a week. Air plants are some of the most popular varieties that are grown at home and in nurseries. They’re non-toxic for you and your pets!
2. Anthurium
They can be grown outdoors in tropical climates but are more often kept as houseplants or in greenhouses due to their specific care needs. The growth rate is slow or moderate and dependent on ample natural light but susceptible to sunburn.
Also called flamingo flowers for their unique bright red, green, and white colors, they can bloom repeatedly for long periods. Blooming varieties are distinctive with heart-shaped waxy spathes (i.e., modified leaf around the flower) and red or yellow spikes.
Anthurium plant care is fairly easy, which is one reason it is a popular houseplant. It’s not for every home, though, as anthurium is highly toxic to humans and pets. If you have pets or small children, reconsider growing anthurium or keep it out of reach.
3. Aloe vera
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species of the genus Aloe. The plant is stemless or short-stemmed with thick, greenish, fleshy leaves that fan out from the plant’s central stem. The margin of the leaf is serrated with small teeth.
Before you buy aloe vera plants, note that you’ll need a location that offers bright, indirect sunlight (or artificial sunlight). Direct sunlight can dry out the plant too much and turn its fleshy leaves yellow, so you may need to water more often if your aloe lives in an exceedingly sunny spot.
Keep the aloe vera plant in a pot near a kitchen window for periodic use. Aloe vera is the only edible form of aloe. The aloe vera plant is native to the Arabian peninsula, but it grows throughout the world. This shrubby, pointy plant has been cultivated for its soothing gel for thousands of years.
Aloe vera gel isn’t just good for skin issues. It can be blended with water to create aloe vera juice, which is full of nutrients. It acts as an antioxidant that can help support eye health, including retinal and corneal function. A recent study has shown that aloe vera juice can reduce the symptoms of heartburn without any uncomfortable side effects.
4. Cast Iron Plant
The cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is named for its ability to survive a wide range of conditions. If you’re looking for low-maintenance greenery that can survive low light, low humidity, irregular watering, and temperature fluctuation, the cast-iron plant is THE plant for you.
The main light requirement for the cast-iron plant is no direct sun, which may burn its leaves. This means that indoors, it can be grown near north-facing windows or even deep in a room away from windows. Temperatures between 45°F and 85°F are fine, and humidity isn’t a concern, so there are many options for where to put this plant.
If you need a houseplant that tolerates almost anything you can throw at it (dark rooms, forgetting to water, general neglect), this is the plant for you! Cast-iron plants are easy to care for, both indoors and out, and ideal for both new and experienced plant parents.
5. Echeveria
most Echeveria can be kept very bright but indirect light. True species tend to have more specific care requirements, with species such as agavoides doing well in nearly full sun. Hybrids, particularly the Korean import varieties, generally do better with more diffuse light or under grow lights for controlled growing conditions.
These small plants are easily recognizable due to their compact rosette and plump, charming leaves, which may be flushed with red or pink color and may even seem to glow under the right lighting conditions.
So, if you want to have a beautiful Echeveria all year round, provide them with plenty of bright, indirect light. Echeverias can be grown outdoors as well, especially during the summer.
6. Oxalis
Oxalis are also known as False Shamrocks and a plethora of other common names. Of the Oxalis species in cultivation, Oxalis triangularis is the one most commonly cultivated as a houseplant.
Oxalis are excellent houseplants not only because they come in a range of colors and sizes but also because they are so prolific. They are, in fact, SO prolific that they are considered to be weeds to gardeners and greenhouse growers worldwide
Oxalis grows best in areas with cool summers and mild winters. It thrives in bright indirect to bright direct light from the window. It is not suited for low-light conditions. If kept outside, it cannot handle direct sunlight, so it should be kept in the shade.
7. Peperomia
Air-purifying qualities are a standout feature of the Raindrop Peperomia. Like a silent, leafy warrior, it battles indoor pollutants, stripping the air of nasties like formaldehyde. Whether you’re living in a humid jungle of an apartment or a dry, heated box in winter, the Raindrop Peperomia adjusts.
It’s not fussy about humidity, so you can skip the daily misting ritual and still have a happy plant. It manages inflammatory illnesses such as conjunctivitis and gastrointestinal and respiratory tract disorders in tropical and subtropical regions.
Peperomia plants are low-maintenance and pet-friendly.Most varieties prefer medium to bright indirect light but can tolerate low indirect light. They are not suited for intense, direct sun.
Conclusion
Small indoor plants like snake plants, spider plant, and lucky bamboo are perfect for tiny spaces and require minimal care. Whether it’s the resilient jade plants or the moisture-loving peace lilies, these small houseplants thrive under natural or fluorescent light and add a splash of nature to any room.
From the lush asparagus fern to the architectural Chinese money plant, there’s a small plant suitable for every type of indoor environment. Start with small potted plants like aloe vera or a snake plant and enjoy the beauty and health benefits they bring to your home.
