Best indoor plants by room

Match plant to room, not the other way round

Most plant deaths happen because someone put a sun-loving plant in a dim corner, or a humidity-loving one in a dry living room. Pick the spot first. Then choose the plant.

Living room: medium light, dry

Pick from: snake plant, ZZ plant, rubber plant, dracaena, parlour palm. All forgive missed watering and lower light. Snake plant and ZZ are nearly indestructible. Good travellers' plants.

Kitchen: bright, warm, sometimes humid

Pick from: pothos, herbs in a sunny window (basil, mint, thyme), spider plant. Avoid anything that hates temperature swings. Kitchens go cool to oven-hot fast.

Bathroom: humid, low to medium light

Pick from: Boston fern, maidenhair fern, peace lily, calathea, anthurium. These love the constant moisture from showers. Skip succulents. They rot fast in a steamy room.

Bedroom: variable light, kept cooler

Pick from: snake plant (releases oxygen at night, unusual for plants), pothos, philodendron, jade plant. Skip heavy-scented plants. They disrupt sleep.

Sunny window with hot afternoon sun

Pick from: cacti, succulents, jade, aloe, string of pearls. Most other plants will burn or fade in direct hot afternoon sun.

Dim corner (north-facing, or far from windows)

Pick from: cast iron plant (the name fits), ZZ, snake plant, pothos. These survive in conditions that kill most others.

Two universal rules

1. Overwatering kills 80% of houseplants. Most plants prefer the top 2cm of soil to be dry before the next watering.
2. Rotate pots a quarter-turn weekly. The plant grows symmetrically toward the light, not crooked.

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