Having houseplants in the bedroom can liven up the room's appearance and bring a touch of nature indoors. For people who incorporate feng shui principles in decor, plants in the bedroom are said to bring in wood energy, which is rejuvenating. In design terms, a touch of green has a harmonizing and balancing effect, being in the middle of the color spectrum. Because we spend so much time in the bedroom, making it an oasis with plants can help create a place of relaxation and comfort.
Choosing the right plant for the bedroom may involve a number of factors, including how much space you have. You should also consider available light, and where and how you want to display your plant. Below, we share all the best bedroom houseplants for you to choose from.
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Pothos
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The glossy leaves and easy-care needs of pothos plants make them a favorite among houseplant lovers. These plants look equally great in a hanging pot or on a table where the leafy vines can trail over the edges.
- Name: Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
- Color: Light to dark green, some variegated
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: Vines up to 6 ft. long indoors
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Swiss Cheese Plant
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The Swiss cheese plant, also called split-leaf philodendron, is a type of monstera plant with large, glossy leaves. Indoors, monstera plants usually stay under six feet tall. They're fairly low maintenance but need regular watering and adequate humidity to thrive.
- Name: Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa)
- Color: Dark green, some variegated
- Light: Partial or dappled sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, peat-based soil
- Mature Size: 3 -15 ft. tall, 3-8 ft. wide
- 03 of 22
Peperomia
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The deeply corrugated leaves of Peperomia caperata have wonderful visual interest. A compact plant, it is perfect for small places, or tucked into the corner of a dresser or vanity.
- Name: Peperomia, baby rubber plant (Peperomia spp.)
- Color: Dark to medium green, some variegated
- Light: Full or partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 6–12 in. tall, 6–12 in. wide
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Jade Plant
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It's hard to go wrong with a jade plant: these low-maintenance succulents provide so much beauty for so little effort. Jade plants have plump, glossy leaves and have many beautiful cultivars. They grow somewhat slowly, yet can be very long-lived. They need direct sunlight and well-drained soil.
- Name: Jade plant (Crassula ovata)
- Color: Dark to pale green, and some variegated
- Light: Full sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, neutral to slightly acidic
- Mature Size: 3–6 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide
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String of Pearls
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This succulent makes a wonderful hanging plant indoors. It does best in direct sunlight in the morning and indirect sunlight in the afternoon. Water consistently during the growing season, but more sparingly in winter when the plant's growth slows down a bit.
- Name: String of pearls (Curio rowleyanus)
- Color: Medium green
- Light: Partial to full sun (morning sun)
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, sandy potting soil
- Mature Size: 1-2 ft. tall and long
- 06 of 22
Aglaonema
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Also known as Chinese evergreen, this plant has many colorful cultivars to choose from. The gorgeous leaf markings provide visual interest. Aglaonema likes indirect light and high humidity. Place it away from heat sources like radiators to keep it from drying out.
- Name: Aglaonema, Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum)
- Color: Various greens, variegated with white, pink
- Light: Partial to full sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 1–3 ft. tall, 1–3 ft. wide
- 07 of 22
Dracaena
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The Dracaena plant family has many variegated cultivars that make attractive house plants. Water less frequently in winter, and make sure there's enough humidity in a heated indoor environment. There are some compact varieties of dracaena perfect for a bedroom space, including 'Hawaiian Sunshine, 'Gold Dust,' and 'White Jewel.'
- Name: Dracaena (Dracaena spp.)
- Color: Green, many variegated variations
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, moist
- Mature Size: 2-10 ft. tall, 1-2 ft. wide
- 08 of 22
Staghorn Fern
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The staghorn fern has a dramatic, pleasing shape and works well as a hanging basket plant in the bedroom. It likes fairly warm temperatures and humidity, so these are factors to consider in its placement and care.
- Name: Staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
- Color: Bright green
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, acidic medium
- Mature Size: 2–3 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide
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Bird's Nest Fern
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The bird's nest fern's leaves are thick and glossy, rather than lacy and feathery. With its wavy, slender leaf shape, it adds a nice visual texture to the bedroom. Similar to the staghorn fern, this plant is an epiphyte, meaning it grows on the surface of other plants, but it grows well in containers also.
- Name: Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus)
- Color: Glossy bright green
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 3–5 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide outdoors, 2 ft. tall and wide indoors
- 10 of 22
Snake Plant
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The snake plant, also known as mother-in-law's tongue, is a type of dracaena (sometimes classified as Sansevieria), and a very low-maintenance house plant. It does best in indirect light but can tolerate a few hours of direct morning sunlight. Water sparingly, and avoid peaty potting soils which may retain too much moisture.
- Name: Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
- Color: dark green leaves, edged with yellow
- Light: Indirect sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, sandy soil (cactus potting soil)
- Mature Size: 2-5 ft. tall
- 11 of 22
Boston Fern
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Boston ferns are popular houseplants, and with good reason: they're gorgeous and easy to care for. The long stems arch gracefully with lacy leaves of blue-green. Like other ferns, having a Boston fern in a room increases humidity, making it an excellent choice for the bedroom.
- Name: Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
- Color: Medium light green
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: Up to 2-3 ft. tall, 2-3 ft. wide
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Lemon Button Fern
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This attractive lacy fern is a dwarf variety of Boston fern. Its maximum height and width are 12 inches, perfect to spruce up a small space in the bedroom. It has a lemony scent when the leaves are crushed, and does well in indirect light conditions.
- Name: Lemon button fern (Nephrolepis cordifolia 'Duffii')
- Color: medium to yellow-green
- Light: Partial, indirect sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, slightly acidic
- Mature Size: Up to 12 in. tall, 12 in. wide
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Anthurium
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The glossy leaves of anthurium are light to deep green, with "flowers" (also technically leaves) in shades of pink, white, or red, and prominent yellow stamens, making it a wonderfully colorful tropical plant for interiors. It likes warmth and humidity.
- Name: Anthurium, flamingo flower (Anthurium spp.)
- Color: Green, pink, white, or red leaves
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 12-18 in. tall, 9- to 12-inch wide
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Dieffenbachia
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This lush tropical plant has large, lance-shaped leaves with intriguing markings of stripes or spots, depending on the cultivar. It needs a fair amount of humidity to thrive and is said to have air-purifying properties when grown indoors.
- Name: Dieffenbachia, dumb cane (Dieffenbachia spp.)
- Color: Dark to yellow-green, some variegated
- Light: Indirect sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 3–10 ft. tall, 2–3 ft. wide
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Aloe Vera
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The aloe vera plant is an easy-care houseplant. This fleshy succulent likes sandy soil and needs only intermittent watering.
- Name: Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller)
- Color: Medium green
- Light: Partial to full sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained, sandy soil
- Mature Size: 12-36 in. tall, 6-12 in. wide
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Fiddle Leaf Fig
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If you have tall ceilings, and don't mind a bit of extra maintenance, these handsome trees can be grown in containers indoors. They thrive with bright morning sunlight and consistent watering. The trunk may need support, and it's important to repot them yearly to avoid them getting root-bound.
- Name: Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)
- Color: Dark green, some variegated
- Light: Bright morning sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained loamy potting soil
- Mature Size: 50 ft. tall (outdoors), 10 ft. tall (indoors)
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Lady Palm
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The lady palm has striking foliage, with long strappy deep green leaves that form a fan shape. It tolerates very low light conditions, so if your bedroom is roomy but somewhat dark, you can try this easy-care palm. It grows slowly, needs decent humidity levels, and should not be placed near drafty windows or doorways.
- Name: Lady palm, lady plant (Rhapis excelsa)
- Color: Dark green
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained soil for palms
- Mature Size: 6 -10 ft. tall, 4 ft. wide
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Rosemary
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Grown for its culinary use, rosemary is a fragrant herb that can become a long-lived woody-stemmed perennial in the right temperate environment. Many gardeners keep pots outside and bring them indoors for the winter, and it can make a nice plant for the bedroom at this time. It can grow quite large for an herb, almost like a dwarf tree, so give it a roomy pot that can be moved on wheels. It needs full sun to thrive so place it by your sunniest window.
- Name: Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus)
- Color: Dark blue-green, pale purple flowers
- Light: Full sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 2–6 ft. tall, 2–4 ft. wide
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Swedish Ivy
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The glossy, scalloped, light green leaves and burgundy stems of Swedish ivy were once seen in many homes for decades, though it has fallen somewhat out of fashion as more exotic house plants have commanded attention. This easy-care ivy grows beautifully indoors in a pot or hanging basket.
- Name: Swedish ivy (Plectranthus verticillatus)
- Color: Light green, some variegated
- Light: Indirect sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 1-2 ft. long, 10-12 in. spread
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Rubber Plant
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This tropical tree is a popular houseplant and perfect for a large bedroom. It can reach 100 feet tall outdoors, but indoors it usually tops out around six feet. It likes warm temperatures and bright but indirect light (avoid direct afternoon sunlight)
- Name: Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)
- Color: Dark green
- Light: Bright indirect sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: Up to 6 ft. tall indoors
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Zebra Cactus
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This handsome variegated succulent plant is compact in size and perfect for a smaller room. It does best avoiding late afternoon direct sunlight and should be watered when the top inch of soil dries out.
- Name: Zebra cactus, cushion aloe (Haworthia)
- Color: Deep green, silver markings
- Light: Partial to full sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 3–5 in. tall and wide; some species may reach 20 in. tall
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Spider Plant
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The humble but beloved spider plant is a vigorous grower that is easy to care for, requiring partial or indirect light. It works well as a hanging plant or on a high table or shelf where its "babies" can hang down. These hanging "babies" can be easily propagated for new plants.
- Name: Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
- Color Varieties: Medium green, white edges
- Light: Partial sunlight
- Soil Needs: Well-drained potting soil
- Mature Size: 1–2 ft. tall and wide
If you have the space or some creative display options, there's no need to limit yourself to only one plant in the bedroom. You can have plants in hanging baskets, on shelves, on windowsills, on top of a dresser or armoire, or in containers that sit on the floor. The main thing to keep in mind is placing the plants where they receive appropriate light, and avoid placing them near drafts or heating units.