Choosing the best houseplants

Houseplants bring joy to even the dullest day with tropical flowers and lush leaves, not to mention the health benefits of cleaning the air. Here we explain how to select the right houseplant for the right location so they thrive in your home

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Discover the perfect houseplant addition to add to your collection
Discover the perfect houseplant addition to add to your collection

Quick facts

Our top 5 houseplants:
Best easy-care succulent: Crassula ovata (jade plant or money tree)
Best year-round flowers: Streptocarpus hybrids (Cape primrose)
Best hanging plant: Ceropegia linearis subsp. woodii (string of hearts)
Best winter colour: Schlumbergera hybrids (Christmas cactus)
Best gift to give a friend: Spathiphyllum wallisii (peace lily)

How to choose houseplants

Healthy, thriving houseplants are not only a joy to look at, they can also help to boost our mental wellbeing and improve our indoor air quality. Whether you want a bold structural statement, a lush jungle vibe or a delicate floral display, there are lots of beautiful houseplants to suit. However, with such a wide range of options readily available, it can be hard to know where to start. 

Our warm homes gives us the perfect chance to grow an exciting array of exotic plants that wouldn’t survive outdoors. But, conditions vary in different parts of our home. Not all our rooms offer consistent temperatures, and light levels will differ, depending on the size and direction of the windows. The air tends to be more humid in bathrooms, but drier in living rooms, especially in winter when the central heating is on.

So the main priority is to select houseplants to suit your location, to ensure they will thrive and look their best without too many problems or excessive maintenance.

For more quick tips on buying a houseplant, see our handy video guide:

Getting started

If you are just beginning to grow indoor plants, selecting an easy-care houseplant is the obvious first choice.

Find out more >

Providing the right conditions

Indoor growing conditions can vary just as much as outdoors in a garden – the three key aspects to bear in mind are light, humidity and temperature.

Amount of light

Light levels are very important to plants, as is the type of light (full sun, bright indirect light and shade). Bear in mind that light will fluctuate across the day, and at different times of year. A spot with direct sun in summer will often cause leaf discoloration and scorching, unless the light is filtered by sheer curtains or blinds. In winter, that location may be a prime growing spot, when the sun is weaker and the days are shorter.

Many plants would struggle in locations set back from windows, where they get very little light. North-facing windowsills can be tricky too, especially in winter when day lengths are reduced.

Domestic lighting doesn’t provide suitable light for plant growth, although artificial grow lamps are widely available if you need to provide additional brightness. These can be expensive, both to buy and run, and aren’t ideal lighting for most homes.

See the different levels of light houseplants need in our video guide:

Humidity levels

Air humidity varies in different rooms. A bathroom or kitchen will often have high humidity, whereas a living room, especially with the central heating on, will tend to have low humidity.

Many popular tropical plants, such as orchids, need humid air, to mimic their natural growing conditions, so will suffer in a drier atmosphere – their foliage may turn brown and they may fail to thrive. Few houseplants, apart from cacti and succulents, like very dry situations.

There are various easy ways to raise the air humidity around your houseplants – see our video guide for tips:

Temperature

Room temperature can vary from season to season, and between day and night. Locations that become very hot from the direct summer sun or from a nearby radiator can lead to leaf damage. Plants left in sun rooms or conservatories over winter can suffer if night temperatures are too cold. Draughts can be damaging too, and hallways tend to be a particular problem area.

So it’s a good idea to check the temperature over 24 hours in different rooms, so you know how much it fluctuates. Consider moving your plants around during the year to make the most of available light and warmth.

For more on growing houseplants successfully, see our guides:

How to grow houseplants

How to grow houseplants

How to grow houseplant cacti and succulents

How to grow houseplant cacti and succulents

How to take cuttings from houseplants

How to take cuttings from houseplants

Recommended houseplants by location

Choosing the right houseplants can transform your home, but it’s essential to match the plant to the specific conditions of each room. Whether you have a sunny living room, a shaded bedroom, or a humid bathroom, this guide will recommend the best houseplants for every location, ensuring they thrive and beautify your space.

Recommended houseplants for tricky environments

Houseplants can brighten any home, but some conditions are more challenging than others. This guide covers the best houseplants for low light with fluctuating temperatures, cool and bright spots, and unheated areas above freezing. Find the perfect plants to thrive in these tricky environments and bring your indoor spaces to life.

Best houseplants for low light and fluctuating temperatures

Epipremnum aureum AGM
Soleirolia soleirolii
Sansevieria trifasciata

These plants can cope in locations such as a hallway or single-glazed room that could be centrally heated by day but cold and draughty at night.

Best houseplants for cool, bright locations

Aeonium arboreum ‘Atropurpureum’ AGM
Jasminum polyanthum
Schefflera actinophylla AGM

These plants will be happy where the minimum winter night temperature is above freezing – such as in a sun room, unheated conservatory or enclosed porch.

Cacti and succulents

Climbing/trailing hsoueplants

Shrubs and perennials

Ferns

Best houseplants for unheated locations above freezing

Clivia miniata AGM
Pseudosasa japonica AGM
Fargesia nitida

Best houseplants to give as gifts

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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.