Plants are one of the finishing touches that add beauty and comfort to any interior space. Studies show that having plants inside can improve mood, lower stress and anxiety, enhance the quality of air, boost productivity, and have even found it can be therapeutic when tending to the plants. 

As beautiful and comforting as house plants can be, it can also be a struggle to know how to care for them to keep them looking their best. Here are five plants I love that look great inside and the best way to care for them. 

Golden Pothos:

Golden Pothos, a beautiful trellising plant, can be displayed in a hanging basket, or it can drape gracefully off of shelving. It can survive without much water and thrive in darker parts of your home. Medium to low indirect light is best for this plant, and placing it near an eastern or northern window source would be ideal. Since pothos do not need much water, allowing the soil to dry out between watering will help prevent overwatering. To check this, poke down into the soil gently with a stick or soil probe to see if the top two inches are dry once removed. Pothos are great plants for beginners, people who travel, or are often away from home because they require little maintenance.

Snake Plants:

Snake plants look great in any space, especially when looking for something full that can also provide height. Snake plants are best in a terra-cotta-type pot since they allow the soil to dry out more quickly than in plastic pots. Since snake plants are succulent, it can be easy to overwater them. Let the soil mostly dry out between waterings. While the plant isn’t actively growing during the winter months, water less often than you would in spring and summer. Snake plants prefer bright, indirect light and can even tolerate some direct sunlight. However, they can also grow well in shady corners and other low-light areas of the home, which makes this another excellent house plant that will work in just about any room in your house! 

Fiddle Leaf Figs:
Fiddle Leaf Figs can be found in various sizes, making them an excellent fit for a variety of locations that provide enough light! One of my favorite places to put a fiddle leaf is in a room with large windows and high ceilings, but they look great in any space you put them in. Fiddle Leaf Figs appreciate a warm, humid environment, a fair amount of water, and plenty of light. Choose a location away from air vents and drafts where the tree will receive plenty of bright ambient light, directly in front of or close by a southern or western facing window. Fiddle Leafs like the soil to be kept consistently and evenly moist with a brief drying-out period between waterings. Water it thoroughly whenever the top two inches of soil have dried out.

 

Monstera:
Monsteras are vining plants and love to trail over the pot or climb along a stake or trellis, making them a great plant to fill out any corner in your home that feels empty. Monstera can grow just about anywhere in your home since it can tolerate low and indirect bright light. Your plant will grow faster and become more dramatic in a spot with indirect bright light. It’s best to water when the top 50–75% of the soil is dry and water until liquid flows through the drainage hole at the bottom of the pot. If you want to give your plant a special treat, gently mist it once a week using a mister. 

Succulents: 
Succulents look great in any space and make excellent tabletop plants; that is when they are alive. Making sure your succulent gets enough light is important. Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the succulent. While ensuring your plant is getting enough light, rotating them is often essential to ensure one side isn’t getting more light than the other. Succulents will often need more water in the summer and spring months while growing and less in the fall and winter months. A good rule of thumb is to water when the top 1.25 inches of soil are dry. When watering, soak the soil until water runs out of the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. 

Every plant needs something different, so it is best to do your research to know the best way to care for your house plants!

Sidney and the Housemill team