Choosing The Right Houseplants: 10 Things To Consider

Are you thinking of becoming a first-time houseplant parent? Or perhaps you’re looking to add to your indoor jungle? In either case, it’s important to consider carefully which houseplants you adopt.  There are so many species of houseplants that you can choose from. Each one looks and behaves differently. Some could be right for you and your home, while others could be a bad match. To help select the perfect plant, here are 10 important things to consider.

What’s Your Budget?

First, you should consider how much money you’re willing to splash out on your leafy companion. Houseplants come at different price points – with some costing £10 and others costing £100. It depends on the age, rarity, size, supply and demand.

To give you idea at what you can get at different price points:

• <£10: succulents, baby plants & grow kits, English ivy, small leafy plants
• £10 – £50: snake plants, orchids, young bonsai trees, medium leafy plants
• £50 – £100: yucca plants, fiddle leaf figs, kentia palms, large leafy plants
• >£100: Wollemi pines, variegated monstera plants, ancient bonsai trees, indoor trees

What Size Plant are You Looking for?

Most houseplants can be divided into three size categories. The size is important to consider when working out where to place a plant:

Small Houseplants

These include things like succulents, air plants and peace lilies. They’re ideal for desks, small window sills, coffee tables and shelves. You’ll find some nurseries that specialise in these small plants.

Medium Houseplants

This category includes orchids, snake plants and Boston ferns. These plants are best suited to sideboards, large windowsills and dining tables. 

Large Houseplants

This includes options like fiddle-leaf figs, birds of paradise, and yuccas. These plants must be grown in floor-standing pots and are ideal for corners of rooms. You can find a variety of them at sites like Beards & Daisies. 

Do you Want Something Leafy or Flowery?

Next, think about the appearance of your ideal plant. While plants come in all shapes and sizes, a main attribute to consider is whether they are all leaves or whether they produce flowers:

Leafy Plants

Leafy plants are ideal if you want a burst of green (although you can get plants with leaves in other colours). These plants are more likely to be perennial and evergreen. Examples include snake plants, ZZ plants, fiddle leaf figs and ferns. 

Flowery Plants

Flowering plants can come in many different vibrant colours. The majority (but not all) of these plants are annuals. Examples of flower-producing houseplants include peace lilies, orchids, begonias and cyclamen.

Are You Looking for Something Low Maintenance?

It can also be important to consider how hard a plant is to care for. Some plants require a lot of TLC—either you need to continuously water them, or they grow erratically and require a lot of pruning and directing. Other plants are famously low-maintenance—they stay neatly contained in their pot and are practically unkillable. 

Here are a few examples of low maintenance, medium maintenance and high maintenance houseplants:

• Low maintenance: succulents, cacti, pothos
• Medium maintenance: orchids, ferns, bonsai trees
• High maintenance: inch plants, alocasias, fruit-producing plants

Some people like the challenge of a high-maintenance plant. Others prefer a plant they can leave alone for a week or two. 

Are You Looking for a Fully Grown Plant?

You can buy houseplants at various different stages of their life from a seed to a mature plant.  Raising a plant from a seed takes a lot more work, but is ideal if you’re looking to take on a houseplant as a project. Alternatively, you may prefer to bring home a plant that is already fully grown. 

Seed

Many plants can be bought as seeds. This is a very cheap way to buy a plant, but you do need to plant it and care for it to help it grow. Some plants can be bought as part of grow kits, which include pots and soil.

Baby

Baby houseplants are also known as seedlings or juvenile houseplants. They have already been planted for you and are usually just sprouting or in the early growth stage before flowering. As some of these plants grow, you may need to repot them.

Adult

Adult houseplants (also known as mature plants) are fully grown and in their flowering stage. This is the most popular stage to grow plants in because this is when they are most visually impressive. Just be wary that you may only get a few months out of some short-lived plants, which leads us to the next consideration…

Are You Looking for a Plant With a Long Life?

The average house plant lives for 2 to 5 years. However, there are some plant species that can live much longer. In fact, some houseplants can thrive for decades and may even outlive you with the right level of care. Meanwhile, others rarely ever live more than a few months.

Below are a few examples of how long various houseplants live:

Chilli plant: 1 – 5 years

Snake plant: 5 – 10 years

Pothos: 5 – 10 years

Aloe vera: 10 – 20 years

Orchid: 15 – 20 years

Swiss cheese plant (monstera): 5 – 40 years

Jade plant: 40 – 100 years

Bonsai: 10 – 800+ years (with a lot of TLC)

This Martha Stewart guide lists some of the longest-living houseplants for those looking for a leafy companion that will live with them for years to come. 

How Much Sunlight is There?

A very important thing to consider when buying a houseplant is its sunlight needs. All plants need some sunlight, but some house plants are more demanding. Plants that need lots of direct light often need to be placed right next to a window. Other plants are used to naturally growing on a forest floor and prefer indirect dappled light – they can thrive on a bedside cabinet or in a hallway, and may actually die if you place them directly near a window.

Think about where you were planning to place your houseplant, and which plants are suitable for this location. Below are some of the different sunlight levels:

Direct 

Some plants need several hours of direct light per day. They often need to be placed right next to a window with no obstructions between the plant and the glass. South and south-west facing windows are the best choice. Succulents, jade plants, aloe vera, geraniums, crotons and most herb plants thrive in direct light.

High

Plants that need a high level of sunlight often need to be placed directly near or within a couple of feet of a window. They can often survive in front of windows that aren’t south-facing or windows that have blinds or shutters (as long as the slats are open). The majority of houseplants prefer these conditions. This includes fiddle leaf figs, English ivy, gloxinia, Norfolk island pine, jewel leaf plants, African violets, pothos and some orchids.

Medium

Medium-light plants can survive a few feet away from a window. They are happy on a coffee table in the middle of a room or on a shelf opposite a window. They are also suitable for north-facing rooms. A few examples of these plants include monsteras, zebra plants, Chinese evergreens, kentia palms, philodendrons, spider plants and peace lilies. 

Low

Plants that need a low level of sunlight can thrive in a gloomy hallway or north-facing bedroom. They don’t need to be near a window and often thrive better away from a window. Just make sure that there is a window in the room so that some sunlight is coming in. Plants that survive in low light conditions include ZZ plants, snake plants, cast iron plants, fascias and bamboo palms. 

This graphic at Garden Solutions explains more about different light levels and the best-suited plants for each.

Humidity levels are also worth considering. Some plants prefer dry air and shouldn’t be placed in humid rooms. Others love humidity and survive best in a bathroom. Think about which room you plan to place your plant and consider which humidity level is most appropriate:

Dry

Rooms that don’t have any plumbing fixtures are more likely to have dry air. These rooms are ideal for plants like succulents, aloe vera, jade plants, jewel leaf plants and wax plants.

Medium

Most rooms in a home have some humidity and this can be the perfect conditions for many plants to grow. This includes geraniums, fiddle leaf figs, bromeliads, philodendrons, snake plants, spider plants and monsteras (although the last three can also thrive in humid conditions).

Humid

The bathroom is typically the most humid room. This can be ideal for plants with tropical origins that need to be regularly kept wet. Plants that love humid rooms like bathrooms include Boston ferns, peace lilies, orchids and African violets. Such plants may also thrive near a kitchen sink.

Do You Have Pets?

It’s worth noting that some plants are best avoided if you have pets. Ingesting leaves can be toxic – which could be a concern if you have curious puppies or cats. A few plants you may want to avoid if you have pets include:

• Lily of the valley
• Jade plants
• Alocasias
• Philodendrons 

Does Scent Matter?

Finally, you may want to consider the scent of a plant. Some houseplants are known to give off strong scents – which can be appealing to some and less appealing to others. 

A few houseplants with a strong scent include:

• Jasmine
• Lavender
• Orchids
• Geraniums
• Peace lily
• Citrus
• Gardenia

Conclusion

Choosing the perfect houseplant requires careful consideration of factors like budget, size, maintenance level, and environmental conditions. Whether you’re looking for a small, low-maintenance succulent for your desk or a large, statement-making fiddle leaf fig for your living room, there’s a plant that suits your lifestyle. By understanding your space, lighting, humidity levels, and even potential pet hazards, you can ensure that your new leafy companion thrives. With the right choice, your houseplant can bring beauty, fresh air, and even a sense of accomplishment to your home for years to come. Happy planting!