Choosing the Right Plants for Every Room in Your Home

Many people choose houseplants because they think they are attractive, rather than considering where the plant will be located. Different rooms in your house have different “climates” based on their location, which results in a variety of temperature, humidity, and lighting levels. These factors should be considered before purchasing any plants and before you decide where to set a plant in your home.

Lighting | Humidity | Temperature

Lighting

Light is essential to plant growth and can effect how well a plant thrives. Plants who do not receive enough light can turn brown and grow poorly. The direction the windows are facing will affect how much light that the plant receives unless you plan to supplement the plants with artificial lights. Rooms with south-facing windows receive lots of sun. These rooms can support plants that need bright light and even direct sunlight. Jade plant, ponytail palm, schefflera, geraniums, begonias, chrysanthemums, and cyclamens all have higher light requirements.

Rooms with west-facing windows produce stronger afternoon sunlight than east-facing windows, but less sunlight than southern-facing rooms. Plants will need moderate light requirements to do well in these rooms. Boston fern, Moses-in-the-cradle, philodendron, spider plant, and most types of ivy require moderate light.

Rooms with north-facing windows receive very little sun and almost no direct sunlight. Plants need to have moderate to low light requirements to do well in these rooms. Areca palm, Chinese evergreen, maidenhair fern, and heartleaf philodendron are four plants that thrive in low light. For those of you who live in the city, you must also consider any neighboring buildings that might further shade your windows.

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