Picking which houseplant to take home can be quite an overwhelming decision whether you are a novice or an expert gardener. The following table can help narrow down your shortlist by allowing you to select houseplants based on factors such as their maintenance level and suitability to location.
| Plants | Watering | Sunlight | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| African milk tree | Deciduous | Bright, indirect sunlight | |
| Crown of thorns plant | Perennial | at least 3 to 4 hours of bright, direct sunlight per day | |
| Monstera | Perennial | 5 to 8 hours of bright indirect light | |
| Maidenhair fern | Perennial | bright indirect light or 2 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Magnolia tree | Perennial | at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day | |
| Lucky bamboo plant | Perennial | bright indirect sunlight | |
| Jade plant | Perennial | 4 to 6 hours of sunlight daily | |
| Inchplant | Perennial | bright indirect sunlight | |
| Honeysuckle plant | Perennial | 6 or more hours of sunlight each day | |
| Ghost plant | Perennial | at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Garlic plant | Perennial | 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day | |
| Fiddlehead fern | Perennial | light to partial shade | |
| Elephant ear plant | Perennial | 3-5 hours of direct light | |
| Dumb cane plant | Perennial | bright, indirect sunlight | |
| Date palm | Perennial | full sun | |
| Chinese money plant | Perennial | bright, indirect light to filtered sun | |
| Palm tree | Perennial | 6 to 8 hours of bright light per day | |
| Chinese evergreen plant | Perennial | indirect sunlight | |
| Cat Palm | Perennial | bright, indirect light | |
| Catnip plant | Perennial | at least 6 hours of sunlight per day | |
| Arrowhead plant | Perennial | bright indirect light | |
| Areca palm | Perennial | at least 6 hours of indirect sunlight per day | |
| Corn Plant | Evergreen Perennial | light shade or gentle filtered sunlight | |
| Sago palm | Evergreen Perennial | 4 to 6 hours of filtered sunlight each day | |
| Rattlesnake plant | Evergreen Perennial | moderate, indirect light | |
| Prayer plant | Evergreen Perennial | moderate indirect light | |
| Ponytail palm | Evergreen Perennial | bright indirect light to full sun | |
| Polka dot plant | Evergreen Perennial | bright indirect sunlight | |
| Philodendron plant | Evergreen Perennial | medium-bright indirect sunlight | |
| Ivy plant | Evergreen Perennial | bright indirect light | |
| Nepenthes plant | Perennial | 14 to 16 hours of indirect light per day | |
| Peace Lily | Perennial | 10-12 hours of indirect sunlight a day | |
| Hens and chicks plant | Evergreen Perennial | at least 6 hours of full sun everyday | |
| Yarrow | Perennial | at least 6 to 8 hours of sun a day | |
| St John's wort plant | Perennial | 8 hours of full sun every day | |
| Pothos plant | Evergreen Perennial | 10-12 hours of indirect sunlight everyday | |
| House Cactus | Perennial | 6 hours of sunlight | |
| Bird's nest fern | Perennial | 1 -2 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Angel's trumpets plant | Perennial | 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Aloe Vera Plant | Perennial | about 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Dahlia plant | Tender Perennial | at least 6 to 8 hours of full sunlight a day | |
| Bromeliad plant | Perennial | bright, indirect light | |
| Rue plant | Evergreen Perennial | at least 6 to 7 hours of sunlight per day | |
| Parlor palm | Evergreen Perennial | medium to bright indirect light | |
| Gardenia plant | Evergreen Perennial | at least 4 hours of sun daily | |
| Foxtail fern | Evergreen Perennial | partial shade with bright indirect light | |
| Croton plant | Evergreen Perennial | 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight a day | |
| Lemongrass Plant | Perennial | 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily | |
| Peony plant | Perennial | at least 6 to 8 hours of sun each day | |
| Lemon Balm | Perennial | at least 5 hours of direct sunlight a day | |
| Kangaroo Paw Plant | Perennial | at least 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Hosta Plant | Perennial | about 2 hours of daily sun exposure | |
| Butterfly Bush | Perennial | at least 8 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Bee Balm | Perennial | at least 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| ZZ plant | Perennial | 8-12 hours of indirect or filtered sunlight | |
| Yucca plant | Perennial | 3 to 6 hours of direct sunlight throughout the day | |
| Wisteria plant | Perennial | full sun, at least 6 hours per day | |
| Syngonium plant | Perennial | bright indirect light | |
| Succulent plant | Perennial | 4-6 hours of sunlight a day | |
| String of pearls plant | Perennial | 6-8 hours of indirect sunlight | |
| Spider plant | Perennial | 8-10 hours of medium to bright, indirect sunlight | |
| Snake Plant | Perennial | more than 5 hours of indirect sunlight | |
| Hoya plant | Evergreen Perennial | medium to bright, indirect light and 2 to 4 hours of direct sunlight | |
| Fittonia plant | Evergreen Perennial | bright, indirect sunlight | |
| Aralia fabian plant | Perennial | ||
| Heliotropium plant | |||
| Russian sage plant | |||
| Royal poinciana tree | |||
| Rocktrumpet plant | |||
| Rhododendron plant | |||
| Redclaws plant | |||
| Rangoon creeper plant | |||
| Radiator plant | |||
| Pigmyweeds plant | |||
| Ogre ears plant | |||
| Lily of the nile plant | |||
| Lemon lime maranta plant | |||
| Leather flower plant | |||
| Laceleaf plant | |||
| Gold dust plant | |||
| Skimmia plant | |||
| English laurels plant | |||
| Echeveria plant | |||
| Dracaena plant | |||
| Crassula tetragona plant | |||
| Climbing hydrangea plant | |||
| Christmas cactus plant | |||
| Centennial hop plant | |||
| Ceanothus carmel creeper plant | |||
| Candytuft plant | |||
| Brazilian rain tree | |||
| Boston ivy plant | |||
| Baby rubber plant | |||
| Atemoya tree | |||
| Satin pothos plant | |||
| Spurges plant | |||
| Coffee plant | Evergreen Perennial | bright indirect light | |
| Ostrich fern | Deciduous | partial shade to full shade | |
| Boston fern | Evergreen Perennial | at least 2 hours of indirect sunlight per day | |
| Asparagus fern | Evergreen Perennial | bright indirect light | |
| Azalea plant | Evergreen Or Deciduous Depending On The Variety | 4 to 6 hours of sunshine each day | |
| Kentia Palm | Evergreen | bright, indirect light to dappled sun | |
| Coconut Palm | Evergreen | at least 6 hours of direct sunlight | |
| String of hearts plant | Evergreen | 4-6 hours of bright indirect sunlight | |
| Staghorn fern | Evergreen | bright indirect light | |
| Pygmy date palm | Evergreen | partial shade to full sun, with at least 4 hours of direct light a day | |
| Money tree | Evergreen | bright and indirect sunlight for 6-8 hours daily | |
| Majesty palm | Evergreen | 4-8 hours of bright, indirect light per day | |
| Fiddle Leaf Fig | Evergreen | at least 5-6 hours of sun a day | |
| Dwarf umbrella tree | Evergreen | at least 4 hours of bright indirect light | |
| Willow tree | Deciduous | at least 4 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day | |
| Ginkgo tree | Deciduous | at least 4 hours of sunshine every day | |
| Stonecrop plant | |||
| Chinese pistache tree | Deciduous | at least 6 hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight each day | |
| Caladium Plant | Both Annual And Perennial | 2 to 4 hours of direct sunlight per day | |
| Lupin plant | Both Annual And Perennial | at least 6 hours of full sun each day | |
| Begonia plant | Both Annual And Perennial | 4 to 6 hours of direct morning sun a day | |
| Whitespire birch tree | |||
| Watermelon peperomia plant | |||
| Virginia creeper plant | |||
| Vine plant | |||
| Viburnum plant | |||
| Venus slipper plant | |||
| Trumpet vine plant | |||
| Tiger bark tree | |||
| Sweet potato vine plant | |||
| Swallowtail plant | |||
| Widow's thrill plant | Perennial | An hour of sunlight |
Here are some tips to help you select a houseplant that's right for you and the location where you want to grow the plant in.
Unfortunately, not all of us are fortunate enough to have a south-facing window which gets a substantial amount of sunlight throughout the day compared to the other three sides. Those who live in places that get less than six hours of natural sunlight might find their houseplant options a bit more limited as certain plants are known to thrive only when they get sunlight throughout the whole day.
Don't be discouraged though! There are plenty of houseplants that are quite tolerant of low-light conditions. You could also make use of grow lights to make up for a lack of natural sunlight. This works well for those who want to grow houseplants in windowless rooms.
Overwatering or underwatering tends to be the number one reason for dying plants. You need to also select houseplants based on the amount of care and effort you are willing to put in. Be realistic with yourself. Will you have frequent moments when you forget to water a plant? In such cases, you may want to opt for a houseplant that has drought-tolerant properties. These plants may also work better for those who may not be home for extended time periods due to work or other commitments.
A lot of people underestimate how large certain species of houseplants can grow up to! Make sure there is enough space in the room where the houseplant will be grown in. The size of the planter or container should also provide ample space so that you aren't having to repot the plant frequently as it continues to grow.
Certain species of houseplants may contain compounds and chemicals that are toxic to dogs and cats. Sago palms, for example, aren't recommended in a pet household because they contain a toxin called cycasin, which is known to cause liver damage. Something as harmless as an aloe vera plant can also be toxic to dogs when ingested.
Realistically speaking, a single houseplant isn't going to make much of a difference to the indoor air despite the benefits that others may claim around a plant's air-purifying property. It's a nice-to-have but a factor that isn't worth too much consideration when you pick a plant for your home.