Our Favorite Feng Shui Indoor Plants

July 31, 2023

Why are plants so important in feng shui?

Plants have many different uses in feng shui, but one of the main reasons they can be so helpful is that they embody the vital, upward-moving energy of the wood element. Houseplants allow you to harness wood qi, which is connected to feelings of hope, springtime, and new beginnings. Wood qi is also associated with compassion and kindness. This makes a lot of sense when you think about it: plants offer us an opportunity to care for another living being.

Indoor plants can also be especially beneficial when you don’t have access to a garden or outdoor space. Working with houseplants is a way to bring the outside world into your home and connect with the cycles of nature.

Our favorite feng shui plants for the bedroom

If you’ve done a bit of research on feng shui, you might have read that it’s not ideal to have plants in the bedroom because they release carbon dioxide at night. However, you would have to be sleeping in a room with tons of plants in order for this to affect you, and many plants actually help to filter and clear the air of toxins. In our experience, plants in the bedroom can often be very supportive.

Gerbera daisies are a great choice for bedrooms because they release oxygen at night and help to clean the air. They also come in several colors, so you can choose a color based on a specific intention you’d like to support. They also look very cute on a nightstand! Gerbera daisies do need bright, direct sunlight and moist soil, so be sure to give them these conditions. When your daisy stops flowering, you can keep the plant for its foliage, or even plant it outside in your garden if you have one. Keep in mind that it will be an annual outdoors if you live in a colder climate.

Orchids are another wonderful plant to include in the bedroom. In feng shui, we often bring an orchid into a space when someone wants to invite a noble and charming romantic partner into their life. We’ve received lots of orchid stories from clients who’ve used them with this intention! Orchids bloom for a long time, but the flowers don’t last forever. Many people throw away the plant when it stops blooming, but we would encourage you to be curious about what that could symbolize in your life. Despite orchids’ reputation for being difficult plants, it is actually not complicated to get them to rebloom; all it takes is a little research and a few simple steps. If you don’t want to keep your orchid after it has finished blooming, you can always give it to someone else who will enjoy it!

Our favorite feng shui plants to shift the qi

There are different reasons you might want to shift the qi in your space. For example, when the qi feels really heavy or stagnant in a particular area of your home, you may want to bring in a plant to uplift or cut through this challenging energy.

Snake plants are beautiful houseplants with sharp, straight, sword-like leaves. The upward growth and strength of their foliage is a strong indication of the snake plant’s connection to wood qi. While you may have read that it’s not recommended in feng shui to bring pointy or sharp plants into your home, there are certain instances in which they can be helpful. Snake plants can be a great choice when you need protection and a boost of confidence. They are also very easy to care for!

Another way to shift the qi in your home is to add a grouping of three plants. Three is a dynamic number, and it’s also related to the wood element. By using the number three and inviting more than one plant into your home, you can really start to change the qi around you. You could do this by planting three different plants in a low, wide planter, or placing three separate potted plants next to each other. If it resonates with you, this could also be an opportunity to use your creativity and play with different heights and sizes.
Bonus tip: Try placing this grouping of three plants in the New Beginnings area of your home to spark something new in your life. If you need help finding this area, download our free bagua guide.

Our favorite feng shui plants for prosperity

This is always a popular topic, for good reason! With their steady and abundant growth, plants can be a great tool to support your intention of increasing your wealth and prosperity. If this is something you’d like to focus on, you may want to add a plant to the Wealth area of your home. If you don’t know where your Wealth area is, you can stand in your doorway looking into your home, and in most cases it will be in the far left corner. For more guidance on how to find your Wealth area, download our free bagua guide.

Jade plants are easy to grow and propagate, as long as you don’t overwater them. As a succulent, their plump, rounded leaves hold water, so they don’t need much in the way of hydration. They can also stay in small planters and don’t require frequent repotting. As they grow, their trunks become thicker and they start to look like little ancient, jeweled trees. The reason they’re connected to prosperity is because their leaves look like jade, a gemstone that represents prosperity and protection in Chinese culture. To learn more about the symbolism of jade, listen to this episode of the Holistic Spaces Podcast.

Pilea peperomioides is another easy-care houseplant that is very popular right now. The round leaves look like coins, which can represent the idea of money or prosperity. They also make lots of baby plants that you can propagate and share, inviting more feelings of abundance.

Can I use an artificial plant?

Yes, you can use an artificial plant if you need to — but be sure to choose one that looks so real that you’d have to touch it to tell the difference. You’ll also want to set a strong intention that when you see this artificial plant, you’re connecting with lively, vibrant wood qi. That being said, we would always recommend a real plant over an artificial one whenever possible. One of our favorite plants for total beginners is a pothos, as they can tolerate a variety of growing conditions.

Plant care tips for beginners

Our number one tip when it comes to caring for the plants in your home is to avoid overwatering. This can lead to root rot, which is one of the main reasons many indoor plants don’t make it. Pay attention to the humidity and temperature in your home, research the specific watering needs of your plant, and use your finger to test how dry the soil is before you water. Also, most plants need a lot of light, so be sure to look for a low-light plant if you live in a darker space.

If you don’t have a green thumb, that’s okay. Start small, and introduce one plant at a time. Plants are work, so be sure to consider your home’s environment and your personal bandwidth when selecting a plant for your space.

We hope these tips help you in selecting the best feng shui plant for you!