The Best Bedroom Plants (With Pictures and Names)

A few well-chosen plants in your bedroom can create a natural, peaceful, relaxing environment. The best bedroom plants are generally houseplants that thrive in low-light and ideally need little maintenance. Some flowerings plants such as peace lilies and orchids are also excellent choices to add color to your bedroom. You can also choose trailing indoor plants such as pothos, ferns, or hoyas to grow in hanging baskets.

Many plants that are suited to growing in bedrooms can also help purify the air. Not only that, but leafy houseplants also give off moisture and help humidify the air. Clean air that is relatively humid is much healthier than dry air that may contain toxins.

Of course, you can put any type of potted indoor plant in your bedroom. But here are some plants that do better in the bedroom environment than others. You may be able to grow some plants in bedrooms such as cacti, succulents, or ones with bright flowers, but they will not last for a long time. These plants generally need bright sunlight, and if the light isn’t adequate, the plant will start to look poorly.

This article describes the best plants for your bedroom and why they are suitable. You will also see pictures of these bedroom plants to get ideas for your bedroom décor.

Before we look at which plants are best for the room where you sleep, let’s look at why plants are useful in your bedroom.

The Best Air-Purifying Bedroom Plants According to NASA

Most people know that living organisms—including plants—respire or breathe. During the day, photosynthesis causes plants to take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. In the evening and nighttime when there’s little or no light, the process reverses—plants “breathe in” oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide.

Is it true that simple houseplants can purify the air?

NASA carried out experiments to discover if certain houseplants can purify household air. Scientists found that as well as releasing oxygen, leafy green plants can remove pollutants from the air. Among the volatile organic chemicals that plants helped to filter from the air were benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene. (1)

The report concluded that low-light houseplants have the “potential for improving air quality by removing trace organic pollutants.” The study also identified which plants were the most effective.

What are the best air-purifying plants for your bedroom? Here are ten of the best bedroom plants that NASA identified:

• English ivy (Hedera helix) is a great hanging plant for the bedroom
• Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) can help to improve indoor air quality and it has beautiful flowers
• Philodendron is an aesthetic vine plant for hanging baskets
• Cornstalk dracaena (Dracaena fragrans)
  
• Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is a beautiful leafy green vine plant
• Mother-in-law’s tongue (Sansevieria) – Also called the snake plant, this easy to care plant helps filter the air
• Gerbera daisies – beautiful flowering plant for your bedroom
• Indoor banana plants (Musa Oriana)
• Green spider plant (Chlorophytum elatum)
• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)

As you can see from the list, there are flowering plants for bedrooms—peace lilies and gerbera daisies, hanging basket plants for bedrooms—spider plants, English ivy, and golden pothos, and leafy green plants.

Bedroom Plants and Oxygen

You don’t have to worry that having several plants in your bedroom affects oxygen levels. Although plants give off carbon dioxide at night, the levels are insignificant and won’t impact on your sleep patterns. Some excellent bedroom plants such as orchids and succulents give off oxygen during the evening.

There are plenty of benefits to placing houseplants in your bedroom. Not only can they help purify the air, but some studies also suggest that having plants in your home helps reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves feelings of calmness. (2)

The Best Bedroom Plants (With Pictures)

Now that you know the benefits of putting plants and flowers in your bedroom, what are some of the best ones to have? Read on to find out plants that grow well in dark or low-light conditions.

Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)

Peace lilies are one of the top flowering plants that clean the air, thrive in low light, and don’t need a lot of care—just perfect for any bedroom. The elegant white flowers and bright glossy green foliage help brighten up dark corners in any room. As its name suggests, these “lilies” may help create feelings of tranquility, solitude, and calmness.

Peace lilies are not a true type of lily. There are in the same family as monstera plants (Swiss cheese plants) and have white spathe flowers. Peace lilies grow just as well in bright light as in poor lighting. Putting your peace lily near your bedroom window—as long as there’s no direct sunlight—helps the plant to flower regularly.

Snake Plants (Sansevieria)

Another excellent plant for your bedroom is mother-in-law’s tongue—the common name for many types of sansevierias. The NASA study found that snake plants were among the top air-purifying plants for homes. Sansevieria plants are also very low maintenance plants—they don’t need much light or water to thrive.

Looking after a sansevieria in your bedroom—or any other room—is easy. This non-fussy plant doesn’t require any pruning. Some would say that this bedroom plant seems to thrive on neglect. However, with little care, the plant will reward you will long, succulent green and yellow foliage. The long tapering green leaves can grow to between 28” and 35” (70 – 90 cm) tall.

Golden Pothos (Hanging Plant to Keep in Your Bedroom)

If you’re looking for an easy bedroom plant for a hanging basket, then choose a golden pothos. Its common name comes from the golden-yellow and green variegated leaves. The long trailing brightly-colored stems are excellent to hang in a dim corner or put in a pot on a high shelf.

Also called devil’s ivy, the golden pothos thrives under most conditions. While bright, indirect sunlight helps keep the colorful foliage vibrant, this vine bedroom plant will also grow well when light is scarce. According to NASA, pothos is another type of plant that purifies airborne toxins to help keep your bedroom air clean. If you have a terrarium in your bedroom, golden pothos is one of the plants that grows well in sealed glass containers along with other tropical plants.

As with most houseplants that grow in moderate to low light, only water when the soil is partly dry.

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider plants are the “go-to” plants if you want a bedroom plant for hanging baskets that also keep the air clean. The spider plant’s cheery light green and white foliage looks like an explosion of spindly leaves. The arching ribbon-like leaves help to brighten up any space in a bedroom, bathroom, or north-facing room.

You don’t need to grow this easy-going bedroom plant in a hanging basket. The potted plant will look just as good on a dresser, bedside table, or bookshelf. Spider plants are so easy to care for that you can almost forget about them. These drought-tolerant plants can live for a long time without water and don’t mind being kept in a dark bedroom.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

Perfect for a hanging basket in your bedroom, English ivy is a bushy type of vine plant with long stems and deeply-lobed leaves. You need to create a lot of vertical space in the bedroom corner because the vines grow very long. Alternatively, you can have a moss pole in the pot and train the vines to grow upward as a decorative accent.

Brightly-lit conditions encourage vigorous growth. However, even if your bedroom isn’t too bright, English ivy still grows well. To enliven a room, choose a variety of ivy with lush, variegated green and creamy white leaves or the ‘Gold Child’ cultivar with yellow-gold and green foliage.

Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum)

Growing just as well in dimly-lit bedrooms as it does in bright rooms, arrowhead plants thrive in almost any room in the house. If your bedroom doesn’t get a lot of natural light, choose a deep-green arrowhead cultivar. These plants seem to fair better in lower light.

The broadleaf indoor plant has leaves in the shape of an arrowhead. Different cultivars have glossy green leaves, some have distinctive white veins, and others have variegated lime-green and cream-colored leaves. The best way for these plants to compliment your bedroom décor is to hang them high up. The long trailing vines will dangle down from the hanging basket and can reach between 3 and 6 ft. (0.9 – 1.8 m).

Just remember that arrowhead plants are toxic and can cause skin irritation and burning if the sap comes into contact with the skin.

Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis) – Bedroom Tree

Dracanea cultivars such as’ Janet Craig’ or ‘Warneckii’ dracaena are low-maintenance aesthetic plants that are a good option if you want an indoor bedroom tree. The plant has thin, ribbon-like foliage creating a spiky appearance on the top of thin woody stalks. Growing to a few feet in height, the plant can create a lush accent in any shady corner.

Dracaena plants are popular houseplants because they don’t need much water and they survive on little light.

Happy Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

The happy plant or cornstalk plant is another tropical leafy indoor tree that is excellent for your bedroom. The difference between the happy plant and the Janet Craig is that the stalk and foliage on this species tend to be broader and bushier. The shiny glossy leaves will reflect what little light there is in the room.

Similar to the other dragon tree (Dracaenas) species, happy plants thrive in bedrooms in low light and occasional watering.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Chinese evergreen is one of the most popular bedroom plants. The large green and white or silver leaves thrive in low light and only need water every so often. In Asia, Chinese evergreens are said to be among the plants that bring good luck. This decorative indoor aesthetic plant only needs a warm, humid environment and occasional light—artificial or natural light is fine.

As with most houseplants that have variegated foliage, light-colored leaves require more sunlight. So, some Chinese evergreens may fair better in bedrooms with south-facing windows where they get plenty of bright light. Cultivars with darker-green leaves will grow better in dim rooms.

Wax Flower Plant (Hoya carnosa)

Also called the porcelain-flower plant, this species of hoya is an excellent bedroom plant that doesn’t require a lot of attention. The fleshy, succulent leaves retain moisture, meaning that you don’t have to water this plant frequently. Although hoyas prefer bright, indirect light, they can survive well in dimmer conditions.

Because the wax flower plant grows on trailing vines, this plant is an excellent choice for a colorful bedroom hanging basket. Or, you could provide some support and train the hoya to grow upright. Under the right conditions, your hoya will produce beautiful porcelain-flowers to lighten up your bedroom.

Dumb Canes (Dieffenbachia)

These popular houseplants grow in most rooms of your home—anywhere from bedrooms with moderate light to brightly-lit places. However, even in low light, dumb canes are very forgiving. The most important thing is to keep the large oval leaves away from direct sunlight. These easy-to-grow houseplants have green leaves with creamy or yellowish blotches.

Because dumb canes grow upright, they are excellent for placing at an empty bedroom wall or in a shady corner. The bright leaves add texture and color to any room without the need for flowers.

Low-Light Orchid Flowers

If you want beautiful rare flowers in your bedroom, then have an orchid. Most houseplant orchids are easy to grow and don’t require a lot of attention.

Some varieties of orchids such as Phalaenopsis or Lady’s Slipper grow well in dark areas of your home, such as bedrooms. These orchids only need occasional watering and they thrive in average room temperatures. The native habit of many orchids is dark, humid conditions of tropical rainforests.

Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum)

Maidenhair ferns can’t grow in dark conditions such as in a bathroom with no windows. However, they will grow well in north-facing rooms and bedrooms with low to moderate light. If they get some morning or afternoon sun, they will thrive even better.

Many people keep maidenhair ferns in their bedrooms for its soft gorgeous foliage. The thin arching stems have tiny delicate green leaves growing on them. However, these ferns can be challenging to look after and are not low maintenance plants.

Peperomia as a Bedroom Plant

Peperomias are suitable bedroom plants because of their love of shade and moderate light. In low-light rooms, their foliage may lose some of its vibrancy. There are many species of peperomia, all with unique patterns on their leaves. Usually, you need to leave the soil to dry out before watering.

Also called radiator plants, these small houseplants are perfect for compact, shady places. Some peperomia varieties have thick glossy green leaves, others have green striped patterns, and some have heart-shaped purple leaves with pronounced veins.

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

As its scientific name suggests, the parlor palm is an elegant houseplant that grows like a small tree or palm. This palm is one of the most popular indoor palm plants in the world. In your house, the parlor palm can grow in many different conditions. The leafy palm tolerates low light and low humidity and needs to be kept away from direct sunlight.

Some daylight and artificial light in your bedroom is enough to keep a parlor palm growing well. Indoors, parlor palms grow to between 3 and 4 ft. (0.9 – 1.2 m) tall. Because this is a slow-growing plant, it will take years to reach its full height.

Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)

This popular ornamental tree can grow in a pot in your bedroom or other spacious areas of your house. Although the indoor tree grows in shady areas, it needs some natural, indirect sunlight to thrive. The lush, glossy leaves are very large and bring some of the tropics to your bedroom.

When caring for your ficus plant indoors, it’s essential to get the water, humidity, and temperature just right. This type of fig tree may not grow well in low to dim lighting conditions.

If your bedroom doesn’t get a lot of light and you want a small ficus tree in your room, try the weeping fig tree (Ficus benjamina). This ficus tree tolerates considerable shade and looks good in a dim corner or against a bedroom wall.

Bedroom Plants and Feng Shui

Generally, it’s not recommended to keep plants in bedrooms if you follow Feng Shui principles.

Feng Shui and bedroom plants don’t go well because it is said that plants represent vibrant growth, not peaceful rest and mindfulness. That being said, some people find that small bedroom plants instill tranquility such as peace lilies. If you have an exceptionally large bedroom, then having a palm in the corner, away from your bed, should be okay.

Related articles:

• Plants that Bring Good Luck and Fortune According to Feng Shui
• Unique, Cool, and Unusual Houseplants You Need to Grow
• Drought Tolerant Plants That Need Very Little Water