The Best Aesthetic Plants to Decorate Your Home
What are aesthetic plants?
Aesthetic plants are indoor plants with beautiful and captivating features that add visual interest to anyone’s home.
Such features can range from stunning colours contrasts, to beautiful foliage shape. The way these aesthetic plants are displayed, can also create visually appealing pockets of space inside homes and even offices.
Indoor plants have multiple health benefits, you don’t need to be a plant expert to know that. In-fact, houseplants are known for boosting our mental health, improving creativity, cleaning the surrounding air from toxins, and even boosting our immune system. You can read my article on the Benefits of Plant to learn more about this topic.
Another undeniable benefit of indoor plants, is their ability to enhance the look of any space.
There are many beautiful houseplants on the market that range from incredibly low-maintenance, to more challenging to care for…
Here are 10 aesthetic plants that are ideal to decorate your home with. Some are easier to care for than others, but as they say, beautiful things take time!!
Medium size Aesthetic plants
I am starting this list with medium sized aesthetic plants because not everyone is ready to bring in massive plants into their homes right away.Â
These plants can be displayed on plants stands, or any horizontal surfaces, such as coffee tables or bookshelves.
1. calathea medallion, (calathea veitchiana)
Among the many beautiful plants you can buy for your home, Calatheas are, without a doubt, one of the best aesthetic plants for any space. They truly are crowd pleasers!
There are many different species of Calatheas on the market and they are all incredibly beautiful. Some species are harder to find than others, but if you are lucky, you can find one even at your local grocery store!Â
Calathea Medallion have beautiful double-sided leaves. The front with stunning painted strokes of green tones; the back with rich, deep, purple and burgundy tones. These tones are visible in the unfurled leaves and in the evenings and night, when the plant’s leaves lift up as to reach the sky!
Native to Tropical Americas, these plants thrive in medium to bright indirect light and high humidity conditions.
Place Calatheas in a bright spot that does not receive direct sunlight. The sun will burn their beautiful leaves, and that’s a crime!
Like all other tropical plants, Calatheas soil needs to be moist but not too soggy. Do not allow the soil to dry through in between waterings. Water it once the surface soil starts to dry.
Place a tray of pebbles filled with water in order to provide the humidity these plants need. Make sure water does not touch the bottom of the pot in order to avoid root rot.
I have one recommendation for these plants, but it does really apply to all plants with foliage susceptible to brown tips like Prayer Plants, Peace Lilies and Spider Plants. Brown tips on the plant’s leaves is often a sign of too much Chlorine or Fluoride in your tap water. I suggest preparing jugs of tap water the night before you plan to water your plants. This will allow excessive Chlorine and Fluoride to evaporate. Alternatively, you can use distilled water, like I do for all my tropical plants, and brown tips prone plants.
My Calathea Medallion showing off its many unfurling new purple leaves.Â
The many new unfurled spring leaves have created a brand new plant.Â
2. Variegated rubber plant, (ficus elastica)
Rubber Plants, in my opinion, are aesthetic plants for home displays when they are big in size and variegated.Â
They are native to Eastern South Asia and are currently naturalized in Sri Lanka, West Indies and Florida.
They are not difficult plants to care for, but they do require a good balance of light and water. Once you’ve found the perfect balance for your plant within your home, it will be extremely easy to care for.
Rubber Plants generally thrive in bright, indirect light. The more light you provide to a variegated species, the more variegation you’ll get. Never expose these plants to direct sunlight though.
As fas as watering goes, these types of Ficus, enjoy moist soil but not too soggy. Do not allow the soil to dry through in between waterings. I water mine lightly, once a week.
The thick, waxy leaves tend to attract dust and require periodical wiping.Â
My small variegated Rubber Plant has had a slow growth ever since I took it home. I believe it has to do with the lack of drainage in its pot. I repotted it in a new pot with draining holes and I am waiting to see the progress.
Variegated Rubber Plants leaves are stunning to me. The randomness of their colours is a work of art.
Tall and large Aesthetic plants
These plants are the statement aesthetic plants! Mostly for their size and shape.
Once you are ready to commit to bigger plants, (and spend a bit more money for them), these plants will change the look of any space quickly!
Some are large and can be trailed off from plant stands and sturdy cupboards and shelves, others can climb walls with special trellises, and others are tall and slender floor plants.
3. Swiss cheese plant, (monstera deliciosa)
Monsteras are aesthetic plants of large scale! They are definitely a big statement plant for any space. They need a big space to be displayed, whether they are left trailing from a higher shelf, or trained on a coir pole, or even a special trellis.
These tropical plants are native Southern Mexico, and subsequently introduced to other tropical regions, such as Hawaii and the Seyschelles.
In their natural habitats, Monsteras are epiphytes, (they grow and climb on other plants trunks and branches), with aerial roots.
Monsteras grow relatively fast. As they mature, they grow bigger and longer trailing aerial roots, making it a very easy plant to trim and propagate.
Swiss cheese plants enjoy moderate to indirect bright light. Too much light and direct sun will yellow its beautiful leaves.Â
Water this plant moderately and evenly. I water mine once a week, when the top soil tends to be dry. I also recommend misting this plant regularly to provide the humidity levels it needs to thrive.
My Monstera has grown significantly in the last few months. Not only I had to repot it, I also trained its long, trailing stems to climb up a coir pole, using soft gardener ties.
Monstera’s beautiful heart shaped, split leaf.
4. Birds of paradise plant, (Strelitzia Nicolai)
Birds of Paradise Plants are definitely my favourite among all the aesthetic plants.
To me, these plants are the definition of tropical plants. Â They are very easy to grow and maintain. They grow fast and produce beautiful giant, unfurling leaves on thick and tall spires.
They are gorgeous plants to display individually or to pair up with other plants in a green corner of your home. I paired mine with a Fiddle Leaf Fig and the effect is quite beautiful.
These plants are surprisingly adaptable, and grow well in low light and direct bright light conditions.
Strelitzias thrive in moist soil conditions but not too soggy. I water mine once a week from spring to fall and let the top few inches dry out in winter before I water it. It’s better to to keep these plants on the drier side than to soak them in too much water.
Since these are tropical plants, they will enjoy regular misting to increase the levels of humidity they require to thrive.
This Birds of Paradise brings such a tropical feel to my home office! It definitely is a statement plant for any space.
Birds of Paradise unfurling leaf in all its beauty.
5. Fiddle Leaf fig, (ficus lyrata)
Fiddle Leaf Figs are sold as small or tall aesthetic plants.Â
While the smaller size plants are widely available for purchase, the tall trees are a bit harder to find and more costly than Palms, Birds of Paradise or other tall plants.
Fiddle Leaf Figs are easy to grow and care for, once you find the perfect spot for them and refine their watering schedule.
I have had my Fiddle Leaf Fig Tree for 13 years. I learned that it loves to face our South facing window and soak in the direct morning sunlight. These plants definitely need a lot of bright light.
I water mine once a week and I add liquid fertilizer to its water from spring to fall.
Read my article on the Fiddle Leaf Fig to learn more abut this plant.
My 13 years old Fiddle Leaf Fig has found its ideal environment by a South facing window in my home office.
I love the details on the backside of Fiddle Leaf Fig leaves. Its veins are so prominent and in stark contrast with the leathery surface of the leaf backside.
6. Majesty palm, (ravenea Rivularis)
Majesty Palms enhance the look of any space in no time!
It is a tall, full, and highly decorative plant, that will fill any empty corners of your home!
Majesty Palms are native to Madagascar. In their natural habitat, these plants grow in regions surrounded and separated by deserts, making their natural spread quite limited. According to assessments conducted in 2010, there were only approximately 900 plants living in the wild.
Despite their fragility in the wild, their beauty has made these plants widely accessible as houseplants.
Majesty Palms thrive indoors in bright, indirect light conditions. Too much direct sun will scorch its leaves.
These plants need to be watered when the top 1″ of soil feels dry to the touch, approximately once or twice a week depending on its surrounding environments. They grow near river banks in their natural habitats, so they require a fairly wet soil. Do not let the pot stand in stagnant water though.
They do well in average home humidity, however, if you live in a particularly dry area, it is recommended regular misting to increase the humidity.
Majesty Palms are mostly sold as large, tall plants in many greenhouses or stores as they are meant to be big statement plants, but don’t you worry! They are sold big and tall, because they are slow growers! If you buy one for your home, it won’t outgrow your ceiling!
Photo Credit: The Home Depot
7. African milk tree, (Euphorbia trigona)
African Milk Trees are the lowest maintenance aesthetic plants you can think of. The only thing you need for their survival is bright light.
I have had mine for 15 years, and it has survived years of neglect, when my attention was completely devoted to my babies and full time work.
As mentioned before, these succulents require a lot of bright light to thrive.
Watering is limited to once a month when you grow them indoor.Â
Remember that these plants will die if watered too much.
Cacti like these, are ideal indoor aesthetic plants for black thumbs, plant newbies and busy people with very little time to care for plants.
One of my two tall cacti sits on an unused stair landing, bringing life and interest to a space that would otherwise have no function.
I have had this cactus for over 15 years. While it requires almost no maintenance, it provides a beautiful accent to a pocket of our home.
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trailing and climbing Aesthetic plants
As mentioned at the beginning of this article, these types of aesthetic plants, add visual appeal to a space, not only with their beautiful leaves, but with the many ways they can be displayed.
Trailing and climbing plants can be displayed in many creative ways, enhancing and highlighting the beauty of a particular corner of your home.
8. lemon lime prayer plant, (maranta leuconeura)
Aesthetic plants you say?
How about these ones??
I can’t stare enough at the leaves of these plants. I often ask myself how is it even possible that nature can create such perfect compositions of patterns and colours.Â
Marantas are as finicky to maintain as they are beautiful.
These beautiful trailing plants are native to the Brazilian rainforests. As such, they enjoy high humidity, and moist soil, but not too soggy. Like for the Calathea Medallion, place a tray of pebbles with water under their pots to increase humidity levels if you leave in a dry home like mine.Â
Water them once the soil starts to dry on the surface, and mist them twice a week to keep their humidity levels up!
Like I did before, I highly recommend watering these plants with distilled water, in order to prevent brown tips on their leaves!
Even though these plants can survive in low light conditions, they definitely thrive in bright, indirect light.
My stunning original Lemon Lime Prayer Plant trailing off a bookshelf in our Living Room.
This Maranta rooting in water is a cutting from the original plant in the previous picture. It’s growing and developing nicely in water, and it is even producing a stem with long aerial roots I can cut and grow into a third Prayer Plant.
9. Heartleaf Philodendron, (philodendron hederaceum)
Solid green Heartleaf Philodendrons are, in my opinion, to be considered aesthetic plants for what you can do with them. Let me explain;
Solid green philodendrons are extremely low maintenance plants you can display in many different ways. One of the most creative ways to display Heartleaf Philodendrosn is to train them to climb walls or wall features with either trellises or clips. Read my article on Indoor Climbing and Trailing Plants for more inspiration!
Variegated Heartleaf Philodendrons, (Philodendron Brasil), are aesthetic plants for their stunning appearance!
Heartleaf Philodendrons are native to Central America and the Caribbean. These plants do well in low light conditions and enjoy higher levels of humidity. For this reason it’s a recommended plant for Bathrooms and Kitchens.Â
Having said that, these plants still thrive in bright indirect light. As a matter of fact, the bright light is a huge factor in the variegation of their leaves. The lesser the light the more solid coloured the leaves will be.
While humidity is good for these plants, you need to be careful with the amount of water your provide to them. Allow the top 50% of its soil to dry through before watering. These plants are not drought tolerant but they doesn’t like too much water either.
This is my Philodendron Brasil, a variegated type of Heartleaf Philodendron.Â
I find it incredibly beautiful with its brush strokes like painted leaves.
A solid green Heartleaf Philodendron can be displayed in so many different ways; from trailing, to climbing, to slithering through objects on a horizontal surface.Â
10. rosary vine, (ceropegia woodii)
These dainty, yet captivating aesthetic plants are wonderful trailing plants to either hang from a hanging pot or to let cascade from a high shelf!Â
Their thin and long stems produce incredible tiny heart shaped leaves with intricate silver patterns.Â
Rosary Vine Plants, also known as Strings of Hearts are native to South Africa and Zimbabwe. They are probably the toughest one in this list of aesthetic plants to find. But if you are patient you’ll come across one eventually. Or even better, if you have a friend that owns one, take a snip or two to propagate it!
While they are quite easy to care for, it’s important to understand they are not succulents! Their care however, is similar to a succulent.
Strings of Hearts enjoy bright, indirect light. It is important to let the soil dry through in between waterings as these plants are prone to roots rot. Based on your climate, you’ll have to adjust your watering frequency.Â
To learn more about these plants, read my article on Ceropegia Woodii Care.
My precious Rosary Vine sits on a high shelf in my home office. Its stems are growing so long that they touch the ground. I have to find a new way to display it.
These two little Strings of Hearts are “accidental cuttings” from the original plant in the previous picture. They were both accidentally ripped from the original plant long stems while I was moving it from one location to another….
IÂ placed the torn stems in water and they started rooting.
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