The Best Windowsill Plants That Are Ideal For Your Kitchen
Windowsill plants are very particular plants because they need to meet very specific requirements.
First of all, these plants need to thrive in plenty of bright light.
Furthermore, if your kitchen window is facing West, then you’ll need plants that love the heat and direct sun!
In addition, windowsill plants need to be relatively small and grow slow, as the space on the sill can be limited.
I want to focus on kitchen windowsills because this is the place in the home where plants are enjoyed the most; while sipping coffee, scrubbing veggies and doing the dishes.
It is also quite easy to pour some water on those pots while doing the dishes and tidying up the kitchen.
Here’s my list of favourite, low maintenance and slow growing windowsill plants.
(While all these plants do well on North, East and South facing windows, the ones I marked as Hot!🔥 are the only ones that do well on West facing windows!)
1. cacti collection - (HOT!🔥)
A cute collection of cacti is ideal for a Kitchen windowsill.
In-fact, Cacti are ideal windowsill plants for any window orientation, although the more direct sun, the better.
Cacti thrive in plenty of bright light. If your Kitchen window is facing West, Cacti are ideal for it!
These plants can withstand full sun exposure with minimal care.
Their watering frequency will change depending on the type of container they are planted in.
They will need more water in a terracotta pot as the material is porous and it allows the soil to dry out faster.
A plastic container, or a container without drainage holes requires less watering.
As a rule of thumb, allow the soil to dry out completely before watering.
Because these plants don’t grow too fast, they don’t require frequent repotting or fertilizing.
Ideal cacti for windowsills are; Mammillaria, Fairy Castle Cactus, Yellow Tower Cactus.
A small collection of cacti tied together by the same pot can be very decorative on a window sill.
A tiny single cactus in a whimsical container is as equally decorative.
2. venus flytrap, (dionaea muscipula) - (HOT!🔥)
The Venus Flytrap is the plant that every kid wants!
(Read along as this plant is great for windowsills. I just have to tell you its redemption story because this is not an easy plant to care for, unless you know your stuff).
Marketed as “the little pot of horrors”, this plant becomes the horror of every parent who’s pressured by their kids to buy one…
The intention is always noble but no parent, and (who are we kiddin’!), no kid can keep this plant alive!!😜
That’s because 99.99% of people don’t know how to care for this cute carnivore!
I have been part of this percentage of people until my daughter came home with one to surprise me during my surgery recovery.
I thought it was the sweetest gesture from her and I couldn’t let this plant die, especially with my “plant queen” reputation…
So I went into my deep research mode and I figured out how to keep it alive.
And guess what?
I learned that the Venus Flytrap is one of the most ideal windowsill plants for West facing windows!
My Venus Flytrap came with a plastic cup to keep its foliage humid and the moss damp.
The trick is to take that cup, fill it with enough distilled water so that when you place your pot inside it, the plant can draw moisture from it.
The bottom of the pot should always be 1/2″ (1cm), under water.
Then place your scary but cute Venus Flytrap on your West facing windowsill.
Every time you notice a leaf browning, cut it off at the base.
For every leaf you prune, a new one will form.
Every time the water level lowers, top it up. Always using distilled water.
It works!
Allow the plant to loose all its leaves and go dormant in winter.
My cute Venus Flytrap is in need of a water top-up!
3. sweetheart hoya, (hoya kerrii)
The cute Hoya Kerrii leaf is often sold as novelty plant at Valentine’s time.
Not many people know that they are just buying the leaf of a plant without any roots.
The great majority of these leaves end up dying after a few weeks.
However, if you know how to properly care for it, you can help the Sweetheart Hoya to grow roots and become a plant with its own stems and leaves.
The process is quite slow, making it an ideal plant for windowsills.
The Hoya Kerrii leaf thrives in plenty of bright, indirect light.
Any sill facing North, East and South is great for this plant.
Water it approximately once a week, or when the top soil feels dry to the touch.
Fertilize it with a liquid plant food once a month from Spring to Fall.
Because it grows slowly, I only had to repot it once in the four years I had it.
If you follow these simple instructions, you will be able to grow a plant out of this lovely leaf, the same way I did!
Hoya Kerrii Leaf.
4. zebra plant, (haworthia) - (HOT!🔥)
The Zebra Plant is one of the best windowsill plants.
What makes this plant so great it’s the ease of care and propagation.
I have something like five or six Zebra Haworthias, and I haven’t bought a single one of them!
I think two were a gift from friends who propagated theirs, and the others are propagations of them.
The Haworthia is great for any location, but it really enjoys a lot of bright light, even the direct sun of West facing windows.
Water it when the soil feels dry to the touch, which varies depending on pot material and size, as well as light exposure.
It is always best to under-water rather than over-water this plant!
Fertilize it once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
Repot it when its offsets start to be too heavy for the pot.
To propagate the Zebra Plant, simply cut off the offsets and plant them in a pot filled with a mix of Cactus soil and Perlite.
Zebra Haworthia before opening up and producing its many offsets.
5. starfish snake plant, (dracaena cylindrica boncel) - (HOT!🔥)
The Starfish Snake Plant is a whimsical windowsill plant.
I smile every time I look at it.
It’s a happy plant that can definitely put anyone in a good mood.
So why not, placing it on a very visible windowsill?
This plant is really low maintenance too.
It thrives in plenty of bright light, even the direct Western light.
Water it every time the top soil feels dry to the touch.
It is quite forgiving if you miss a watering.
You can fertilize it once a month with a liquid plant food from Spring to Fall.
Repot it only when the roots are growing out of its pot drainage holes.
The funny looking Starfish Snake Plant. Is it me, or does it look like it’s giving me the finger?
6. rooting pits & vegetables
I love experimenting with vegetable and fruit seeds and cuttings.
I have a million jars for rooting and propagating purposes.
I think windowsills are perfect spots for these plant experiments.
Have you ever tried rooting an avocado pit and growing it into a houseplant?
It is such a rewarding and exciting experience for kids and adults alike!
And what about growing romaine lettuce from the bottom of a stem?
It’s fun and mind-blowing!
If you don’t have a collection of glass jars like I do, you can buy all sorts of regrow kits online, or simply use any plastic tray you may have handy.
I love the Kikkerland Terracotta Seed Sprouters to root many vegetables such as green onions, romaine lettuce, avocado pits and celery.
Rooting avocado pit and romaine lettuce sprout!
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.
7. string of pearls, (senecio rowleyanus) - (HOT!🔥)
String of Pearls are vibrant windowsill plants.
This plant can either grow on the actual sill or it can be hung above the window and let trail in front of the it.
It thrives in bright light and enjoys the full sun of West facing windows.
Watering will vary, depending on the pot size and its window orientation.
The more sun it gets, the more water it will need.
Pot material, drainage and size make a difference too.
It is better to under-water, rather than over-water this plant.
Water when the soil feels dry to the touch.
Only repot when the roots are outgrowing the pot.
It is beneficial to give this plant the occasional trim when the stems become too long.
Trimming the String of Pearls will induce new growth, making the plant look fuller.
You can root the cuttings in water, after letting them dry out for a couple of days.
Rooting Strings of Hearts.
8. mini-orchid, (mini phalaenopsis)
Mini-Orchids are perfect North, East and South facing windowsill plants.
Their size is ideal for this space and the beauty of their flowers will cheer you up as you scrub the dishes!
Caring for Orchids is not that hard.
Orchids need a proper medium for their roots and, proper watering and air circulation.
If you place it on the windowsill you are providing the amount of bright, indirect light it needs to thrive.
Place one ice cube by the base of your Mini-Orchid stem once a week. (You’d need three cubes for a regular sized Orchid).
Don’t repot your Orchid into a pot of soil.
Never repot it when in bloom.
Orchids are epiphytes, which means they grow on other plants and trees in nature. They draw nutrients from moisture in the air, rain and organic matter accumulated on the host plant.
This why they come in a small plastic and fenestrated pot filled with sphagnum moss and no soil.
Soil rots their roots as it retains too much moisture.
You only need to repot your Orchid after one or two years. Buy a bigger, Orchid specific pot and re-pot it using an Orchid specific mix.
This Mini-Orchid is still in its Orchid specific fenestrated pot.
I placed the pot inside this ceramic container and filled it with pebbles.
The pebbles have double function; they act as drainage system for excess moisture and they are decorative.
9. air plants
Air plants are stunning and intriguing windowsill plants.
They are definitely not suitable for West facing windows, but great for those bright windowsills facing North and Est.
As the word says, Air Plants don’t need soil to grow.
These plants are epiphytes and grow on other trees and plants in nature.
That doesn’t mean that they don’t need water!
They draw nutrients from moisture in the air and organic matter on the host plant.
Air Plants thrive in high humidity. Having them in a Kitchen windowsill is actually really good, as the humidity tends to be higher in Kitchens.
It is very important to provide great air circulation around these plants, so don’t place them inside terrariums!
Instead, place them on a nice piece of wood or driftwood piece.
Water them once a week by misting them abundantly or submerging them in water.
A Peach Air Plant resting on top of a Bulbous Air Plant.
10. buddhist pine, (podocarpus)
The Buddhist Pine is one of the easiest windowsill plants to have on a North, East and South facing window.
I’ve had a few of these plants and loved their ease of maintenance in different environments.
This plant thrives in humid conditions, so it is ideal for Closed Terrariums.
It also does well “en plein air”, meaning out of a container.
Water it when the soil feels dry to the touch.
Fertilize it once a month from Spring to Fall with a liquid plant food.
Since the Buddhist Pine growth is very slow, it doesn’t need regular repotting.
Just check the roots. When they start growing out of the drainage holes, it is time to repot it.
Mist your Buddhist Pine regularly to keep itss humidity levels up.
You can even place it inside a glass jar to increase humidity around it, but make sure there is never any direct light on the glass jar.
The pebbles under and around the pot work as a drainage system for the plant. When the plant is inside a glass container, it needs less water as the humidity is higher and it keeps the soil moist for a longer period of time.
11. aloe vera, (aloe barbadensis miller)- (HOT!🔥)
The Aloe Vera is a wonderful and useful windowsill plant for a Kitchen!
Aside from being extremely easy to care for, it can come in handy for those stove top and oven burns.
The gel inside its stem is a great cure for minor skin burns!
It is worth mentioning that despite its many medicinal and cosmetic benefits, this plants is toxic to pets and humans if ingested.
Another great advantage of the Aloe Vera is that it’s one of the few Pest Resistant Plants.
There are over 300 species of Aloe Vera. Some grow bigger and faster than others.
I have a Aloe Humilis. The word “humilis” in latin means “small”.
It is a dwarf species of Aloe that doesn’t grow too big. This particular Aloe is great for small sill spaces.
The biggest issue with Aloes is being over-watered.
In-fact, this plant only needs to be watered once the soil has completely dried out.
Planting them in a terracotta pot is very helpful, as the porosity of the material allows the soil to dry out faster and it always guarantees proper drainage.
Drainage is another critical aspect for the proper care of Aloe Vera.
This plant does not require much fertilizing. Once a year it is all that this plant needs.
Repot it when the plant starts to outgrow the pot.
Aloe Humilis. An Aloe Vera dwarf species.
12. pansy, (viola tricolor hortensis)
Pansies are gorgeous and colourful windowsill plants.
I could always count on Pansies coming home from my kids school on Mother’s Day.
What a gorgeous and happy plant!
I absolutely love the structure and colours of its flowers!
Pansies are generally grown outdoors but they are beautiful on an indoor sill too.
Plenty of bright, indirect light from a North or East facing window is great. Just make sure it is not exposed to direct sun light.
Water deeply once a week and wait until the top 1″ of soil feels dry to the touch.
Dead-head any spent flower or leaf to encourage new growth.
Fertilize every two months with a liquid plant food.
The cute and classic Mother’s Day Pansy in a cup gift!
That’s all for my list of best windowsill plants!
I am certain there are more wonderful plants that are suitable for windowsills.
These are the tried and true plants I feel confident speaking of.
I would be very happy if you had more options you have tried and loved and would like to share in the comments here below!
Disclosure: This Blog contains affiliate links, which means I will make a commission at no cost to you, if you make a purchase after clicking my link.
Hey Plant Loving Woman!
Are you a middle age mom?
Do you constantly feel overwhelmed and anxious?
Do you believe in the healing power of nature?
To reveal your #1 Personal Houseplant that best
helps you reduce your anxiety.