Top 10 Houseplants

Add striking greenery to your home with houseplants
Image: Wellbeing Collection (House Plant) from Thompson & Morgan

Houseplants brighten up our indoor spaces, making us feel happy and calm. Surprisingly easy to care for, the trick is to choose the right plant for the conditions in your home or workplace. 

From shade tolerant houseplants to plants suitable for bright spots, there’s something for almost every location. Here are ten houseplants to transform your home into a lush, green sanctuary. 

Easy to grow houseplants

Even if you’re a complete beginner, there are several houseplants that are very easy to grow and require little specialist care. Happy in most rooms of your home, you can move these indoor plants around until you find the best place for them to thrive. 

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants are ideal for beginners
Image: Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum' from Thompson & Morgan

Chlorophytum comosum 'Variegatum', or the Spider Plant as it’s more commonly known, is an iconic choice that remains enduringly popular. With a cascading habit, its bright glossy foliage spills over the edge of the pot making this an excellent choice for high windowsills or shelves. Spider plants are also fantastic at cleaning the air in the room.

2. Aloe Vera

The sap from Aloe Vera plants has useful healing properties
Image: Aloe Vera from Thompson & Morgan

Known for its medicinal properties, Aloe Vera is a firm favourite in many households. As a succulent it enjoys a warm spot on a sunny windowsill, but it also tolerates some neglect and doesn’t mind if you forget to water it occasionally! The distinctive fleshy green foliage is filled with cooling sap that’s good for cooling burns and soothing dry, sun-damaged skin. 

3. Epipremnum (Devil's Ivy)

Grow Devil's Ivy around a pole for a beautiful display of greenery
Image: Epipremnum aureum from Thompson & Morgan

A native of warm countries like Australia, Indonesia and India, Epipremnum aureum, or Devil's Ivy, is an easy-to-care-for plant that looks great in a well-lit corner away from direct sunlight. This vigorous house plant swiftly scales a moss pole to create a lush, tropical-looking feature that takes up very little floor space. 

Houseplants that improve air quality

Some chemicals and pollutants that are found in your home can prevent you from relaxing or sleeping properly. Not only do plants enrich the air with oxygen, research from NASA shows that some air purifying houseplants also remove up to 87% of toxins from your inside space! Here are some easy-to-grow houseplants to help keep you healthy at home.

4. Snake Plant - Mother-in-Law's Tongue

Mother-in-Law's Tongue can grow happily with very little care
Image: Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii from Thompson & Morgan

The most efficient of the air purifiers, Sansevieria trifasciata var. laurentii (also known as the snake plant or Mother-in-Law's Tongue) is a must for many households. It grows almost anywhere in the home, surviving happily in areas of lower light and putting up with some neglect when it comes to watering. The upright habit of the Snake Plant gives it an architectural quality too, perfect for modern decor.

5. Peace Lily

Peace Lilies help remove toxins from the air
Image: Spathiphyllum 'Torelli' from Thompson & Morgan

Not only an elegant plant to enjoy in your home, the Spathiphyllum 'Torelli' , or Peace Lily helps remove benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, toluene and xylene from the air, all of which can be found in everyday household products. Requiring very little by way of attention, position your Peace Lily away from direct sunlight and let it get to work!

6. Dracaena

Add a subtle pop of greenery to work stations or side tables with a dragon plant
Image: Dracaena fragrans 'Tornado' from Thompson & Morgan

Also known as the dragon plant, Dracaena is available in a number of different varieties and does a great job of purifying the air in your home. Twisting dark green foliage with bold lime green margins make this house plant incredibly alluring! As a young plant, Dracaena fragrans ‘Tornado’ has a low rounded shape that sits nicely on a worktop or coffee table. With maturity, it gradually extends upwards to form an upright central stem, making a fine floor-standing specimen. This magnificent Dragon Tree is undemanding and easy to grow. Just keep it in a shady position as direct sunlight causes the leaves to scorch and turn brown.

Houseplants for kitchens and bathrooms

Houseplants that prefer their soil to be kept damp, or those that like to be misted weekly, will often thrive in kitchens and bathrooms where humidity levels are higher than the rest of the house. These houseplants look amazing in minimalist bathrooms, and add a touch of warmth and personality to the most utilitarian areas of your home.

7. Croton

Crotons thrive in warm, bright rooms like conservatories or porches
Image: Codiaeum variegatum var. pictum 'Mrs Iceton' from Thompson & Morgan

Croton absolutely loves the higher humidity levels in warm bathrooms, conservatories, kitchens or even indoor swimming pools! Sometimes called 'Joseph's Coat' due to its technicolour foliage, its large, glossy leaves feature striking patterns in red, gold and green. For maximum impact, a croton is the perfect show-stopper.

8. Chinese Evergreen

Choose Chinese Evergreen houseplants for a low maintenance option
Image: Aglaonema 'Christina' from Thompson & Morgan

Almost impossible to kill, Aglaonema 'Christina' (or Chinese evergreen) has lovely, long green leaves that are streaked or dappled with either yellow or white. Naturally tropical plants, they love the humid conditions found in bathrooms and kitchens.

9. Fern

The unique 'feathery' foliage of the Asparagus Fern makes this houseplant
Image: Asparagus setaceus (asparagus fern) from Thompson & Morgan

Ferns love damp conditions and so will readily thrive in kitchens and bathrooms where they'll absorb the humid air. Producing magnificent, textural fronds with a prehistoric feel, these ancient plants prefer a spot out of direct sunlight. 

Flowering houseplants 

Houseplants are often chosen for their beautiful foliage, but some are also beloved for their wonderful blooms. Better value-for-money than cut flowers, a flowering houseplant injects a welcome shot of colour to any inside space. 

10. Orchid

Orchid 'Star Class Lilac' really packs a floral punch of fragrance
Image: Orchid 'Star Class Lilac' from Thompson & Morgan

No piece on indoor plants would be complete with mentioning orchids. Their long-lasting elegant blooms are hard to beat, along with graceful arching stems and a delicate scent. Possibly one of the most exotic blooms available, they’re not as difficult to look after as many people believe. 

We hope we’ve provided plenty of inspiration to help you choose your next houseplant, and that you find something suitable for the growing conditions in your home. For top tips on how to care for your new purchase, watch our short video on how to grow houseplants or head to our houseplant hub page for more advice.