Brian Jeffrey
Your bedroom should be a place that feels inviting, calming, and cozy. A great way to add those elements is through plants. And while any plant will do, the best bedroom plants are ones that are easy to care for. Erin Marino, director of marketing at The Sill says plants can truly transform your bedroom.
“Plants can be used to enhance your overall decor [by] bringing in color, texture, pattern, and dimension; creating separation within a larger space; or even hide existing eyesores,” says Marino. And plants don’t just look good, they may make you feel good. “I find them therapeutic to care for—it’s my own form of meditation. Checking in with my plants is one of the rare and treasured times of the day when I’m not looking at another screen or person. And what better place to relax then in your bedroom?”
If you’re looking for a plant to help you get to sleep, Marino says that because plants have an overall calming effect, all plants will aid in sleep. “Even brief exposure to nature has been shown to make us more happy and relaxed,” she says. Though lavender is known for its ability to help you doze off, Marino says you’re better off sticking to an essential oil. “It’s not easy to keep a lavender plant healthy and happy indoors,” she says. “It needs a ton of light and frequent waterings.”
And although plants are natural air purifiers, Marino says you’d need to fill your space to the brim like a greenhouse for plants to have a significant impact on your indoor air pollution.
“That being said—they certainly won’t increase the toxins in the air, and they can provide many more benefits than just air filtration,” says Marino. “It’s worth noting, too, that most of the plants included in air-filtering [articles] comes from one NASA study, many many years ago. It’s a great list, but I encourage new plant lovers to bring all different varieties of plants into their living spaces, to learn what works best for them.”
Marino says her favorite part about adding plants to a bedroom is that they add life to a space and create interest.
“I recommend creating little vignettes around your home with multiple plants in each to draw your eye from one area to another,” she says. “Group different sized neutral planters—think creams and grays—for a soothing, minimalist look. Or for more visual interest, geometric shaped planters are a wonderful contrast with the softer, more natural shape of tropical leafy plants. Either way, have fun with it!”
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Below, you’ll find some of Marino’s favorite bedroom plants.
The best bedroom plants to buy
Although these plants are great for bedrooms, read the care instructions and make sure your bedroom has the correct light needed for the plant to survive.
Snake plant, $37
“The snake plant can tolerate a wide range of light conditions including low indirect, but is happiest in moderate-to-bright indirect light,” she says. “It is technically a succulent, meaning it has developed characteristics to survive in arid environments, so water sparingly, about every two to three weeks, and less frequently in the winter.”
Marble Queen Pothos, $56
“The pothos can also tolerate a wide range of light conditions including low indirect light, but is happiest in moderate to semi-bright indirect light,” says Marino. “Water your pothos about once every one to two weeks (less frequently in the winter).”
Pink Anthurium, $65
“The anthurium rarely has any downtime between blooms, making it a great pick for the bedroom—you can keep it on your sunny windowsill all year round,” she says. “Fun fact: the anthurium’s flowers aren’t really flowers, but modified waxy leaves. The more bright indirect light this plant is positioned in, the more beautiful bright ‘flowers’ it will produce! These blooms last about eight weeks each. And I think the anthurium’s non-modified green heart-shaped leaves are just as attractive!”
Orchids, $75
Orchids are notoriously hard-to-care-for plants. To keep your orchid alive, be sure to keep it in an area that receives bright indirect sunlight, water it sparingly, and adjust your care once it stops blooming. For more detailed instructions from Marino, read this article.
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Written by: WellGood
