Houseplants are enjoying a renaissance in 2020 and 2021. Everyone is ‘going green’! With all the time we’re spending at home, it’s almost too easy to get obsessed with our plant babies.
After so much time spent inside, we’re all looking for a way to revitalize the habitat. Houseplants bring the outdoors in, while also offering a much-needed pop of colorful greenery. A bit of color in our lives is like medicine during this bleak winter season!
But for some, the role of the humble houseplant goes beyond that. It’s well-documented that houseplants have a surprising number of benefits on your health and wellbeing. A houseplant can affect your mental and physical health in equal measure, from reducing stress levels and filtering the air to boost mood and improving productivity. You could say that plants are the cheapest form of therapy out there.
A plant can also provide you with a sense of purpose and control over your surroundings. There aren’t a lot of things we can control in life right now, so being able to exercise control over the wellbeing of your houseplant… well, it’s more valuable than you might think. Consider houseplants as a marker to help track time and progress, something to formulate a routine around and keep you accountable. Now, more than ever, we need something to look forward to, even if it’s just your potted plant growing a new leaf.
Home is Where The Houseplant Is
Okay, enough philosophizing about plants. Let’s talk about the 2021 trends for indoor greenery.
Plants for Beginners
The snake plant is a perennial favorite for a reason. It’s hardy, drought-tolerant, and extremely easy to care for. Plus, its spiky variegated leaves make a statement in any room!
Larger Plants
It seems like 2021 will be the year of the large and the leafy.
The velvet calathea is a moderately fast-growing houseplant that can reach up to one meter in height. Its long oval-shaped jade green leaves are wavy and ruffled but velvety-soft to the touch. The calathea likes heat, sun, and moisture and brings a tropical flair to any room.
Elephant ear plants are bold, tropical, and absolutely massive. These gentle giants have heart-shaped leaves with slightly frilled edges, reach anywhere between 3 and 5 feet, and can be grown both indoors and out.
Small Plants
The Happy Bean Plant is adorable both in name and in appearance. With its clusters of verdant spines, this semi-succulent looks a bit like a bundle of green beans! Its care is relatively simple, and it would be happy living in a windowsill with minimal watering.
Trailing/Climbing Plants
Sure, you can technically hang any plant in a macramé basket, but here’s one trailing plant you’ll want to drape all over the place.
A rarer relative of the massively popular pothos, the Sterling Silver Scindapsus features pointed dark green oval leaves with a shimmery silver sheen on top. Although it grows slowly, it will eventually become big enough to train its vines up a trellis or hang down from a tall shelf. It’s relatively easy to care for, and it brings a touch of elegance to any home.
Colorful Plants
You can’t go wrong with green – it’s so rich! So glossy! Like an emerald in a pot! – but if you’re one of those people who needs a little more color in their life, consider this pretty plant.
The red Maranta prayer plant features olive-green leaves with bold red ribs that form a punchy herringbone pattern. The most remarkable thing about the Maranta? It ‘prays’ – during the nighttime, the leaves move up and down of their own accord, albeit very slowly. The Maranta isn’t a plant for beginners, but if treated right, it will amaze you!
By the way, the velvet calathea that we mentioned earlier is notorious for its deep maroon stems and underbelly, so we’re including it as both a large plant and a colorful plant!
Cacti
Move over succulents; the cacti have arrived! Even more low maintenance and forgiving than succulents—which are incredibly low-maintenance and forgiving, by the way—cacti are having a moment in the spotlight, and rightly so.
The fishbone cactus is easy to care for and super unique. With glossy, flat stems that curve back and forth like fishbones, this little cactus is sure to catch the eye of anyone who passes by. And it might even grow a flower for you if you treat it right!
Do you have a favorite houseplant in your collection? What do you think of our predictions for this year’s houseplant trends? Drop us a line today, and let’s talk about it!
