There’s no better feeling than giving your interiors a refresh, and using colourful indoor plants can really brighten up your home no matter how much space you have to fill.
But it’s not always easy choosing which plants to bring extra colour to your home. Whether you’re a wannabe plant parent or the most green-fingered person you know, there are lots of elements to think about. Sometimes it’s hard to know if your flowers and succulents will survive humid environments, facing a window, or if it’s toxic for your child or pet. You may also have never kept a plant alive before…
For every size of home, introducing the influence of nature into your décor is more on-trend than ever. We’ve picked out our favourite colourful houseplants so you can transform your home into a lush, natural paradise. We’ve got maintenance tips, advice on which room your plants will thrive in and whether they’re safe to be around your little ones and pets. Keep reading to find your favourite.
17 Colourful Indoor Plants To Transform Your Interiors
No matter if you’re an amateur plant killer or a green-fingered expert, take inspiration from these colourful indoor plants. We’ve marked each plant out of 10 for ease of taking care of them.
1 = difficult, 10 = easy, and explained whether they’re child or pet-friendly.
CALATHEA (ZEBRA PLANT)
A plant that thrives in medium to low light. The ‘zebra print’ foliage gives texture to your home. With a little added care you can bloom some stunning red and cream leaves.
Where to keep me: Keep this child and pet-friendly plant in your bathroom as it loves humid conditions.
How to look after me: The Calathea loves moist soil and humidity. If you don’t have a humidifier, place the pot on top of a saucer filled with pebbles and water, the humidity will travel up into the soil and into the roots. Ensure you’re dusting the leaves regularly, water often in summer and less frequently in the winter months.
FAIRLY EASY - 7/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
GLOXINIA
Can usually be found at your florist in late winter or spring, these cousins of the African violet produce white, pink, red, dark purple and blue flowers. Keep the soil moist and the flowers will bloom for weeks on this pet and child-friendly plant.
Where to keep me: The bedroom is ideal for a Gloxinia provided you get enough sunlight to keep the plant warm.
How to look after me: Don’t wet the leaves as they will turn brown and die, so always water directly into the soil. Keep this beautiful plant in a room that stays at an average temperature of 16-24 degrees celsius. Always keep the soil moist, and use a high-phosphorus liquid fertiliser every two weeks.
FAIRLY DIFFICULT - 5/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
PEACE LILY
The Peace Lily grows on low light forest floors. So you have to try and replicate those conditions at home. With the right care and light, you can encourage your plant to blossom delicate white flowers.
Where to keep me: In a room that has indirect sunlight and humidity. Not so bright that it damages the plant, but bright enough to read a book - the bathroom is usually the perfect place for this plant to thrive, but don’t worry if your bathroom doesn’t fit that description - you can replicate those conditions in other rooms.
How to look after me: Peace lilies can be fussy, so you need to use room temperature filtered water. As a humidity-loving plant, if you can’t keep them in your bathroom they need regular misting or placing on top of a saucer filled with pebbles and water.
FAIRLY EASY - 6/10. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS
BROMELIADS
Tropical plants which can survive in low light but prefer indirect sunlight. Keep the leaves moist but not soggy. Provide plenty of drainage for this plant.
Where to keep me: Bromeliads will scorch if they’re exposed to bright sunlight for a long period, so your bedroom or living room should provide enough dappled light for this child and pet-friendly plant.
How to look after me: Don’t over water this plant as this causes root rot, and always make sure you’re using a pot with fast drainage. Moist soil is good for Bromeliads, but there can’t be any water sitting in there. Many of these plants have a ‘tank’ where the leaves meet and form a small bucket. Fill the tank regularly with rainwater to keep your Bromeliad happy, don’t use tap water.
FAIRLY DIFFICULT - 4/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
PEPEROMIA
Perfect for terrariums because they’re small and slow growing, but need looking after to keep insects away. Buy a combination of sizes to build up an impressive indoor display.
Where to keep me: Near a south or west-facing window, or directly next to a north or east-facing window to expose your plant to bright, indirect light.
How to look after me: Water sparingly, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings by only sprinkling water on the soil. Keep this plant happy with warm conditions and a weekly misting to keep the leaves moist.
FAIRLY EASY - 6/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
BLACK RAVEN ZZ PLANT
This black plant enjoys low light and only needs watering every couple of weeks. Ideal for helping to bring attention to other colours in your home.
Where to keep me: Bright, indirect sunlight will make sure the leaves of this plant stay jet black, so keep it near a south-facing window if possible.
How to look after me: The ZZ plant is shaped like a potato, so it retains water and if you forget to water it, it won’t die straight away! Don’t let the temperature of your space drop below 10ºC as it’ll start to suffer.
VERY EASY - 10/10. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
PINK POLKA DOT PLANT
The Polka Dot Plant comes in a number of striking colour combinations but a popular shade is pink and green. Beautiful, but difficult to keep alive.
Where to keep me: Place near a south or east facing window as too much light will fade the leaf colours or scorch them.
How to look after me: Water regularly, but you must make sure that the water drains all the way through the pot as it’s really susceptible to root rot. Create a humid environment by clustering other plants around it or keep it warm and mist weekly.
VERY DIFFICULT - 2/10. NON-TOXIC BUT KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
PRAYER PLANT
A plant that comes in various colour combinations, but generally has dark green foliage. The most common variety is the tricolour, which is green leafed and red veined. They can be difficult to maintain as they have very specific needs
Where to keep me: This plant needs bright but indirect light and lots of humidity. So if your bathroom has a south-facing window, place it near there.
How to look after me: You can’t allow the soil to dry out while your Prayer Plant grows, so water it often during that period. Room temperature or slightly warm water is best for this. If your Prayer Plant gets too much, or not enough water, the leaves will turn yellow and drop off.
FAIRLY DIFFICULT - 4/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
AGLAONEMA (CHINESE EVERGREEN)
Chinese Evergreens are slow-growing tropical perennials that come in a huge variety of colours. They’re toxic to pets, so don’t grow them in a dog or cat household, but they’re very easy to take care of provided you can keep your plant humid. 8/10
Where to keep me: The lighter the leaves, the more sunlight your plant will need. Once you’ve found the perfect spot, this plant requires a (mostly) hands-off approach!
How to look after me: Plant your Chinese Evergreen in a fast draining pot and soil, and make sure you let the soil fully dry out before watering your plant again. Mist it frequently and keep it warm and your plant will thrive.
VERY EASY - 8/10. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
FITTONIA (NERVE PLANT)
A beautiful-but-fussy house plant that grows best in greenhouse conditions. It requires humidity and indirect light so the leaves don’t burn.
Where to keep me: The Nerve Plant will need to be potted and grown inside a terrarium in order to grow indoors.
How to look after me: The Fittonia has the potential to collapse if it doesn’t get enough water, but if the soil gets too dry you can generally save it quickly by adding moisture to it. Regular misting to reproduce rainforest conditions will help keep its leaves healthy.
VERY DIFFICULT - 2/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
CHAMOMILE
This sweet-smelling plant will keep the mosquitoes away (they hate the smell) so is perfect for the home as the evenings get warmer. Keep in partial shade where possible.
Where to keep me: Sit on a south-facing window where possible so it has enough shade, and water once a week.
How to look after me: This is a very low-maintenance plant but it can attract small pests like aphids and mealybugs, to keep these away just spray them with insecticidal soap. Then after 60 to 90 days, this plant can be harvested to make delicious tea.
VERY EASY - 8/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. KEEP AWAY FROM PETS.
MARIMO MOSS BALL
Lives in water and doesn’t need much light. One of the easiest plants to care for if you’re a brand-new plant parent as they only need their water changing every two weeks or so.
Where to keep me: Marimo Moss Balls grow in anything that holds clean water, even in the dark! Keep out of direct sunlight at all costs as they can turn brown.
How to look after me: They’re native to lakes - and remember that their glass container will heat the water quickly - so ensure they’re kept in a cool and dark environment. If they’re floating, don’t worry. Just squeeze them gently to pop the air bubble that’s likely to be the cause and they’ll sink to the bottom of the bowl.
VERY EASY - 10/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
MONEY TREE
This plant has the potential to get very big so make sure you leave it plenty of room to grow! The money tree doesn’t need direct sunlight or frequent watering.
Where to keep me: They don’t like being moved too often, so choose a spot with medium to bright light.
How to look after me: The Money Tree really appreciates regular misting all year round so ensure it’s never standing in water. When watering this plant make sure you’re turning it to get even growth and leaf development. And water deeply but infrequently in case of root rot.
FAIRLY EASY - 7/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
COLEUS
When exposed to light the leaves have a beautiful colour palette including hot pink and dark purple. The cuttings grow so well you can even start this plant off in a glass of water!
Where to keep me: The Coleus grows rapidly in the spring in the right conditions, so place this plant in a spot with space, and lots of indirect sunlight.
How to look after me: The Coleus performs best at temperatures between 16-24ºC. Make sure to prune this plant as soon as the flowers bloom, as they sap energy from the colourful foliage. If you don’t do this quickly enough the plant will die and reseed itself.
VERY EASY - 10/10. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
MONKEY CUPS
A perfect addition for new plant parents as the Monkey Cup barely needs feeding because it’s adapted to survive on insects. Keep the soil moist wherever possible. 9/10
Where to keep me: Grow them in a hanging basket as the ‘cups’ like to droop. The bathroom is an ideal place to hang them if you don’t have a naturally humid space.
How to look after me: Very bright and direct sunlight is needed, they can feed themselves on insects so you only have to mist them with a fertiliser solution every so often. Avoid leaving any standing water in the soil, so ensure you drain the pot all the way through when you’re watering this plant.
VERY EASY - 9/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
LIPSTICK PLANT
Needs a lot of care to grow indoors but is a beautiful tropical flowering plant. Needs light for the majority of the day in order to stay healthy and bloom. If your soil gets too dry then the petals will fall off.
Where to keep me: Keep in a medium to bright spot. If the Lipstick Plant doesn’t get enough light it won’t bloom at all, although you should avoid keeping it in too much shade.
How to look after me: The ideal air and soil temperature needed for blooming is between 21-27ºC. It’s a plant that’s very prone to root rot so always ensure the soil is drained when watering.
FAIRLY HARD - 3/10. CHILD FRIENDLY. PET FRIENDLY.
KALANCHOE
This is a long-flowering succulent that comes in various pastel shades. The Kalanchoe can be difficult to rebloom but is relatively easy to maintain. 7/10
Where to keep me: It’s not a super-picky plant, but does need lots of bright, indirect sunlight to thrive. Keep it away from windows that potentially let in cold breezes or frosty conditions.
How to look after me: The Kalanchoe doesn’t mind if you sometimes forget to water it as it prefers drier roots, just ensure you use a cactus or sandy soil mix when potting. Make sure you don’t wet the leaves when you water as they’re much more sensitive than the roots.
FAIRLY EASY - 7/10. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
Now you know which plants you want to place around your home, why not pair them with your favourite fragrance? For extra tips on transforming your interiors, check out more features here. Shop our latest collection here.