Houseplants give your bedroom an unparalleled sense of beauty and tranquility. But not all species are made equally. A plant that thrives in a bright kitchen window may struggle to survive in a dimly lit bedroom. When choosing plants for your room, consider low-maintenance varieties that stay compact and don’t need access to bright light or consistent watering. While there are plenty of options that fit the bill, there are also a few to avoid. Ahead, gardening experts share the worst plants to keep in your bedroom—and why.
- Lisa Eldred Steinkopf, founder of the Houseplant Guru and author of Houseplants
- Marianne Willburn, author of the award-winning Tropical Plants and How to Love Them and a contributing editor at GardenRant.com
Echeveria
The pastel colors and soothing shades of Echeveria succulents make them a natural go-to for houseplants, but they can struggle in the bedroom. “Most of our popular succulents, such as Echeveria or Sempervivum, need good light to grow well and become leggy in a low-light bedroom,” says Willburn. “Of course, this is exactly where we want to put them because they are so cute and don’t take up much space, but they are much better situated near a south-facing windowsill.” If you can meet their temperature and sunlight requirements, these can be low-maintenance and easy-to-grow options.
Boston Fern
The beautiful Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata) features fronds of dozens of delicate blades. But this plant has specific watering requirements and needs consistent humidity, making it better suited for the outdoors rather than a bedroom. If these needs aren’t met, Boston fern’s leaves may wilt and fall off. “Boston ferns require a lot of sunlight and a good deal of humidity—both in short supply indoors,” says Willburn. “Without them, the plant sheds pinnae continuously. Not only does your plant look less than robust, but your floors and tables are a constant mess.”
Fiddle Leaf Fig
A fiddle leaf fig tree (Ficus lyrata) looks beautiful in the house. Yet this ficus variety will likely struggle to grow in a bedroom. “It needs plenty of light, and yet, on many home décor shows or magazines, they are always in a dark corner,” says gardening author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf. She also notes that the fiddle leaf fig tree is probably too large for most bedrooms. “Its leaves are large and may impede traffic flow in a bedroom,” she adds.
Rubber Tree
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Like the fiddle-leaf fig, there are excellent cosmetic reasons you might want a rubber tree (Ficus elastica) in your home. The rubber tree is a stunning, attractive houseplant that adds a pop of elegance to any room. But Steinkopf says this plant needs more natural light than bedrooms typically provide. Rubber trees can also grow quite tall, so it’s a better choice for a living area.
Prayer Plant
Prayer plants (Calathea) are a stunning addition to any home, but avoid keeping yours in the bedroom. “Calatheas can be finicky. They never want to dry out. They also are not tolerant of water containing fluoride,” says Steinkopf, adding that their leaves may develop brown edges and possibly brown spots if you use a municipal water source. Instead, use rainwater or bottled water to water a prayer plant. Because prayer plants have such specific watering needs, it’s easier to keep them in the bathroom or kitchen where they’re close to a water source.
Gardenia
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The white, fragrant blossoms of gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides) make them a popular houseplant. That said, these plants are easier to grow outdoors in a warm climate than indoors. They are extremely sensitive to changes in light, susceptible to pests, and intolerant of inconsistent temperatures and humidity, all factors that are hard to control in the bedroom.
Venus Flytrap
Like many of the plants on this list, Venus flytraps (Dionaea muscipula) have demanding growing requirements. These plants need a lot of sunlight to thrive, which is not always possible in a bedroom where window treatments often impede access to the sun. Venus flytraps also need their soil to stay consistently moist. For best results, keep this plant in an area like the kitchen.
Peruvian Apple Cactus
Peruvian apple cactus (Cereus peruvianus) brings the desert indoors, but it’s not a great choice for the bedroom—especially if yours has limited space. This cactus variety has the potential to grow quite tall and can take up a lot of square footage in a bedroom. Plus, as a desert plant, Peruvian apple cactus needs plenty of sunlight.
Goldfish Plant
Aptly named for its fish-shaped blossoms, the goldfish plant (Nematanthus gregarius) is another houseplant whose rigorous watering, humidity, and light requirements make it a better candidate for a southern-facing garden window than a dim bedroom.
