via Emily Henderson

I have grown to love indoor plants since moving to the city. It’s a great way to add life and vibrancy to a small space. When I first moved here, nearly 7 years ago, I went to IKEA and bought plants that are still alive! Today, I’m sharing the best IKEA indoor plants, including what has worked for me.

There are a zillion benefits to having indoor plants. Here are a few:

Benefits of Indoor Plants

• air filtration (even NASA recommends this strategy!)
• increased focus
• reduced cortisol (the stress hormone)
• improved mood

via Jenny Komenda

If you look at interior designers’ instagram feeds, you’ll notice a pattern emerge. They all use plants of various sizes! We are talking everything from a large ficus plant to a small tabletop succulent. Neutral interiors are raging right now, just ask Amber Interiors, Brady Tolbert, Leanne Ford, JDP interiors, Nate Berkus (the OG), literally I could go on for days listing all the gorgeous neutral interiors.

All these accounts use natural elements such as wood in their decor but also add living plants. More people should embrace the plant life because it truly brings life to your space. As an added bonus, going outside lifts your mood so bringing the outside in will give a similar effect. Science, yo.

via Jenny Komenda

Now, buying indoor plants seems like a daunting task, but I have a tried and true trick for you: buy indoor plants from an indoor location. Every indoor plant I’ve bought at a nursery has died and every indoor plant I’ve bought from an indoor location such as Home Depot, Lowes, or IKEA has lived. The reason? If you’re a gardener, you know that moving plants from their store home to your own home will make them a little angry for a couple weeks. I mean, who likes moving?

So the goal is to not change the environment too much. Buying indoor plants that are sold outdoors with lead to a very unhappy plant whose atmosphere has severely changed. Whereas, buying your plants from an indoor location and moving them to your own indoor location will not be too much of a big deal. The plant is already used to sunlight conditions of indoor spaces. Make sense?

20 Best IKEA Indoor Plants

1. Aechmea $14.99

2. Kalanchoe $4.99

Flowering indoor plants are something special. I plan on picking up a few of these on my next trip to IKEA. Unfortunately, it takes 1.5 hours to get to that part of Brooklyn and is a huge pain. But, IKEA indoor plants are seriously the best, so it’s worth it.

3. Mother in-law’s Tongue $7.99

I bought this IKEA indoor plant 7 years ago and it’s still alive and well! These plants will last 5-10 years, and mine is definitely showing signs of being angry and on its last leg. But I’m just going to take care of my geriatric plant until it’s time for a replacement. I’m already scheming for a Ficus.

4. Elephant’s Foot $9.99

One of my favorite things about IKEA indoor plants is the architecture of the plant’s trunk. Isn’t this just beautiful? Next trip, I’m going to pick this baby up as well.

5. Ficus $19.99

Want. Want. Want. If you want to see a home styler use a ficus, check out Jenny Komenda. She is one of the best at using plants indoors. Lee From America and Jaye Workman also give me tons of plant inspo. Literally, I should just move into a greenhouse.

6. Cacti $4.99

I cannot look at a cactus without laughing. The reason? The Good Place is my favorite show and cacti always remind me of season 1 where Janet kept giving people cacti instead of what they actually asked for. If only I had a Janet.

7. Dom Plant $24.99

I bought this 7 years ago, and it was doing great, but then got really angry after our move to the upper west side and called it quits. RIP plant. Cause of death? Russian movers from Coney Island (probably). But don’t tell them that; Coney Island is where the Russian mob lives. Shhhhh.

8. Dragon Tree $1.99

This is only TWO DOLLARS, ya’ll. This is one of the cheapest IKEA indoor plants you can get and it has great symmetry and architectural detail. This one is on my list to pick up next.

9. Parlor Palm $7.99

This is a beauty. I would put this in a corner in a large woven basket. It would look stunning in a living room!

10. Majesty Palm $14.99

Another great choice for a big room and placed in a large woven basket. What an incredible style element.

11. Guinea Chestnut $9.99

I can’t deal with the beauty of this plant. IT’S A BRAID! Good grief. Add this to my list of things to buy in multiples.

12. Succulent $3.99

Succulents love being together. So get a few and place them in a circular footed terracotta planter with the proper soil/medium. Like this one or this one. Both of which I’m getting, by the way. But, is that really shocking?

13. Aloe $4.99

My aloe plant lasted 5 years and the only reason it died was because of my watering mistake. WHY GOD WHY. Water once a week.

14. Himalaya Mix $3.99

I’ll be making macrame hanging planters coming up and these would be gorgeous in them.

15. ZZ Plant $9.99

I have this plant and it is almost 7 years old! I just had to trim it and move to it’s 3rd pot because it keeps growing. It is over 3 feet tall which is incredible because it was only about 8 inches tall when I first bought it. Water once a week.

16. Money Tree $7.99

I just purchased this 6 month ago (from Trader Joe’s though), and it has nearly tripled in size. Water once a week.

17. Bromeliad $9.99

Another one of the IKEA indoor plants I can’t wait to get my hands on. How great is that bloom?? Such a colorful addition and since it looks like it could be a tropical plant, I’m sure it won’t mind sitting on top of our radiator.

18. Bonsai $14.99

Yes, that bonsai. You know the type of tree that is meticulously pruned? I’m also getting a couple of these next time I’m at IKEA. See? This is why I can’t go to IKEA often. I get too much stuff and it’s a huge pain to transport on the bus and then subway and THEN walk. Oye.

19. Succulent (with pot) $7.99

These little ladies come in their own pot and would be great for bookshelf styling!

20. Orchid $9.99

This is one of the IKEA indoor plants with a bad reputation. I don’t know what everyone has against orchids. Did I miss something? I think they are minimalistic and beautiful…and half the price they are anywhere else.

Do you have any favorites? Or are you like me and will just buy everything on this list and then realize it’s going to be a problem to transport home? I love IKEA indoor plants and have never had any of the die right away…let alone for another few years. I highly recommend going there if you’re having some winter blues. Bring nature inside! Also, IKEA has some great plant pot offerings. Good luck!

-Kristen

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