Houseplants can bring the perfect amount of life to any part of your home, and there’s so many to choose from! They’re both beautiful (the prayer plant is a real stunner) and functional (three cheers for all-natural air filtration!), making them a seamless addition to any Mid Century Modern home. We’ve picked out 7 of our favorite houseplants that work with mid century modern spaces that we think will work just about anywhere.
What makes a plant modern? you might be wondering. Well, nothing per se as plants are blissfully ignorant of style (so far as we know). However, as you’ll see, there are many plants whose structure and shape pair well with the clean lines and shapely silhouettes of Mid Century Modern style.
And if you’re botanically-impaired, don’t worry—most of these are pretty straightforward to grow and take care of.
Monstera
Known for its large, vibrant tropical leaves, monstera is sure to bring some Hawaii vibes wherever it’s planted. It’s easy to care for and fast-growing, so it’s perfect for houseplant beginners. Monstera’s beautiful leaves make it a great statement plant too—how stunning would this look in a bullet planter next to an Eiffel chair?
How To Care For Your Monstera
Monstera thrives with some direct sunlight, but will do just fine in a low-light environment. Make sure the plant is repotted as it grows so its roots have room to expand. And make sure your monstera plant stays hydrated by watering regularly, but if you forget every once in a while, no worries—this plant is tough.
Did You Know?
In areas with lots of sunshine and no frost (think SoCal or Southern Florida), monstera’s leaves can grow to be 3-4 feet wide!
Fiddle Leaf Fig
This dramatic and elegant plant is the ‘it’ houseplant of the moment, and with its beautiful look and shape, it’s easy to see why. Originally from the rainforest, this ‘houseplant’ is really a tree. It looks gorgeous in an empty corner next to a sunny window and brings serious structural beauty to a room.
How To Care For Your Fiddle Leaf Fig
Fiddle leaf figs are notoriously tricky to take care of— but following a few guidelines should lead to hassle-free houseplant care for your fiddle leaf. First, fiddle leaf figs need light! Lots of it. Try and place it next to a window for the best outcome. Keep it away from any cold drafts, as they will dry the plant out.
Water your fiddle leaf only when the top two inches of soil is dry to the touch. If you over or underwater the plant, the leaves will start to fall off. And thanks to their rainforest roots, fiddle leaf figs also love a little bit of humidity—consider putting a small humidifier next to your houseplant.
Did You Know?
If your fiddle leaf fig isn’t doing too well, chop off the top of the trunk. This will allow it to grow back stronger than it was before!
Prayer Plant
Hardy and understated, prayer plants are the perfect thing to grow if you’re a houseplant novice. Prayer plants have slow-growing leaves that make it ideal for growing in hanging baskets. But they can also be potted, and its leaves will slowly grow horizontally. We love the bold veining of the leaf with calls to mind sleek mid century graphic design.
How To Care For Your Prayer Plant
Compared to fiddle leaf figs, prayer plants are a piece of a cake! These plants will do well in all types of light, except for bright direct light. If it’s placed near a sunny window, use a sheer curtain to filter out some of the more harmful rays. Prayer plants like consistently moist soil, so always water them right before their soil is about to dry out.
Did You Know?
The name of the plant comes from prayer plant’s nighttime movements—during the late hours of the night, its leaves slowly come together, making a praying motion. Don’t believe us? Check out this video!
Snake Plant
If you have been gifted with skill of killing every houseplant you touch (*raises hand*), then the snake plant is for you. This plant can be left unattended for a few weeks at a time and still look the same as it did before. And snake plants are just as gorgeous as they are easy—tall and sleek, these plants are great for adding some vertical interest to any room.
How To Care For Your Snake Plant
All you need to do to take care of your snake plant is place it in some indirect sunlight, let it dry out a little between waterings, and make sure its soil is able to easily drain. That’s it. When we said these plants were easy, we weren’t kidding.
Did You Know?
In 1989, a NASA study found that snake plants are able to remove toxins from the air, meaning that they’re essentially natural air filters for your home! Cool, right?
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant is another easy to care for houseplant that is perfect if you’re on the go or travel a lot. Its hard, waxy leaves give it a one-of-a-kind look, and the ZZ plant is the perfect companion for your snake plant. The visual contrast will make the unique look of both stand out even more.
How To Care For Your ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant doesn’t need much light. In fact, it will even do well under artificial light, meaning it’s a great cubicle plant! Water your plant when the first inch or so of the soil is dry to the touch— but if the ZZ plant is under-watered, it will start dropping leaves. If this happens, don’t panic, as the plant will quickly come back to life with a little extra watering.
Did You Know?
The ZZ plant didn’t start becoming popular until the 1990s, where it was found in Africa, propagated by Dutch nurseries, and potted worldwide.
Dragon Tree
Tall and dramatic, the dragon tree plant can give any space a little bit of extra ‘oomph.’ Its height makes it perfect for a blank wall or for taking advantage of high-ceiling spaces. The dragon tree’s grassy leaves often have a touch of color too, as their tips may be highlighted with a bit of red or pink.
How To Care For Your Dragon Tree
Though the dragon tree prefers bright light, it can still do well in low-light areas (though it may grow more slowly and require less water). Similar to the ZZ plant and the fiddle leaf fig, water your dragon tree when the top inch of soil is dry to the touch. If the tips of your dragon tree start to brown, it may be because of low humidity. Fix this by placing it in a higher moisture area (like a bathroom) or surrounding it with other houseplants.
Did You Know?
If you prune your dragon tree, you can plant the pruned branches in some potting soil to get another (baby) dragon tree!
Umbrella Plants
With its rounded leaves and full shape, umbrella plants bring a graceful presence to whatever space they’re in. Think of it as the grown-up fiddle leaf fig. Easier to care for than the fiddle leaf and with more classic style, this the perfect plant for you if you want an elegant houseplant that isn’t too overstated.
How To Care For Your Umbrella Plant
The umbrella plant does best with bright, indirect light, but it can handle lesser amounts of light too (it just may be more leggy and not grow as fast). Water your umbrella plant only when the soil is dry— it can handle being under-watered more than it can handle being overwatered. For a fuller plant, pinch back buds as they appear.
Did You Know?
With the right care and attention, umbrella plants can grow incredibly fast! In one growing season (spring to summer), these plants can go from average sized to quite tall.
Ready to start growing these houseplants with style? A word of warning before you do: most of these houseplants are toxic to dogs and cats, so keep them away from your four-legged friends.
For more mid century houseplant and garden ideas, check out Mid-Century Garden, Houseplants For Midcentury Style, Perfect Mid-Mod Gifts.
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