While the indoor plant trend may be showing no sign of slowing down, we have grown tired of eyeballing certain species of flora. As much as we love our green pets like family members (albeit family members who are predisposed to dropping a limb and dying more easily than we’d like), there are only so many Fiddle Leaf Fig Instagrams a person can stomach in one lifetime.
With that in mind, we’ve distilled the up and coming indoor plant trends—these are the plant varietals that’ll be edging their way into your interiors this year. If at first you’re not convinced, don’t worry; they’ll grow on you (#sorrynotsorry).
Calathea
The Calathea is a showstopper of an indoor-plant that comes in a beaut’ range of combinations and patterns—you’ll be charmed by its graphically striped foliage and good manners. A tropical little guy, it loves a warm, preferably humid, room temperature home, and should be kept out of cold draughts. Water it moderately and love it unconditionally.
Cacti
As a child of the ‘90s, I had a love hate relationship with the small nobule of cactus I kept as a childhood ‘pet’. When it wasn’t stabbing me as I tried to hug it, we got along fine, and to this day the cactus holds a special place in my heart. That being said, the humble cactus has gotten a wee bit cooler since those days.
To make your indoor cactus feel fresh, you’ve gotta go big or go home. A medium to large cactus plant is an impressive addition to a room, and looks especially cool when presented in groups of twos or threes. A Standard Cactus makes an imposing centrepiece, while its eye-catching cousins, the Pencil Cactus and the adorable Bunny Ears varieties, are equally photogenic. When caring for your new spiky buddy, experts say to mimic the rainfall of their dessert homes, which means heavy watering (i.e. there should be water flowing from the bottom of the pot) with month long periods of no watering at all. Cacti love as much sunlight as possible, but make sure you rotate the plant to avoid scorching or scaring your cactus.
Ferns
Ok, ok, we feel you balking. But hear us out, because these aren’t your grandmother’s ferns. Our favourite fern varieties eschew wimpy airiness in favour of bold shapes. Our picks of the bunch include the mighty Elkhorn or Staghorn fern, which looks epic mounted on a wall, and the delightfully prehistoric looking Bird’s Nest Fern. Ferns love indirect sunlight and thrive in humid conditions.
Mosses
You guys, moss is fucking adorable! If you like tiny things, like when hamsters wear outfits, moss is the indoor plant for you. Here are some interesting tidbits about our new favourite plant cushion: mosses are bryophytes, which means they don’t have traditional roots or seeds. Adorbs! They get their nutrients and moisture AKA life force straight from the air around them. Could they be any cuter? While the overly twee terrarium might have had its day, Moss works just as well as a statement plant when grown in a shallow container or terracotta pot, just be sure to provide plenty of shade and moisture.
Grow Your Own!
The rise of the no-waste movement means more and more people are keen to grow their own edible plants, and apartment living doesn’t mean you can’t get out your green thumb. Indoor propagation, or growing vegetables and herbs from cuttings, is surprisingly easy and a practical and cute addition to your plant collection. Baby plants can be grown in nothing but water on a sunny windowsill in test tubes, mason jars, of those small amber bottles funky cafes keep their sugar in. If you like your herbs organic and your decorating to come with a side of smug, this is one indoor plant trend you have to try.
You'll obviously want to keep it alive, so read this.
Design credit: Gabriella Bjorklund