House plants, never a negative word about them. These natural home accessories work overtime boosting our home's aesthetic and our well-being, while some are so good at cleansing the air from pollutants that they could even compete with your best air purifiers...
It's a love-love relationship, or so we thought, until feng shui expert, Clara Leung, of @claragreenhouse (opens in new tab) told us otherwise.
Which house plants bring bad feng shui?
If you're hot on feng shui in your home then you'll know that the best indoor plants can play an important part in keeping anxiety levels down and increasing general serenity in your surroundings, especially in sleeping spaces. But Leung notes how not all plants can have such a positive impact:
"One of the biggest causes of bad feng shui in gardening comes from spiky and sad-looking plants." Says Leung.
"I suggest you get rid of them ASAP; luckily, it’s pretty easy to rehome plants using Facebook Marketplace and other resale platforms."
So, an important factor is to stay on top of house plant care but there are actually two house plants that you should avoid keeping altogether if you want good feng shui at home. "While they might look cute, try to avoid cacti. They are very spiky and represent your difficult life." Says Leung.
Additionally, Golden Pothos are easy to care for and popular air-purifying plants, however, Leung advises against keeping them if you want to give off happy vibes in your space.
"Also, try to avoid Golden Pothos because she represents a sign that you are having a depressing life." Says Leung. "Removing these plants is highly recommended if you have them."
Good feng shui plants
So if you're a cacti fan or have had your Golden Pothos since forever, what can you do?
Aside from selling them, if you are convinced that they could be badly affecting your bedroom feng shui or another place in your home, Leung reassures us that there are some house plants that can actually help clear the air and restore your home's happiness.
"To clean up bad energy caused by bad feng shui houseplants, I recommend first getting snake plants and scindapsus exotica pothos before getting any more plants." It's super easy to pick up snake plants on Etsy (opens in new tab) nowadays, or you could look even more locally on Facebook Marketplace.
Snake plants, also known as Sansevieria, are very instagrammable and easy house plants to keep so this is good news. Unsurprisingly they are one of the most popular US house plants. And, for those keen on keeping air pollutant levels down, choosing the Scindapsus Excotice Pothos — the silver pothos variety you can find on Etsy (opens in new tab) too — more commonly known as a philodendron, is a very wise move.
For extra good vibes and to enjoy all the benefits of house plants, be sure to keep yours healthy and happy by grouping them together.