Whether you’re looking to fill an empty corner or add a statement piece to your decor, big home plants do more than just sit pretty—they create a living, breathing atmosphere.
Imagine a touch of the jungle right inside your home, where large, vibrant leaves create a calming oasis. Contrary to popular belief, these green giants aren’t harder to care for than their smaller counterparts. In fact, with the right plant, you’ll discover that caring for big plants can be both rewarding and surprisingly simple.
In this guide, we’ll explore why you should consider adding these show-stopping plants to your space, how to choose the right one, and a list of my personal favorites—all supported by photos from my own plant collection.
Why You Should Grow Big Home Plants
Have you ever walked into a room and felt instantly at ease because of the greenery around you? Imagine that feeling amplified by the presence of a lush, towering plant that almost transports you to the heart of a forest or jungle. Big home plants aren’t just for plant enthusiasts with green thumbs or grand spaces. In fact, contrary to what some may believe, they’re not harder to care for than smaller plants—it’s a total myth!
One of the best things about big plants for home is that they make a bold statement. Whether you place them in a corner or as a focal point in your living room, they stand tall and proud, elevating your space without much effort. When thoughtfully placed, these home plants can create a visual impact that turns any room into a peaceful, nature-inspired retreat. Plus, they’re like a built-in decor piece—no need to splurge on expensive art when a towering green beauty can bring all the wow-factor your home needs.
Pros and Cons of Growing Big Home Plants
When it comes to big home plants, there’s a lot to love, but they come with a few challenges too. Let’s break it down.
Pros of Growing Big Home Plants:
- Not Harder to Care for: Contrary to popular belief, big home plants aren’t necessarily more difficult to maintain than their smaller counterparts.
- Low Maintenance Requirements: Many big plants for home are tropical in origin, meaning they thrive on minimal care. In fact, they prefer drying out slightly between waterings, which makes them pretty forgiving if you’re forgetful.
- Less Frequent Watering: Since they sit in larger pots, they don’t require watering as often. Depending on the season and temperature, you might only need to water them every 1 to 4 weeks. Quick tip: stick your finger deep into the soil or use a moisture meter to check when they need a drink.
- Resilient During Stress: Thanks to their size and larger pots, these plants have more reserves to draw from in times of stress, making them more resilient than smaller plants.
- Less Frequent Repotting: The good news? With their spacious pots, you’ll only need to repot them every three years or so—giving you more time to enjoy them.
- Easy to Propagate: So you can maintain their size, shape, and overall health with minimal effort.
- Room Transforming: They instantly bring life to an empty corner, making your space feel more welcoming, warm, and full of personality.
Cons:
- Light Needs Increase: Even low-light plants like the ZZ plant need more sunlight as they grow larger and taller. So, you’ll need to ensure they get adequate light.
- Hard to Move: With their larger pots and bigger sizes, they can be a bit of a hassle to move around the home.
- Dust Magnets: Those big, beautiful leaves are dust magnets. You’ll need to clean them regularly so they can fully absorb sunlight and thrive.
How to Choose Your Big Plant
Picking the perfect big home plant can seem overwhelming with so many options, but don’t worry—here are a few tips to help make the process easier.
- Start Small, Think Big: Look for a plant that’s mature but not too tall—ideally, between 2 to 4 feet in its pot. This gives your new green companion room to grow and thrive in your home after its adjustment period.
- Consider Your Experience Level: If you’re just starting out, choose a plant that’s beginner-friendly and low maintenance. If you’ve got a green thumb, feel free to experiment with something more challenging.
- Match the Light to the Plant: Pay attention to the amount of natural light available in the spot where you plan to place your plant. Some big plants for home thrive in bright, indirect light, while others can handle shadier conditions.
- Travel Plans Matter: If you’re frequently away for extended periods, select plants that don’t require constant watering. Some home plants with big leaves can go longer between waterings, making them perfect for the occasional traveler.
- Budget-Friendly or Splurge-Worthy: Big plants come in all price ranges. While some are more affordable, others might be a bit of an investment—choose according to what works best for your budget.
- Size Does Matter: Be mindful of the space you have and the size of the plant. A massive plant in a small room might feel overwhelming, while a smaller one in a large room could get lost.
List of famous large home plants
Here’s a classification from easy to difficult of some of the famous large house plants:
Easy to Grow
Snake Plant ‘Zeylanica’
- Max Size: 3 to 4 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Thrives in low to bright, indirect light. Water only when the soil is completely dry.
- General Description: Known for its upright, sword-like leaves with striking variegation, the Snake Plant is virtually indestructible. It’s an excellent air purifier and adapts well to neglect, making it perfect for beginners.
ZZ Plant
- Max Size: 3 to 4 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Low light tolerance, and infrequent watering. Only water when the soil is dry.
- General Description: The ZZ Plant is ideal for those with a busy schedule. Its glossy, dark green leaves add an elegant touch to any room, and it’s extremely resilient, thriving even with minimal care.
Money Tree
- Max Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Water when the topsoil is dry.
- General Description: The Money Tree is known for its braided trunk and large, hand-shaped leaves. It’s believed to bring good luck and prosperity, making it a popular indoor plant for homes and offices.
Rubber Plant
- Max Size: 8 to 10 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
- General Description: The Rubber Plant has large, glossy leaves that make a bold statement in any room. It’s low maintenance and can grow into a tall, tree-like plant, adding both greenery and height to your home.
Mass Cane Floor Plant
- Max Size: 6 to 10 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Moderate to low light. Water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry.
- General Description: With its tall, cane-like stems and clusters of long, arching leaves, the Mass Cane is a striking, easy-care option for filling empty corners in a home.
Dracaena Lemon Lime
- Max Size: 5 to 7 feet tall
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Prefers bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry; avoid overwatering.
- General Description: With its striking lime-green and yellow-striped leaves, the Dracaena Lemon Lime adds a vibrant pop of color to any indoor space. It’s a low-maintenance plant that purifies the air and thrives in low to medium light, making it perfect for homes and offices alike.
Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
- Max Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Water when the soil is mostly dry.
- General Description: With its thin, arching leaves and slender trunks, the Dragon Tree is an exotic plant that needs just the right amount of light and moisture to flourish. It can be sensitive to overwatering and low light.
Elephant Bush (Cactus Baby Teardrop)
- Max Size: 6 to 10 feet tall (in ideal outdoor conditions), but usually 1 to 3 feet tall indoors
- Difficulty: Easy
- Light and Watering Needs: Prefers bright, indirect light but can tolerate some direct sunlight. Water when the top inch of soil dries out; avoid overwatering as it is drought-tolerant.
- General Description: The Elephant Bush, also known as Cactus Baby Teardrop, is a succulent with small, round, fleshy green leaves that resemble teardrops. It’s perfect for indoor gardeners due to its low-maintenance nature and ability to store water in its thick stems. Often mistaken for a jade plant, the Elephant Bush adds a rich, vibrant green to any room and can be trained to grow upright or trail down over the edges of containers.
Medium Difficulty
Monstera
- Max Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of soil dries out.
- General Description: Monstera, also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, has large, perforated leaves that give any room a tropical feel. It’s relatively easy to care for but requires regular pruning and support as it grows.
Philodendron ‘Lickety Split’
- Max Size: 4 to 6 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Moderate to bright, indirect light. Water when the soil becomes dry.
- General Description: This Philodendron has deeply lobed, split leaves that create a unique and dramatic appearance. It’s low-maintenance but thrives best with consistent watering and light.
Bird-of-Paradise
- Max Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, direct light. Water regularly but allow the top inch of soil to dry out.
- General Description: With its broad, banana-like leaves and vibrant flowers resembling birds in flight, the Bird-of-Paradise makes a stunning addition to any home. It needs plenty of light and space to thrive.
Olive Tree
- Max Size: 6 to 8 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright light, preferably direct sunlight. Water deeply but infrequently.
- General Description: The Olive Tree brings a Mediterranean touch to your home. It grows slowly indoors and requires good sunlight, but its silvery leaves and unique trunk make it worth the effort.
Dracaena Compacta
- Max Size: 4 to 6 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Water sparingly, allowing soil to dry out between waterings.
- General Description: This Dracaena variety has compact, dark green leaves that grow densely. It’s a slow-growing plant, making it a great choice for smaller spaces with moderate lighting.
Peruvian Apple Cactus
- Max Size: 10 to 15 feet tall
- Difficulty: Medium
- Light and Watering Needs: Full sun. Water deeply, allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings.
- General Description: This tall, columnar cactus is a showstopper with its striking vertical form. It’s relatively low-maintenance but requires bright light and a well-draining pot.
Difficult
Alocasia Regal Shield (Elephant Ear Plant)
- Max Size: 5 to 6 feet tall
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- General Description: The Regal Shield has large, heart-shaped leaves with striking dark green and purple hues. It needs careful attention to humidity and watering, making it more suited for experienced plant owners.
Fiddle Leaf Fig
- Max Size: 6 to 10 feet tall
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of soil dries out, but avoid overwatering.
- General Description: The Fiddle Leaf Fig is famous for its large, glossy, violin-shaped leaves. While it’s stunning, it’s also quite fussy about light, watering, and even being moved, making it a challenge for many plant lovers.
Banana Plant
- Max Size: 6 to 10 feet tall
- Difficulty: Difficult
- Light and Watering Needs: Bright, direct light. Requires frequent watering, keeping the soil evenly moist.
- General Description: The Banana Plant brings a tropical vibe to any room, with its large, paddle-shaped leaves. It needs plenty of light, warmth, and humidity, which can make indoor care a bit of a challenge.
Final Thoughts
Big home plants not only elevate the look of your interior but also bring life and vibrancy to your space. Whether you’re a seasoned plant lover or just starting out, there’s a big plant out there that’s perfect for you. With the right light, care routine, and thoughtful placement, your home can become a lush retreat. So, why not take the plunge? Adding a large, leafy friend could be the breath of fresh air your home needs. Start small, and watch it grow—just like your own green thumb!”