PC: Erin Boyle
House plants make great decor, purify the air, add a punch of color, and breathe life into the home. But not all plants are compatible with NYC apartments; some units are dimly lit, while others lack space. Mirador’s real estate agents helped us put together a list of sturdy, space-saving, and easy maintenance plants that are perfect for NYC apartments, helping you sustain a greener home in the concrete jungle:
Shade Lovers
1. SNAKE PLANTS
Light Required: Low // Water Required: Once every 2-3 weeks
PC: Leon & George
Snake plants can survive weeks without water and thrive in low-light environments. They also remove toxins like formaldehyde from the air.
2. BAMBOO
Light required: Low to medium // Water required: Once a week
PC: Medium
Bamboo is great for adding life to the shady corners of your apartment. In addition to their aesthetic appeal, they are considered to be good feng shui decor since they bring positive vibes to your homes.
3. STAGHORN FERN
Light required: Low to medium // Water required: Once a week
PC: House Plant Girl
The staghorn fern’s antler shaped leaves make them fun wall-plants. Hanging plants, either from the ceiling or walls, saves space in small apartments. Additionally, these ferns prefer partial shade, making them a perfect fit for the darker areas of apartments.
Space Savers
4. ALOE VERA
Light required: Medium // Water required: Once a week
PC: Camden
Aloe vera can give your apartment some spunk with a homeopathic twist. These plants offer natural pain relief and take up a small amount of space. Consider them as windowsill decor since they do enjoy some sunlight.
5. SUCCULENTS
Light: Low // Water: Once every other week
PC: Pinterest
Succulents are nearly indestructible; they only need to be watered every other week and survive well in the shade. They come in a variety of petite sizes making them extremely popular among apartment owners. “I have succulents all around my home, they’re an easy space saving way to add life to the smaller pockets of my apartment,” says Karla Saladino, Mirador’s managing partner.
6. LILY PLANTS
Light: Medium to full sunlight // Water: Once a week
PC: Apartment Therapy
Lily plants are small and fit nicely on tabletops and bookshelves. The white lily leaves add an upscale aesthetic to your apartment. The best part is that they are easy to care for and are perfectly content in medium light environments.
Friendly Giants
7. KENTIA PALM
Light: Medium // Water: 2 to 3 times a week
PC: Pinterest
This Australian native is one of the sturdiest indoor house plants. As opposed to other large plants that require full sunlight to grow, the kentia palm can be kept in areas of indirect sunlight. Karla recommends placing them in living room corners or in front of mirrors. “Mirrors help reflect plants so that all angles of the apartment can pick up some green,” she says.
8. POLYSCIAS (Ming aralia)
Light: Medium, indirect // Water: Every other week
PC: Pinterest
If you want a large gracious plant that requires low maintenance, then bring a ming aralia home! They require infrequent watering and tolerate shade. These plants can slowly, but surely, grow up to 8 feet in height.
Handy Herbs
9. MINT
Light: Medium, indirect // Water: Every 4 to 5 days
PC: Erin Boyle
Mint, like other soft leafy herbs, are shade tolerant making them a tasty, practical, and durable apartment plant. Place them on windowsills, a bright kitchen countertop, or by entryways.
10. CHIVES
Light: Medium // Water: Every 4-5 days
PC: Erin Boyle
A flavorful addition to savory dishes, chives are often referred to as the “gateway herb” for beginner gardeners because of their easy maintenance. Though they enjoy full sunlight, chives can grow almost anywhere making them popular among city dwellers who wish to plant this tasty herb in their apartments.
11. THYME
Light: Medium to full sunlight // Water: Once a week or when soil is dry
PC: True Value Project
Thyme is as great of an indoor herb as it is a delicious spice. Six hours of sunlight is ideal but they can still tolerate indirect sunlight making them feasible kitchen countertop herbs. Since thyme is drought resistant, maintenance is easy as they only require watering when the soil is dry.
TERRACE FRIENDLY
12. PETUNIA
Light: Medium to full sunlight // Water: Once a week
PC: ColorMeGreen
Petunias are another example of popular window-box terrace flowers. “I’ve seen many New Yorkers decorate their fire escapes with rows of petunias,” Mirador's Licensed Real Estate Salesperson, Anna Sankova, shares. “They tell me petunias are easy to care for and add great color to their terrace.”
13. MARIGOLD
Light: Medium to full sunlight // Water: Once a week
Transform your terrace into a summer paradise with vivid marigold flowers. These flowers are ideal terrace plants because they are effective pest repellents and are low-maintenance. However, it is important to note that marigolds are seasonal plants as they only survive well in warm weather.
We hope you found our guide useful in your search for the perfect apartment plant. Share these tips with a friend!
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