Indoor tropical plants
Create a luscious jungle feel in your home with our edit of indoor tropical plants, from Strelitzia nicolai to Peace lilies and Alocasia. Hailing from vibrant rainforests, these exotic house plants have large green leaves, striking patterns and colourful flowers, creating a focal feature in any space.
Exotic house plants for a tropical touch
Tropical plants are those that grow in warm, humid regions, typically in jungles or rainforests where they’re surrounded by other plants and enjoy high humidity and dappled light. Luckily for us, many tropical plants can live just as happily in our homes with the right care, helping to create a luscious indoor jungle feel. Known for having large leaves or vibrant colours, they make a real statement and work well as a focal feature in a living room.
These plants also thrive in steamier spaces such as bathrooms or kitchens, where the humidity helps their leaves stay fresh. Though there are plenty of large tropical plants, such as Strelitzia nicolai or Alocasias, you can also find more compact foliage that works for smaller spaces – Pothos and Philodendrons, for example, are beautiful hanging plants that bring a lush feel to shelving.
Exotic house plants for a touch of the tropics
Tropical plants for every light level
Many tropical houseplants live in jungles or rainforests in the wild, where they often grow in dappled light under the canopy of other large trees. This means that many of them are comfortable in either light or shade, which works well for our homes. Plants like Peperomias and Pothos grow happily in darker spaces, making them a good option for north-facing homes. Other exotic house plants like Monsteras, Alocasias and palms will prefer indirect light, which means a bright room away from a window – our version of the ‘dappled’ sunlight they’d receive back home.
Tropical plants in all shapes and sizes
If you want a true jungle feel with a big, impactful plant, there’s good news: there are lots of large and leafy tropical indoor plants perfect for bringing empty corners to life. For a real statement, look no further than a Monstera deliciosa, Strelitzia nicolai or Kentia palm – all of these have luscious foliage that adds an architectural element to any space. For smaller rooms, a cute and compact Peperomia will add interest to surfaces, while tropical trailing plants like Pothos and Philodendrons are great for taking a jungle feel to new heights.
Pet-friendly tropical plants for happy homes
Not all indoor exotic plants are pet friendly, so it’s important to choose carefully. While most pets won’t take any interest in your plants, our range of non-toxic alternatives brings peace of mind for pet owners. On our product pages, we clearly state whether a plant is pet friendly or not, making it easy for you to find the right one. If you’re seeking a pet-safe tropical plant, we’d recommend a Kentia palm, Peperomia or Pachira aquatica, all of which bring jungle vibes without the worry.
Flowering tropical house plants that add a touch of colour
There aren’t many flowering plants that are happy to live in our homes, but the ones that are put on quite the show. Our favourite tropical flowering plants include Anthurium, which come in different colours – from the pink Anthurium ‘Lilli’ to the red Anthurium ‘Mille’ – as well as the classic Peace lily and, of course, the beautiful orchid. To help them bloom, these plants are best placed in a bright room, away from the window, with lots of humidity to help their flowers and foliage stay looking fresh.
Caring for tropical exotic house plants
The best way to look after your exotic house plants is to think about the conditions they’ll experience in the wild and try to recreate them. While it’s hard to produce the exact tropical feel in your home, there are a few things you can do. For starters, lots of tropical plants will be used to high humidity, so plants such as Anthuriums, Pachira aquatica and Peace lilies will love living in a steamy space, such as a bathroom or kitchen, or being grouped with other plants to create a little microclimate. Most tropical plants will prefer a warm room to a cold one, so avoid keeping them near draughty windows and doors. Watering requirements will really depend on your plant, so make sure to check our care guides for specific information. As a general rule, you can water your plants when the top two inches of soil feel dry – this will prevent overwatering.
