A while back, I wrote a post about five great plants for contemporary home designs. They were edgy, modern-looking plants that fit in well with the clean lines typically found in contemporary homes.

Being out in nature this past weekend really recharged my batteries, and it reminded me of how important greenery is to our sense of well-being. So today, I’ll give you some options for plants that fit nicely into a more traditional home design.

Also, sorry about the outage on my site the past week – I needed to update the site’s security certificate! Appreciate you bearing with me on that 🙂 ok, on to the list!

Heart-Leaf Philodendron

The great thing about the philodendron is its versatility. It’s as comfortable in traditional homes as it is in contemporary ones, and it’s also really easy to care for. It doesn’t mind low light, which is a huge plus.

One of the best ways to grow the heart-leaf philodendron is in a hanging basket, where its vines will creep over the edge of the pot and trail down.

Boston Fern

Discovered in the late 1800s, the Boston fern is as comfortable in the air (hanging basket) as it is on the ground. Hang it in your living room, put it on a corner table, or best of all, tuck it in your bathroom. The boston fern loves humidity, and the steam from your shower will keep it happy and healthy. Just don’t put it near a vent, because it hates the drafts that come off them!

English Ivy

Another plant that loves to trail and creep along, English Ivy does well up high – in a handing basket or on top of a bookshelf. It thrives in low light, which means you can use it to spruce up corners of your house where other plants would just die off.

You’ll want to give English Ivy a light misting a few times a week, because it can be prone to spider mites. If you notice white webbing on your plant, that’s what you’ve run into. Misting it regularly will keep them at bay, and the plant is worth it!

If they do take hold and you can’t get rid of them, you’re best to just say bye to the plant itself. Trust me, you don’t want those guys moving on to your other plants!

Weeping Fig

The most popular of all the fig plants out there (though the fiddle-leaf fig sure is trendy right now), the weeping fig is usually grown as an indoor tree. It grows naturally in the rainforest, and likes both humidity and bright light. These days, you often see multiple trunks twisted and braided together to form one interesting collection of trees in a pot.

What’s great about the weeping fig is that it can dress up any corner of your house either all by itself, or as the star of the show alongside a cast of other potted plants.

This guy is a little temperamental though; once you find a home for it, try to avoid moving it around in your house. Once it gets used to a particular location, it’ll drop leaves if you try to take it somewhere else. (I get it… it’s the same kind of reaction I get when someone takes my spot on the couch!)

Jade Plant

One of the slowest-growing plants on this list, the jade plant eventually grows into a small tree. Being a succulent, it’s got small, shiny green leaves. Unlike most succulents though, it can get to be up to six feet tall, branching out as it grows. Keep it in bright light if you can!

Parlour Palm

Last but not least, we have one of the most versatile of all the plants on this list! Classing up parlours since the Victorian era, it doesn’t get any more traditional than this guy. The parlour palm is an easy-to-grow plant that prefers medium light and evenly moist soil. It also doesn’t need as much humidity in the air as other types of palms. If the air gets too dry you could run into spider mites though, so you’ll want to mist this plant just like English ivy.

Though it’s a traditional plant, the parlour palm makes a bold statement wherever you put it. It looks great in a foyer, your living room, or a dining room corner, and usually you’ll want it to stand on its own, versus as part of a larger collection of plants. Some plants are unassuming and prefer to blend into the scenery; this isn’t one of them J

Wrapping it Up

Though this list of plants was put together with a traditional home design in mind, you’ll find something on this list that looks great no matter what style of home design you’ve got. The important thing is that you get some greenery in your home if you don’t already have it.

Real plants clean the air and make a huge difference to your general sense of well-being in your home. It’s one of those things that you don’t really realize until you add a few plants where there were none before. Happy plant hunting!

Do you have any other suggestions for plants that look great in traditionally-styled homes? Share your recos in the comments section below!