How to make a statement with oversized houseplants

Oversized houseplants are the latest indoor gardening trend

Everything you need to know about large indoor plants

I’m excited I finally had the chance to write a magazine article about houseplants for the winter issue of East Coast Living magazine. Oversized tropical houseplants, at that! How fun! A couple of years ago I took the plunge and bought Matt a whole bunch of houseplants, some over-sized plants, for his birthday. I think there were seven of them, and guess what? We only killed two of them! We even have a new addition the girls got me for my birthday last year. It’s finally starting to feel more fresh and green around the house. Why did we wait so long to add beautiful, lush, green foliage to our home?

Benefits of houseplants

houseplants clean our indoor air
houseplants make a statement
houseplants bring life to a space: tropical plants especially complement a bohemian aesthetic

For the article, I spoke with Mallory Lennon of Reimagine Designs in Fredericton N.B. and Angie Cleven at Scott’s Nursery in Lincoln, N.B. They were both a wealth of information, sharing lots of advice on how to incorporate big indoor plants into your home decor, how to keep your statement plants thriving, different varieties of big houseplants, and also where to find them. You can find all this information in the article, but here’s a sneak peak at some of what they had to say.

How do you grow large indoor plants?

Both Lennon and Cleven stress the importance of research before you bring a plant home. Different plants will react differently to the various elements around your home - like temperature and lighting.

Drainage is so important. It’s better to underwater a plant than overwater a plant, because like Cleven says in the article, “too much overwatering will cause root rot, and plants just can’t recover from that.”

Looks like this friend is in need of a little TLC…I think he’s thirsty.

How big do foliage plants grow?

At a nursery like Scott’s, floor plants come in 10-inch pots to 21-inch pots. You can start with an itty bitty baby plant, or splurge for a big, tall 12+ foot tree. But you’re going to pay for something like that - like $2,000 pay! Of course theres lots of plant sizes in between.

What is the best large indoor plant?

There are lots of oversized plant varieties that make a statement. The fiddle leaf fig, or ficus lyrata, is a super popular, trendy tropical plant. It’s on my wish list! It seems like everyone has a fiddle leaf fig. Everyone on Instagram anyway. Or maybe just everyone who has one puts it on Instagram? I don’t care, either way I want to join the club! They grow so big and I think they look so majestic.

But this popular houseplant is finicky and hard to care for. They don’t like the soil too wet, they don’t like soil the soil too dry, they don’t like too much sun, they don’t like not enough sun. Catch the drift? If I do ever get one, I’ll call it Goldilocks! I just don’t know if I’m ready for that kind of commitment and responsibility (I mean, on top of the two kids and the dog). I have gotten into a good rhythm of taking care of the houseplants every Sunday, and this habit means none of them are being neglected, and staying alive. Imagine that!

By contrast, the snake plant, or sansevieria trifasciata (also known to be called Mother-in-law tongue, ha!), is both tough and forgiving, so it’s a good option for those who might forget about it for a little while. The upright foliage is cool, and something a little different to add to a collection of leafy, luscious greenery.

Other popular large plants include Bird of Paradise, Peace Lilies, Palms, and Corn Plants.

For a few more types of oversized houseplants, and some more helpful advice, be sure to read the article in East Coast Living. Now that I look around my office, something is missing… I don’t have any plants up in here!

Where can you buy oversize houseplants?

Most big box stores carry them, thanks t their popularity. You can find an assortment of over-sized plants at Ikea and other home improvement stores (think Ikea, Kent, Home Depot). You can order plants directly to your front door from sites like Amazon and Etsy. Of course, many local nurseries bring in tropical plants year-round.

Bring the outdoors in

So while you may not be thinking green this winter, or maybe you are dreaming of more lush, tropical climates these days, it’s a great time to bring the outdoors in. Even if you can’t get away, you can liven up your space and reap those benefits of fun, oversized statement plants.