These 6 Houseplants Are Cute For Corner Spaces
Everybody has that corner space at home that could use a little something extra, right? For the best solution, think botanical. A well-chosen houseplant will make the room feel friendly and welcoming while adding a splash of color. However, it's essential to pick the right plant — too small looks silly, too frilly gets in the way. Go for tall, elegant, and relatively narrow plants. Here are six houseplants that are perfect for corner spaces.
1. Fiddle-Leaf Fig
Description: The fiddle-leaf fig is extremely trendy right now — and no wonder since it's hard to resist its charm. This plant is tall and relatively narrow with huge violin-shaped leaves. The architectural shape makes fiddle-leafs ideal for dressing up corners.
Care: The fiddle-leaf needs an indirect light/partial shade location and well-draining, loamy soil. Water whenever the top inch of soil is dry and mist daily to up the humidity. Rotate the plant every week or so to even out the sunlight.
Botanical name: Ficus lyrata | Mature height: 6 to 10 feet
Buy now: Bloomscape Fiddle-Leaf Fig, $195
2. Snake Plant
Description: The snake plant has multiple narrow, upright leaves shaped a bit like flattened snakes. The stiff foliage grows directly from the ground, not on a stem or trunk. The leaves are green, banded and bordered in yellow. Their vertical growth pattern makes them great for small corner areas where, according to NASA, they remove toxins from the air.
Care: Snake plants are often called indestructible and truly thrive on neglect. They accept full sun or low-light conditions, making them ideal for almost any corner. Drought tolerant, snake plants can live for decades as long as they have good drainage and a bit of water every week or two.
Botanical name: Sansevieria trifasciata | Mature height: 4 to 12 feet tall
Buy now: The Sill Snake Plant, $40
3. Areca Palm
Description: The areca is very attractive small palm with lush, bright green clumping fronds, thin and supple enough to resemble bamboo. It is a tall, tree-like houseplant that makes the most of an unoccupied corner. Bonus: areca palms are among the top houseplants when it comes to clearing toxins from the air.
Care: The areca palm can take full sun and does best in bright areas, so pick a corner that gets some light. Plant in well-draining, peat-based potting mix and make sure the container has ample drain holes too. Water the areca whenever the soil dries out a little and use filtered water to avoid fluoridated water.
Botanical name: Dypsis lutescens | Mature height: 5 to 7 feet
Buy now: Bloomscape Areca Palm, $195
4. Corn Plant
Description: The corn plant gets its common name from its resemblance to the corn stalks in the garden, producing corn cobs. Corn plants start with one or more thick stems that grow narrow leaves that look a bit like palm trees. Tall and narrow, corn plants look good in an unused corner and can survive neglect.
Care: Keep the corn plant out of direct sun, but any type of indirect exposure is fine, from bright, indirect light to low-light. The more light the corn plant gets, the more the leaves turn yellow-green. This slow-growing plant needs sufficient watering to keep the soil consistently moist but nothing more complicated. The large leaves are reputed to strip toxins from the air.
Botanical name: Dracaena fragrans | Mature height: 6 to 8 feet
Buy now: Bloomscape Dracaena Gold Star, $195
5. String of Pearls
Description: While most of our corner recommendations are for tall, narrow houseplants, long, trailing plants work well in these spaces too. String of pearls is a truly unique succulent, producing tiny, round pea-like leaves on cascading stems that gracefully spill over the sides of hanging basket.
Care: String of pearls doesn't look like other succulents, but its needs are similar: excellent drainage and adequate sunlight, mixing direct and indirect light. Cactus potting soil works perfectly. Keep the irrigation infrequent, like a light watering every 10 days.
Botanical name: Senecio rowleyanus | Mature height: 2 to 3 feet
Buy now: West Elm String of Pearls, $60
6. Desert Rose
Description: Every part of the desert rose is compelling, from its thick, succulent stem (for storing water in the wild), to the tight clusters of fresh green leaves and its brilliant crimson flowers, shaped like roses. Deciduous when grown outdoors in cool climates, it can hold onto its leaves all year long in indoor temperatures. Standing tall and visually stunning, the desert rose will utterly transform an empty corner.
Care: Sun, sun, and more sun. The desert rose loves sunlight and is ideal for a sun-drenched corner. With adequate light, excellent drainage and regular water, the desert rose will grow and thrive.
Botanical name: Adenium obesum | Mature height: 3 to 5 feet
Buy now: Dadogard1 @ Etsy Desert Rose Plant, $39.99