Best indoor plants in Australia

Why we chose it

For artificial vines, we recommend faux ivy leaves vines as the best one. It has a rating of 5.0 out of 5 stars on Etsy.

At $17.99, you can get a set of 12 faux ivy leaves vines that can be used to decorate both indoor and outdoor spaces. These can also be used as wedding décor or a photo backdrop. They are made of high-quality plastic materials that are vibrant and look realistic.

Faux ivy leaves vines are a fuss-free option if you want to add a splash of colour to your living space. Unlike live ivy vines, these won't attract insects or pests. They are also cheaper. People said the leaves and stems have a glossy, luscious green colour that look realistic. However, the colour fades over time. The vines also have an initial plastic smell, but it goes away after a couple of days.

Best artificial pot plant: Artificial Potted Succulents

Pros

Good value for money
Perfect for the office and bedroom

Cons

Easily collects dust
Some of the leaves aren't realistic

Price (RRP): $14.79 (set of three)
Amazon pricing: From $23.79

Why we chose it

An artificial potted succulent is our pick for the best artificial pot plant. Artificial succulents have a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Etsy.

Artificial potted succulents are perfect for people with no green thumbs. Unlike real succulents, which are sensitive to too much sun exposure and overwatering, the artificial ones require little to no upkeep at all. You can also get faux succulents in various sizes and colours to add a little bit of pop to your home.

At a little over $14, you can get 3 small faux succulents in pots. They're great as a table or desk piece. Pay a little more, and you can get bigger ones to add to your living areas. Unlike live ones, these won't wither or develop any sunspots. However, they collect dust easily. Some of their leaves aren't that realistic as well.

Best artificial hanging plant: Faux Eucalyptus Hanging Bush

Pros

Looks realistic
Great for decorating shelves and outdoor spaces

Cons

Difficult to clean
Slightly more expensive than real ones

Price (RRP): $29.45
Amazon pricing: From $37.25

Why we chose it

The faux eucalyptus hanging bush is our choice for the best artificial hanging plant. It has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Etsy.

The faux eucalyptus hanging bush is a great, low-maintenance alternative to a live English ivy. This artificial plant has green fronds that merge into one, making it easy to pot. Each frond also has different lengths to give it a tapered look when hanging. Unlike live plants, the faux eucalyptus hanging bush doesn't overgrow, making it easier to control for decoration.

The faux eucalyptus hanging bush is suitable for people allergic to most hanging plants but like their aesthetic. A hanging basket of these faux plants can tie a room together. Many people love placing this in their bathrooms because they don't have to worry about its maintenance. But because of its length, removing dust can be difficult. Faux eucalyptus hanging bushes are also slightly more expensive than real ones.

Best indoor plant for low light: Prayer Plant

Pros

Can be planted all year round
Beautiful leaves with yellow blotches and red veins

Cons

High maintenance
Prone to spider mites and mealybugs

Price (RRP): $34.65

Why we chose it

We recommend the prayer plant as the best indoor plant for low light. It has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Etsy.

Named after Italian physician and botanist Bartolomeo Maranta, the Maranta genus or prayer plant features leaves that stay flat during the day and then fold up like hands praying in the evening. The prayer plant is native to Brazil and has decorative leaves. The most popular variety features deep green leaves with yellow blotches and red veins on the leaf margins. It needs special care to thrive.

Prayer plants are slow growers and often potted in hanging baskets. They grow best in greenhouse-like conditions, requiring partial shade, moisture, airflow and fertiliser. You also need to keep them in rooms with a temperature of 15 to 21°C. If kept too cool, the leaves will likely suffer from fungal infections. Similarly, if prayer plants are exposed to too much sun, the leaves can develop blotches. They are also prone to spider mites and mealybugs.

Best indoor plant for bedrooms: Aloe Vera

Pros

Plenty of health benefits
Helps filter the air of solvents

Cons

Prone to root rot
Not for areas with low light

Price (RRP): $14.97
Amazon pricing: From $73.00

Why we chose it

With a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Etsy, we selected aloe vera as the best indoor plant for bedrooms.

Aloe Barbadensis or simply aloe vera is one of the most common plants in people's gardens. It has many health benefits, making it one of the most useful plants across the globe. Aloe vera features variegated leaves that branch out from the centre. As an indoor plant, it requires plenty of bright indirect sunlight. However, it can still grow in a room with artificial lighting. Aloe vera also thrives best in areas with temperature between 13 to 27°C. Generally, it requires watering every two to three weeks in spring and summer and more sparingly in autumn and winter.

Aloe vera has plump leaves full of gel. It contains antioxidants and vitamins that can be used for skin care. You can also use the gel to treat a mild burn or soothe sunburns. The plant helps purify the air from solvents like formaldehyde and benzene. But because it has plump leaves and thick roots that store water, aloe vera is prone to root rot when grown indoors. Moreover, its leaves will turn brown and soft if overwatered.

Best indoor plant for offices: Devil's Ivy

Pros

Hard to kill
Thrives in medium to low light

Cons

Can't be exposed to bright, direct sunlight or complete darkness
Susceptible to distorted leaf growth and root rot

Price (RRP): $12.24
Amazon pricing: From $24.00

Why we chose it

For offices, we picked the devil's ivy as the best indoor plant. It has a rating of 5 out of 5 on Etsy.

Devil's ivy is one of the most popular houseplants in the world because it's hard to kill. It is native to French Polynesia and has heart-shaped leaves that are variegated in green and yellow. It can also grow up to 6-8 feet horizontally with climbing vines that can grow up to 40 feet. This plant thrives the best in medium indirect sunlight, but can tolerate low light for long periods.

Caring for devil's ivy is pretty straightforward because it can survive in a variety of light conditions. But it won't grow in full direct sunlight or complete darkness. Its roots are also shallow, only needing a little bit of water to penetrate the roots. However, it requires more water during spring and summer. Some of the problems with this plant are distorted leaf growth and root rot. Because it's a low maintenance plant, these problems rarely happen.

Best low maintenance indoor plant: Snake Plant

Pros

Thrives in bright light or almost darkness
Helps purify the air

Cons

Not kid and pet-friendly
Easy to overwater

Price (RRP): $35.24

Why we chose it

Snake plant is our choice for the best low maintenance indoor plant available online. On Etsy, it has a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Also known as mother-in-law's tongue, the snake plant has stiff leaves that can grow up to eight feet tall. This plant comes in varying colours, but it usually has green-banded leaves and yellow borders. The snake plant is easy to grow and hard to kill. It thrives in bright light or almost darkness. In the 80s, this plant was chosen by NASA for a study on how plants can be used to purify the air. According to the results, the snake plant can remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air.

If you're a beginner, the snake plant is one of the best ones you can grow. It prefers indirect light with some direct sun. However, it's pretty forgiving and can also thrive in dimly lit areas. This plant prefers warm conditions and temperature between 15 to 21°C. It needs little watering, especially during winter. But if you have kids or pets, the snake plant may not be for you because all of its parts are toxic.

Best hanging indoor plant: English Ivy

Pros

Can thrive in bright or moderate light
Has medicinal properties

Cons

Prone to fungal-based stem and root rots
Invasive

Price (RRP): $11.53

Why we chose it

Our pick for the best hanging indoor plant is the English ivy, which has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars on Etsy.

English ivy or Hedera helix is a woody vine that can provide good ground cover, spreading horizontally up to eight inches in height. It has aerial rootlets, allowing the plant to climb up to 80 feet. English ivy grows best in bright light, but not direct sun. It also thrives in areas with temperature between 4 to 10°C. This plant can tolerate medium light as well. However, its growth will be reduced, and its variegated forms might turn green. This plant also prefers to be on the drier side, so you only need to water it when the top of the soil feels dry to the touch.

English ivy is a popular ornament, especially during Christmas. It stays luscious and green all year round. Apart from being a beautiful, decorative hanging plant, it has plenty of medicinal benefits. Herbalists use English ivy to treat inflammation, asthma and arthritis among others. It also has properties that are antioxidant, antiviral and antimicrobial. However, this plant is prone to fungal-based stem and root rots when overwatered.

Best cat-friendly indoor plant: Spider Plant

Pros

Affordable
Low maintenance

Cons

Easy to overwater
Prone to necrotic leaf tips

Price (RRP): $5.99
Amazon pricing: From $26.00

Why we chose it

The spider plant is our recommendation for the best cat-friendly indoor plant available right now in Australia. It's included on the list of non-toxic plants for cats by the ASPCA.

Also known as ribbon plant or airplane plant, the spider plant is safe for both cats and dogs. It features luscious thin, arching leaves, growing up to 1.5 feet. The plant's leaves are either green or striped green and white. The spider plant is low maintenance, preferring light shade and more humid temperature. However, it can still thrive in other conditions, even when neglected for days. It also likes slightly moist soil – overwatering can cause rot and kill it.

The spider plant is ideally grown in a pot or a hanging container because of its foliage's cascading nature. Apart from being pet-friendly, it helps purify the air, effectively removing harmful chemicals like carbon monoxide and xylene. While this plant likes slightly moist soil, you may need to water it more often during summer and spring. Fertilising twice a month can also help its growth. When overwatered, the leaves will turn black or brown. The spider plant is also prone to necrotic leaf tips due to fertiliser build-up.

Best dog-friendly indoor plant: Parlor Palm

Pros

Beginner-friendly
Thrives in medium and low light

Cons

Vulnerable to aphids, mealybugs and scale
Sensitive to overwatering

Price (RRP): $24.60
Amazon pricing: From $119.00

Why we chose it

For the best dog-friendly indoor plant, we selected the parlor palm. It has a rating of 5 out of 5 stars from over a thousand Etsy reviews. According to the ASPCA, it's non-toxic to dogs (and cats).

The parlor palm is one of the most popular indoor plants because of its medium to light green leaves of about eight inches. It also has slender, arching stems. It is suitable for beginners because it thrives in moderate light and small spaces. The parlor palm can also tolerate low-light conditions but not complete darkness. It prefers areas with temperature between 18 to 25°C as well. This plant is sensitive to overwatering and doesn't like being waterlogged, so you might want to err on the side of caution and only water it to maintain an even moisture level.

Apart from its luscious green leaves, the parlor palm has air purifying properties. It is low maintenance, growing in conditions that most apartments already have. This plant can survive even when completely away from windows. However, it won't grow as fast compared to ones that are exposed to moderate sunlight. This plant requires repotting every year for its first few years, ensuring steady growth. It is also susceptible to aphids, mealybugs and scale.

Best overall indoor plant: Monstera Deliciosa

Pros

Great for beginners
Thrives in humid conditions

Cons

Not pet-friendly
Wilts easily if soil is too dry

Price (RRP): $22.59
Amazon pricing: From $114.85