The Best Plants for Filling A Corner in Your Home

I have this awkward corner in my home.

It’s situated near a doorway on one wall and a window on the other.  It’s too big to leave it empty, but it’s not big enough for a piece of furniture.

I don’t think a sculpture is fitting for our style so I’m looking for the best plants for filling a corner and making it look pretty.  Or at the very least, filling an empty and awkward space.

Did I mention that there’s a light switch too.  So hanging art is not an option either…..

Besides, I think every room can benefit from a plant.

I think I need a tall plant to fill this space and provide some visual interest.

Thankfully not all house plants require a green thumb.  My outside plants thrive on loving neglect – I add more of the ones that thrive and remove the ones that don’t.  Except my hibiscus, every year my hibiscus get covered in aphids and I still continue to baby them, but that’s another story.

A bit of research on tall houseplants does show some promise though.

Several of them are pretty forgiving in the care category and take minimal attention to thrive (bonus for me).  A few of them can tolerate low light and occasional watering. (Double bonus).

The Fiddle Leaf Fig

This plant has been all the rage on social media for awhile now.

It’s a beautiful plant but definitely  not one of the easiest plants to care for.

They start off as a bushy plant and can grow into an upright tree.  Their violin shaped leaves and overall shape make them a great plant for filling a corner.  They can be finicky until they’re settled into their spot and they don’t thrive on neglect.

A happy fiddle leaf fig is a beautiful addition to your decor, but a sad one will drop leaves and look droopy.  And when I say drop leaves, they are loud.  Surprisingly loud considering it’s a leaf.  (Don’t ask me how I know this).

I still consider this one of the best plants for filling a corner, just know that she’s a fickle room mate!

The Fiddle Leaf Fig likes to be watered regularly and they can be pretty particular about light too.  They are a tropical plant so they love humidity and bright light.

Care Tips:

• Bright, consistent light is best
• Avoid drafts from cold windows or direct air conditioning – did we mention they are finicky?
• Repot yearly to avoid root crowding
• Water Regularly – allow the soil to dry between waterings and then water thoroughly.  Lack of water will cause new leaves to drop.  Overwatering will cause lower leaves to drop. (Sometimes just staring at it will cause the leaves to drop)

The Snake Plant

This plant is also commonly known as Mother In Law’s Tongue (and I wonder how it got that name).

The snake plant is  considered a “starter” plant and one of the hardiest house plants you can buy.  They are known to withstand almost any light situation and irregular watering.  These are also considered one of the best plants for purifying the air in your home.

The Snake Plant has great color and texture and also looks great in a variety of settings.

I love the way it looks with succulents surrounding it and it also looks great on a table to raise it up.  These plants can be neglected, and can stand a variety of light conditions.  The issue with them is to avoid overwatering – which for me is perfect.

Care Tips:

• Indirect light with a bit of sun is preferred.  They can withstand some direct sun and also very dim light, but they may not thrive in these conditions.
• Avoid overwatering – let the soil dry between waterings and err on the side of under watering
• Repot and/or divide yearly
• Cactus fertilizer is the best choice, just follow the package directions.

The Bird of Paradise

This plant can grow to be gigantic indoors or out and has large, glossy leaves.  I think everyone is familiar with their blooms since they are regularly used in tropical plant displays – they have a bright orange and red color in the shape of a bird.

You can use the Bird of Paradise for filling a corner but be sure that you have plenty of ceiling height if you’re using the giant one.  They can get really tall really fast, even if they’re planted in a pot.

I keep one of these on my back porch in a pot and it looks small out there, but boy is she gigantic when you put her in a corner.

The smaller bird of paradise typically has white leaves and is probably a better choice for indoors.

The Bird of Paradise doesn’t usually bloom when they’re kept inside because they need direct sunlight to promote blooms.

They do have beautiful foliage and get quite large so they definitely take up some space inside.  They are also great plants to move outside in the summer months (until they get gigantic and are impossible to move).  I have these both inside and outside of my home and love the lush tropical feel that they provide.

Unfortunately this corner isn’t quite big enough for my potted one.

Care Tips:

• Bright sunlight is preferred but filtered light will work as well
• Water generously during summer months while they are actively growing, in winter allow the soil to dry out between waterings
• Fertilize during the growing season
• Repot to control growth – these plants need a surprisingly small pot for their size

The Peace Lily

The peace lily likes a brightly lit space and an occasional watering.  If you want them to bloom you’ll need to fertilize for best results, but they still rank as one of the easiest indoor plants to care for.

Did you know that these blooms are not an actual flower, but it’s a hood that protects the flowers?  Either way we think the white “hood” is a nice bright addition to your home decor.

And we love that this is an easy to care for plant.

Care Tips:

• Indirect light is preferred – but lower light will mean less flowers
• Allow the soil to dry between watering – err on the side of under watering this plant
• Fertilize with a 20-20-20 solution to increase flowering
• Repot as needed – when leaves seem droopy and the pot is crowded it’s ready for a new home.

The Mass Cane

This plant is known as a “starter plant” which says a lot about it’s care.  They have a tall stature with leaves at the top and a variegated color on a woody stem.  These may be one of the most under utilized houseplants these days.  I think they look great surrounded by other plants at their base.

The Mass Cane is a tropical plant and it’s happy inside a home like mine, without constant attention.

They can handle a bit of neglect and will thrive in varying light conditions.  This is a slow growing plant and it can tolerate a lot of different growing conditions.  So if you move it, it’s not going to have a hissy fit like the fiddle leaf fig might.

Care Tips:

• Indirect light is best – their leaves may sunburn in direct sun but they can tolerate many light conditions
• Allow soil to dry between waterings
• No need to fertilize
• Repot as needed – this is a very slow growing plant

The Rubber Plant

This is one of the unsung heroes of houseplants.  These are tried and true indoor plants and easy to care for.  They feature large, dark, glossy leaves all over.

The only downfall of this plant is that you might need to dust its leave sometimes.  Because they are so dark and flat they may show dust!

The Rubber Plant will easily fill a corner in any room.  Their growth can be controlled by the size of the pot they’re in but they can reach tree size if given the space and care.

Caring for them is easy and they will thrive if you put them outside during the warmer months.  They will also signal their needs for light and water if you watch their leaves.

Care Tips:

• These plants like Bright light – they will drop leaves if they don’t receive enough light
• Water generously when growing – leaves will droop if they don’t receive enough water
• Repot to encourage growth – if you leave them in the same pot they will remain the same size

Where to Find the Best Plants

There are as many places to find plants as you can imagine.  From moving sales to big box stores you can find plants all around you.

Depending on your skill level, you may want to find someone knowledgable to help you out with your indoor plants.

Remember, raising plants is a learned skill!

The big box stores are going to carry a selection of easy to care for plants, and many of them have a return policy that is pretty gentle on learning to care for a plant so check it out.

Online, we love The Sill.  The Sill understands that growing plants is a learned skill and they are there to help you pick the best plant for your space and skill level.  They’ve got a great customer service team to answer your questions too so be sure to check them out!

Picking the Best Plants for filling a Corner

Now that I’ve spent so much time looking at different plants I feel like I need to buy a few.  Maybe that corner isn’t the only space that needs a new plant.  I may just have to try more than one.

I’m now looking around my house to see where else I can add plants.  And since it’s summer here I’ve got plenty of space.  Most of my indoor plants get moved outside during the summer….

I already have a Bird of Paradise and it’s a beautiful tree.  It’s getting harder and harder to move it  around each season but I love the foliage on it.

I’ve tried the Fiddle Leaf Fig in this space but it wasn’t as happy so I’m going to attempt a plant that needs less light.  Now I have some shopping to do!

Which of these plants do you already have in your house?  Which ones are you going to try next?  Let us know in the comments below!  And let us know if we missed any great ones that should be on our list!

Need some more decor inspiration?  Check out a few of our favorites!

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