Best Indoor Plants for Good Feng Shui

I have lived in single-family homes in the last 20+ years, and I have set up vegetable boxes to plant different types of tomatoes and veggies, and different types of fruit trees (I even learn how to graft different varieties).  Now, I moved into a one-bedroom apartment without a patio so I start learning about indoor plants.

Since space is limited, I need to be selective so I pick my plants based on good Feng Shui (Air Purifying, wealth, abundance, and health).  Decorating with living houseplants strengthens the energy of one particular feng shui element: wood. The wood element brings vital energy of growth and action into your space. It can also inspire compassion, kindness, and flexibility. Moreover, the color green—the shade of many plants—is associated with healing. Generally, if you’re using a plant as a feng shui adjustment, you want to find one with large, rounded, and thick leaves, rather than something prickly or sharp like a cactus.

Since I did a lot of homework about indoor plants already, I thought I would share what I learned here so you can save some time.  These are what I like for my apartment and there are other types that I didn’t pick for personal reasons that you could consider too.

Generally speaking, the money spot in the living room is 45 degrees angle to the front door.

Monstera (龜背竹) also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant, has many different varieties (different leaves size, colors, and shapes) to choose from. The most common type is called Monstera Deliciosa (dark green leaves).

• 龜背竹的名字來自它的葉片形狀像烏龜殼，因此被賦予健康長壽的寓意; 北方壬癸水之地用龜背竹做玄武，具體來說就是把龜背竹放在書房，能增加官運，福祿，學業有成；放在客廳財位，創業能夠一帆風順，聚財生財。
• Air Purifying
• Like the warm and humid with indirect, soft bright light. Best for the patio or near the window, with good air circulation.
• Use filtered water every 10-14 days or when the top 2 inches of soil has dried out. It’s better the soil get a bit dry between watering. It’s good to use a wet mod to clean the leaves front and back, and spray water on the leaves on a regular basis.
• Once you’ve potted or repotted the plant, wait at least four to six months to fertilize it, as general potting soil typically already has slow-release fertilizer mixed in. After that, fertilize your Swiss cheese plant monthly, using an all-purpose liquid fertilizer that has been diluted by half.
• Can be toxic to small animals.
• How to grow and care for Swiss Cheese Plant

Fiddle-Leaf Fig (琴葉榕) has three different species. The main species, Ficus lyrata, is the most common fiddle-leaf fig plant you find in the store with different sizes.

• 象徵著吉祥如意、聚財發福、平安健康等，家中擺放還可以起到旺丁旺宅的作用，但儘量不要出現黃葉、枯枝等現象，否則對風水有所影響。 在西方國家，琴葉榕被看作是和平的象徵，地位較高。
• Air Purifying
• Like the warm and humid with indirect, soft bright light. Best for the patio or near the window, with good air circulation. Rotate your fiddle-leaf fig every few days so a different part faces the light source in order to grow straight up.
• Use filtered water every 10-14 days or when the top 2 inches of soil has dried out. It’s better the soil get a bit dry between watering. It’s good that every week or two dust the leaves both front and back with a damp cloth, and spray water on the leaves on a regular basis.
• Fertilize throughout the growing season with a high-nitrogen plant food, following label instructions. There are fertilizers specially made for fiddle-leaf figs available.
• How to grow and care for Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Peace Lily (白掌/白鶴芋) have been heavily hybridized and there are dozens of varieties available. They range in size from miniature to massive and from deep green with snow-white flowers to golden-leaved beauties.

• 象徵著一帆風順，招財旺運，適合放在客廳，不適合放在臥室或陽台。
• Air Purifying
• Peace lilies are shade-loving plants in their native habitats, but when grown indoors they need plenty of filtered light, though not direct sunlight.
• Use filtered water and mist peace lilies frequently during the summer because they thrive with higher humidity. In winter, reduce watering but never allow the soil to dry out.
• Fertilizing weekly in the summer or use slow-release pellets at the beginning of the season. Do not fertilize in the winter.
• can be toxic to small animals and children.
• How to grow and care for Peace Lily

Elephant Ear (滴水觀音/馬蹄蓮) the most commonly grown plant Colocasia esculenta, also known as taro. But plants of the Alocasia genus and Xanthosoma genus can also be known as elephant ears.

• 滴水觀音屬於不漏財型植物，所以放到財位上就會起到很好的招財作用，還能招來桃花運，更是有利於家人健康。適合放在客廳和臥室。
• Air Purifying
• Elephant ears can be planted in full sun to part shade, but the best performance will come in a part shade or filtered sun location.
• Use filtered water to keep elephant ear plants consistently moist. They will survive nicely even if covered by as much as 6 inches of standing water. Never allow the soil to dry out fully, especially when growing in containers—this means watering daily.
• elephant ears are heavy feeders. Apply a water-soluble high-nitrogen fertilizer every two to three weeks.
• Pets that chew on the leaves may show excessive salivation and mouth irritation. The sap from the plant can also be a skin irritant.
• How to grow and care for Elephant Ear

Rubber Plant (橡皮樹) Ficus elastica, also known as the rubber plant, is an unusual-looking varietal native to the tropics of Southeast Asia. It boasts oversized, oval-shaped leaves that are a rich emerald hue, and can grow quickly, reaching up to 100 feet tall in its natural habitat. However, it’s more often grown indoors as a houseplant, where it can be planted and cared for year-round and its size kept more manageable.

• 橡皮樹的綠闊葉樹本身就有著催旺家中運勢，除煞氣，有利於家庭和睦的風水作用。適合放在客廳和陽台。
• Air Purifying
• Rubber Plants love lots of bright, diffused light.
• Water your rubber plant frequently—they like to be kept steadily moist but not soaked. Rubber plants also are vulnerable to excessive dryness and don’t tolerate drought well.
• Generally, rubber trees are best kept in moderate to warm temperatures between 60 degrees Fahrenheit and 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with moderate humidity as well. If your home tends to be dry, invest in a space humidifier to increase the levels.
• Feed the plant a weak liquid fertilizer throughout the growing season. They are relatively heavy feeders when healthy. Some experts recommend only lightly fertilizing indoor plants to prevent stretching and plants becoming root-bound because they grow too fast.
• Rubber plants are toxic to pets.
• How to grow and care for Rubber Plants.

Pilea Peperomioides (鏡面草) has many different common names such as the Chinese money plant, coin plant, pancake plant, and UFO plant.

• 鏡面草擺在陽台可以旺宅；擺在客廳可以招財；擺在財位，效果更佳。鏡面草在雲南西部是很重要的藥材，在傣族人民手裏，它可以是消腫止痛的良藥，可以是解毒神器，還可以接筋接骨，簡直是野外生存的時候能見到的最親的植物。紅腫發炎的皮膚，用鏡面草能很好地消炎解毒。《滇藥錄》中有記載。
• Air Purifying
• It thrives in medium to bright indirect light. Rotate your plant regularly to keep it looking symmetrical.
• This evergreen perennial is considered to have medium water needs. Allow the plant to nearly dry out between waterings and then water well.
• The Pilea peperomioides benefits from monthly fertilization in the spring and summer months. Use a balanced, all-purpose fertilizer for best results.
• How to grow and care for Pilea Peperomioides

Pilea Cadierei (冷水花) is an evergreen perennial in the nettle family that is commonly called the aluminum plant.

• 冷水花具有化煞的能力，能够化解家中的邪煞之氣。 全草藥用，有清熱利濕、生津止渴和退黃護肝之效。
• Air Purifying (especially good for the kitchen and the bathroom)
• When growing the aluminum plant indoors make sure the plant receives bright, indirect light for at least four hours each day.
• When it is growing season over the spring and summer, evenly moist soil is recommended for this plant. An occasional misting will be beneficial as will a rock humidity tray.
• When in a growing season, you should fertilize this plant with a quality 5-5-5 water-soluble plant food monthly.
• can be toxic to small animals.
• How to grow and care for aluminum plant

Aglaonema commutatum (銀皇后) also known as Chinese Evergreen with several interesting color variations—from dark green and silver to red—add personality to your home’s decor. Chinese evergreens are slow-growing, attractive, and make excellent indoor foliage plants that can be planted and cared for year-round. Best of all, they don’t like full sun, so they’re perfect for almost any room in your home, especially if window light is a commodity.

• 招福壯旺，辟邪擋禍，強大的淨化空氣的作用，非常適合通風條件和光線條件不佳的房間。
• Air Purifying
• The lighter the variegation on its leaves, the more sunlight it needs. Darker green varieties of Chinese evergreens can grow in near-shade, while the variegated varieties require a bit more indirect, bright light.
• Water your plant thoroughly, then allow it to dry out before watering again but never letting the plant dry out completely. Mist it frequently, and consider placing it in a humidity-prone area of your home, like your kitchen or bathroom.
• For best results, feed your Chinese evergreen with slow-release pellets or liquid fertilizer twice a year, at the beginning and end of its growing season.
• Can be toxic to small animals.
• How to grow and care for Chinese Evergreen

Schefflera (傘樹/鴨掌木) also known as Umbrella Tree

• 鴨掌木又叫招財樹，能夠爲人們起到招財旺運的作用，它有一定的避邪擋煞作用。
• Air Purifying
• prefers plenty of indirect light, warmth, and humidity. In the summer, move potted plants outside under a patio cover where they will receive bright light but not direct sun.
• Water weekly during the growing season and spray the leaves frequently. You can wait until the soil in the pot dries out and then thoroughly soak the soil when you water.
• Feed Schefflera plants twice a week during the growing season with liquid fertilizer, since they are heavy feeders and will benefit from the extra nutrients.
• Indoors, Schefflera are prone to problems with aphids, which leave a honeydew that leads to sooty mold; treat for aphids with a spray of insecticidal soap.
• Can be toxic to small animals.
• How to grow and care for Umbrella Tree

There are other good indoor plants such as Lucky Bamboo (富貴竹)、Money Tree (發財樹)、Snake Plant (虎尾蘭) 、Spider plant (吊蘭) 、Pothos (黃金葛)、ZZ Plant (金錢樹) for you to consider.

Facebook’s Marketplace has many people selling plants from their “home nursery”. One seller that I have good experience with is Jessica Argiropulos in San Jose. Her parents are from Taiwan.  I think she told me that her mom teaches plants in school so they grow many different plants for teaching, doing experiments, and for sale (don’t remember the details) so she might have some plants that you don’t find in normal nurseries.

Her boutique specializes in succulents, cacti, carnivorous plants, and houseplants. She grows the majority of the plants she sells from propagation or seeds.