INSIDE: Feng shui plants are one of the easiest and best ways to get positive energy flowing through a space. Learn all about our favorite ones here, as well as what plants to avoid for good feng shui.

 

Walking into your local garden or plant nursery can be a little daunting with hundreds of different plants to choose from. Sometimes, adding a little greenery or colorful flower is just what the doctor ordered. But what's even better are feng shui plants because they pack an added benefit.

Feng Shui is the art and science of placement and energy flow within an environment. Chi, which is basically positive, life energy that comes from living things is an important aspect of feng shui.

Certain areas of a home or work space require different energies. Feng shui doesn’t have to involve strict rules — it is simply a way for you to increase healthy energy flow by understanding how things in our environment are related. 

There are many methods to improve Chi, and just as many ways to inhibit and affect it. Plants are a wonderful way to brighten up our homes, clean the air and invite in good, positive vibes!

Let’s take a look at how you can combine feng shui and plants to rejuvenate your home or office.

How Do Plants Improve Chi?

Feeling a little claustrophobic? Maybe you suffer from allergies or your home is getting a little stuffy. Well, perhaps the energy in your living environment is off.

In Chinese culture, chi means air and it's believed to be the energy force that comes from all living things. When your home or work space has bad chi, it means that there are low, negative energies flowing throughout. 

Promote Positive Chi

There are an abundance of Feng Shui plants to choose from when looking to promote positive chi. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen — think of this as absorbing negative energy and releasing positive chi.

Plants bring balancing energies into an environment, which in turn, invites in good luck, wealth, and opportunity. Don’t worry, we’ll get to which plants bring good luck and fortune in a bit.

Air Purifying

Due to plants' ability to absorb harmful chemicals and release oxygen, house plants are great for cleaning the air of allergens and freshening the environment. An air purifier is also a great option as well.

Plants are great for small apartments, or if you have pets. Because Chi translates to air, it's important to remember that clean, new air means good, positive energy.

Absorbing EMF

Electromagnetic fields are emitted off of our electronics. They are harmful energies that lead to a whole series of negative side affects: headaches, depression, anxiety, and even some types of cancers. 

Plants like cacti are great for absorbing EMFs. That is why they make such popular desk and office space feng shui plants. Be mindful, however, that extra spiky plants can also interfere with chi.

What Types of Plants Should NOT Be Used in Feng Shui?

Before we get into the best plants to use for feng shui, let's make sure you know which ones to avoid...

Spiky Plants

In spite of the fact that cacti can be adorable and easy to care for with heaps of benefits, they can be bad for feng shui. We're also talking about plants with sword-like leaves, which are actually pretty popular as fake house plants right now.

It is said that plants that are too spiky or pointy are undesirable for the home. The sharp points can attack the sense of security and keep us on guard, which can cause discomfort. However, there are plenty of cacti with soft bristles, like the bunny ear cactus!

Droopy Foliage

Droopy plants are believed to drag energy down, so it’s important to consider upward growth patterns when choosing feng shui plants. 

Ivy plants are an example of droopy plants because they typically grow towards the earth or are ground dwelling. These draping plants can affect energy levels, productivity, and creativity within a work space.

Dead Plants

As plant parents, ensuring they are alive and thriving is important. We must do our best to take care of our green friends. Dead plants attract negative chi, so removing dying leaves and blooms is important when protecting our environment from bad energy. 

Always remember, chi means life force, so if your plant is looking a little worse for the wear, it means some maintenance and rejuvenation is in order. 

What Are the Best Feng Shui Plants?

While all plants have virtues and rewards, some plants are better than others at achieving certain things. Are you looking to attract abundance? Then look for feng shui plants for wealth.  

Whatever energies you’re looking to attract, there is a plant for it.

Lucky Bamboo

Are you struggling with prosperity or looking to catch a break? Maybe, you’re wondering which plants bring good luck. Well, Lucky Bamboo or Dracaena Sanderiana is a wonderful plant that is highly valued for its ability to bring in good fortune. 

The number of stalks placed in a vase determines the kind of luck and energy you want to attract. 5 stalks for academic achievement, 7 for health, 8 for wealth, 9 for luck and so on. This plant is easy to take care of -- it likes indirect sunlight and water or a good draining pot. 

Jade Plant 

Financial struggles get to us all. When looking for feng shui plants that promote abundance, refer to the shape of the leaves. Round leaves represent coins and money, therefore they bring in wealthy, positive energy.

Another fairly easy plant to maintain, Jade plants like part shade with sandy soil and a well drained pot. They also make great gifts for newlyweds or for a friend who just received a promotion or new job.

Boston Fern

Feng shui is all about the energy flow of an environment. Corners and edges of rooms affect chi and the flow of vibrations. Ferns are great, low maintenance plants that are perfect for hiding these rough spots with their big, bushy foliage.

Ferns are a great feng shui plant for welcoming, purifying energies and they're perfect for the entrances of homes or offices. Easy to take care of, all they ask for is lots of water, bright indirect sunlight, and a well drained pot. 

Areca Palm

When considering which plants bring good luck, look to an Areca Palm. These tropical looking plants push out negative, toxic energy and attract positivity. They are said to bring in wealth, peace, and good fortune.

In feng shui, it says to keep this plant in the south east, south, east, or north areas of a home or office to enhance the energy flow.

Chinese Money Plant

Due to the round leaves, the Chinese Money Plant or Missionary Plant is great for attracting wealth. It is super easy to take care of as it loves bright but indirect sunlight.

It is also called the friendship plant because it can propagate effortlessly, making it a great gift for a friend. Spread the wealth! 

Citrus Tree

Indoor, outdoor, it doesn’t matter. Your citrus tree can thrive in both low light and direct light, depending on if you’d like to produce fruit or not. 

Citrus trees bring abundance and promote good health. If you’re located in a sunny, warm area, this plant can bear fruit all year, making it an extremely giving and a providing plant.  

Peony

This popular romance flower promotes the fire element which is wonderful for chi. Its pink and red shades and round leaves are great for encouraging love, opulence, and good fortune. 

If you pot your Peony plant outdoors, it takes about 3-4 years for the first bloom, but once it is established, it will bloom every year in late spring and can live for up to 100 years! 

Sage

Sage is a powerful feng shui plant. It helps reduce bitter and bleak energies and is extremely useful for medicinal purposes.

If you grow your own sage, you can create your own smudging sticks which make powerful air cleansers as well as an efficient way to ward off evil entities.  

Orchid

Not only a beautiful flower, orchids are the perfect symbol of fertility and creativity. With a huge range of colors to choose from, each color represents a different quality.  

White orchids are great for children and creativity, pink for love and romance, yellow for health, and purple for wealth. With so many options and places to put an orchid, it is definitely one of the best feng shui plants.

Money Tree

If you're looking for feng shui plants for wealth, the money tree is your one stop shop. Fairly easy to take care of, these trees like infrequent waterings, light, and humidity. 

A money tree makes a wonderful gift for someone who is going through a big milestone like marriage, childbirth or starting a new business. The money tree is the ideal plant for adding extra life and beauty into your space.

Peace Lily

The name itself infers the special qualities of this plant. It eases the strife, stress, and resentment that can come forth in our daily lives. 

Not only is this plant low maintenance, but it also purifies the air from allergens and harmful toxins. Simply give it a good draining pot, water when the soil is dry, and this plant will thrive peacefully.

Ficus

Because of its round, rubbery leaves, ficus plants are great for attracting wealth and success. They promote good, uplifting energies, all while improving air quality. 

Golden Pothos

When looking for feng shui plants, the Golden Pothos is pretty much the be-all and end-all. They symbolize perseverance because their vines grow long and fast with determination.  

They flourish almost anywhere and are great in corners or tops of cabinets that gather dead energy. Golden Pothos restore good vibrations and are very easy to take care of. They are also easy to propagate, and they make excellent gifts. 

English Ivy

This fast-growing plant is versatile, adaptable, and very low maintenance. English Ivy is a great air purifier and is non-toxic. 

It symbolizes fidelity because it doesn’t let go easily when it is attached to something. It is the ideal hanging plant that absorbs dead, negative energy and releases positivity.  

Mother-in-Law’s Tongue

Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, otherwise known as the Snake Plant, is a strong energy-holding feng shui plant. It improves chi by ridding environments from negative and stagnant energy. 

It is easy to care for and is a great plant for good luck. If you’re looking to promote growth and uplifting energy, this is the plant for you. 

Final Thoughts

Feng Shui is a valuable practice to consider when arranging your home or work space. There are many ways poor feng shui can inhibit Chi and invite in bad energies. The most important value of feng shui plants is that they bring nourishment, healing, and positive energy, which all plants are capable of.

Using feng shui plants to remove negative energy and revive your environment is not only simple, but beautiful. With so many plants to choose from, it’s hard not to have an entire jungle in your living room!

Learn how to create a feng shui garden here!

* Crystals and stones should not be used as a substitute for medical advice or treatment. Please read our full disclosure notice here.