Indoor Plants for Health & Harmony
by Donna Thomson
Did you know that the shape of the leaves on your plants can affect the energy they bring to your home or garden? Not only the plant's physical features but the location you place them in can have great significance according to Feng Shui principles. You'll be able to use the information in this article to help you choose plants and place them around your home and surrounding environment for many benefits.
Some of the qualities plants can bring to your home, according to Feng Shui, are:
Vitality - because you're bringing the living natural world into your home.
Luck - being of the "wood" element, plants are said to aid prosperity, especially when placed in the Family, Wealth, and Fame areas of the home (for information on Feng Shui sectors click here). 'Lucky bamboo' and jade plants (money trees) are popular for this purpose - both of which I've recently added to my own home.
Protection against "sha chi" (harmful energy) - locations such as harsh corners where walls meet and other sharp angles in the home. According to Feng Shui, trailing or draping plants are good for such corners or edges.
Offsetting excess water chi - e.g. in bathroom, laundry and around a pool. In the areas where water drains away, tall, vertical leafed plants are most desired, as opposed to plants that head downward such as ivy.
Air Purifiers
Plants are also excellent for purifying the air. It's common for homes to be more polluted than the outer environment because they are more closed up, containing dust and mustiness, residues of the chemicals we use to clean and remove pests, and just the general build-up of energy from people living in close quarters.
The top 12 air purifying plants, according to a NASA test for Indoor Air Purifying Plants, are:
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Plant and Leaf Shapes
Spiky, long leaves - these are more Yang (masculine and active) so they're good for stagnant (empty) corners but according to Feng Shui should not be used in small rooms. These are also good in rooms where your mind is stimulated such as the living, family and dining rooms, office and kitchen. Suitable plants include palms, philodendrons, dracaenas, yucca and bromiliads.
Round, floppy leaves - these are more Yin (feminine and calm) so use them in areas where you want to slow down the energy or chi. Popular round-leafed plants are the jade plant and rubber tree.
Tall plants - these represent tree energy and are best placed in the Family sector of your home and/or individual rooms (click here to find out about Feng Shui sectors).
Bushier plants - these slow down chi as it disperses through the leaves so they're good for long hallways.
More About Plant Placement
If your front door aligns with your back door a plant placed somewhere along this direct flow will slow down the chi/energy as it travels through your house.
If there's a slope or lower section of land in your backyard you need to plant a hedge or place a row of plants (can be in pots) to help keep the chi around the home. According to Feng Shui principles, if the energy flows through or from your home too quickly it is hard to hang onto good health and finances.
The constricting energy of overhead beams or sloping ceilings can be aided by the addition of tall, strong, vertical plants.
Soft, feathery plants or cut flowers are okay in the bedroom.
Spiky plants are good under windowsills as they deter intruders.
Plant Care
Filling your house with beautiful plants can be great but it's important to keep your plants healthy so they can give all they have to offer. Dying or dead plants are 'bad' Feng Shui and should be removed as soon as possible. The same goes for any cut flowers you have on display.
Applying this info
There are no hard and fast rules in Feng Shui. Use this information to get you started but also use your own intuition to guide you.
I recently went plant shopping for my own home and used my instincts to draw me to particular types of plants (I double-checked their suitability as indoor or outdoor plants), then to determine how many I wanted and which particular plants should come home with me. They turned out to be perfect choices. I did take my time to find the location that felt best for each plant but they've all found a home and I notice a definite improvement in the feel of my home and particular areas.