If you’re a plant lover, you know that house plants are beneficial for your home’s indoor air quality, removing harmful toxins, reducing stress levels, as well as uplifting the energy.
According to most feng shui experts, however, plants are not always great in the bedroom.
How do you balance your love for house plants with the idea that bedroom plants are bad feng shui?
The good news is that plants in the bedroom aren’t automatically bad for feng shui.
There are some times when plants can be beneficial in your bedroom.
Let’s go through all of the guidelines for feng shui plants in bedroom!
Feng shui plants in bedroom: The downside
To start, let’s talk about why most feng shui consultants say plants in the bedroom are bad feng shui.
In feng shui, the bedroom is one of the most important places in the house for good health.
That’s because it’s the room where you sleep, rest, recharge, and heal.
Ideally, your bedroom should ONLY be used for rest and romance.
You really shouldn’t have electronics, home office equipment, workout equipment, lots of fiery colors or active artwork, lots of books, or even your cell phone or laptop in your bedroom.
All of these things carry active energy and can interrupt sleep and relaxation.
Plants can be the same way.
They are living things, which carry living energy.
Depending on the plant, they also represent different feng shui elements which can disrupt the energy balance in your bedroom.
And any time the energy balance in the bedroom is disrupted, it can disrupt your sleep.
This is why most feng shui principles say not to have plants in the bedroom — it’s easier to say no plants, no electronics, no super bright colors, and no clutter.
But the reality is that for most of us, our bedrooms are multipurpose.
We may need to use our bedrooms for exercise areas, adult living space, or even for a home office.
So how do you balance that need with good bedroom feng shui?
You can balance those energies with (wait for it!) PLANTS!
Feng Shui Plants in Bedroom: Do’s & Don’ts
Do: Use plants to soften energy.
One of the best reasons to use plants in your bedroom is to move the flow of bad energy.
If you have a home office area in your bedroom, for example, you can place a plant between your desk and bed to break up the energy.
This softens the Chi (life-force energy) from your work area and forces it to move around the room, which means it is no longer directed at the bed.
You can also use a folding screen or curtain the same way, but that’s not always possible.
In this case, use a plant!
You want something that creates balance and softens the energy.
This is a good spot for something like an english ivy plant in a hanging basket, or a tall plant like a fiddle leaf fig or snake plant.
Don’t: Use fake plants.
If your bedroom doesn’t have a lot of natural light, don’t use fake plants to break up the energy.
Fake plants usually represent dying energy, and they tend to collect a lot of dirt, dust, and stagnant Chi.
Using curtains, furniture, or a folding screen is better than using a fake plant.
In a pinch, you can even hang a feng shui crystal from the ceiling to move the energy.
Do: Only keep one or two plants in your bedroom.
Again, balance is key to creating harmony and restful vibes in your bedroom.
Having too many plants in your room will disrupt the energy balance and can cause sleep disruptions.
Instead, choose one or two plants that you love and strategically place them in your room.
Use them to soften energy, create separation for your bed, or even block energy from a door or window.
Don’t: Go overboard.
Think of a lot of plants as having the same energy as a lot of electronics or exercise equipment in the bedroom.
You can probably sleep okay with one or two things, but if half of your room feels like a gym then it’s not really a bedroom any longer.
Good feng shui in your bedroom means the room still feels like a bedroom and its primary function is for sleeping and resting.
Do: Use soft plants, plants with round leaves, vining plants, flowering plants, or succulents.
These have more Yin energy – which is feminine, soft, flowy, and restful.
Some examples of good bedroom feng shui plants with restful, Yin energy are:
- ferns (soft, whispy leaves)
- jade plants, rubber plants, air plants, and succulents (rounded, thick, plump leaves)
- vines like ivy or pothos (long tendrils that can hang from ceilings or drape over furniture)
- flowering plants such as peace lilies, lavender, or orchids
- low maintenance plants that aren’t fussy or require too much active care
These types of plants create movement, a soft focal point in your room, and can create a more spa-like environment.
Don’t: Use spiky or “dangerous” plants.
According to the principles of feng shui, spiky or dangerous plants carry fire energy, which can disrupt sleep.
Spiky plants (like most cactus) or sharp, pointy plants with hard tips or edges are better in more active areas of your home (like your living room, or especially in your home’s feng shui fame area.)
Examples of plants you shouldn’t keep in your bedroom are:
- Cactus
- Palm tree varieties with hard, spiky leaves or spines
- Any plant you associate with negative energy (for any reason – even if it’s just a plant you consider hard to care for)
Do: Consider the amount of natural light in your room.
Does your bedroom get lots of natural light? Bright, direct light? Low, indirect light?
For good feng shui, plants in your bedroom should be as healthy and happy as possible.
If you don’t have a lot of light in your room, you’ll need to supplement with some kind of artificial light to keep them happy!
While some plants, like zz plants, can tolerate low light, ALL plants need some kind of light.
Otherwise, your plants will just slowly die or stop growing, and that can contribute to low, stagnant energy or negative vibes.
Keep in mind that grow lights and lamps carry fire energy, so using one or two lights and keeping them away from the bed is best.
Don’t: Have plant hospitals in your bedroom.
Dead or dying plants, like fake plants, carry stagnant dying energy.
Because the bedroom is associated with love AND good health, you don’t want dying energy in your bedroom.
Keep sick plants in a different area, or dispose of them and get new ones.
Plants have a natural life cycle, and some even believe that plants can absorb negative vibes.
If you have sick plants, bless them and thank them for reducing the negative energy in your space, and then move them out of the bedroom.
Healthy plants = positive feng shui.
What are some of the BEST feng shui plants for bedroom health and good vibes?
Orchids:
The orchid is a small plant that carries a lot of good vibes for your bedroom!
Orchids are associated with romance, happiness, and feminine energy — all good things for your bedroom!
They don’t need a lot of maintenance or a ton of light.
Choose one with pink, lavender, or white flowers to enhance the romance and love energy!
ZZ plant:
ZZ plants are SUPER low maintenance.
They don’t need a ton of water, they have upward, uplifting growth, and dark glossy leaves.
They also carry wealth and good fortune energy, so they are great for your bedroom’s feng shui wealth area.
They also do great in lots of different lighting conditions! (Click here for a picture of the feng shui bagua map and how to use it!)
Jade plant:
Jade is a succulent that does great in bright, indirect light.
It’s associated with abundance and good luck and carries wood energy (growth and stability) as the plant gets older.
Its round, water-filled leaves are associated with water energy (abundance and femininity) which means they are great for balance AND prosperity!
Areca palm:
Areca palms look very similar to the lucky bamboo, but they have soft, feathery leaves.
They also grow in soil (instead of water, like bamboo) so their energy is more balanced and stable.
They can grow tall, which brings in the wood element (representing growth and uplifting energy).
They are great plants to use as a screen, to brighten up corners, and to block active energy from windows or doorways.
Spider plant:
Spider plants don’t need a ton of light or maintenance, but they are one of the best plants for air and energy purification.
They come in lots of different colors so they can provide interest and vibrant energy to your room without being too disruptive.
They are great for hanging baskets and will even produce off-shoots and baby plants!
Pothos:
Pothos is the workhorse of house plants – they are a great addition for almost any space!
They are easy to care for, come in many different varieties, and their heart-shaped leaves are perfect for the bedroom!
Use them in hanging baskets to draw the eye upward, or even on top of furniture to drape over the sides and soften energy.
Feng shui plant placement: Where should your plants go in your bedroom?
Ideally, don’t keep plants on your nightstand or directly next to the bed.
Keep them a bit further away, to break up and soften energy.
Examples of good feng shui plant placement are: Between the bed and a doorway, between the bed and a window, between the bed and your home office area, between the bed and a bathroom doorway.
Essentially, use the plant as a screen for energy.
This will break up the active energy flow that comes in from windows and doorways and separate it from the bed.
Breaking up the energy creates more restful sleep!
Otherwise, you can also consult the feng shui energy map to find the different areas of your bedroom.
Plants are great in the wealth area or the health area of your bedroom. Orchids, peace lilies, or other flowering plants can also be great in your room’s love area.
In conclusion: Will keeping plants in your bedroom cause insomnia or disrupt your sleep?
NO! Keeping plants in your bedroom will NOT automatically sabotage your sleep – even if most feng shui consultants would tell you they might.
As long as you stick to the feng shui principles of balancing energy flow, keeping plants in your room can actually help your sleep!
The key is to try them out and see if they work for you.
If you find that your sleep is worse after adding plants, try moving them further away from the bed.
Use plants in your bedroom as an accent, not as a focal decorating element.
And only keep healthy, happy plants in your room!
Sticking to these feng shui rules can help you break the “no plants in the bedroom” feng shui rule.
Now that you know everything about feng shui plants in the bedroom, you might also want to know:
▶ give your bedroom a makeover with these DIY feng shui bedroom tips!
▶ 18 feng shui lucky plants that will actually bring good fortune in 2022
▶ feng shui for insomnia: are these things interrupting your sleep?
▶ feng shui plants for good health (8 plants for health, healing, & growth!)
▶ feng shui plants for wealth (8 plants that attract money and abundance!)
▶ Crystals for Plants: 11 Healing Crystals for Indoor Plants
