Trending houseplants for 2024

By Kelly Kellow | Spring Creek Gardener

Every year it seems like some new trend emerges in the gardening world. There are colors of the year, perennials of the year, annuals of the year, and even the recently introduced bioluminescent petunia. If you're on social media, you're probably inundated with influencers offering advice on plant care and home décor, and showing you how to use unusual plants. The pandemic has also created new and influential houseplant trends. According to Garden Pals Online, “Demand for ornamental plants has surged by 18% due to the impact of the new coronavirus infection.” With the mass influx of people working from home, houseplants are more essential to interior design than ever before. With all this in mind, here are some examples of plant categories that we think will be trending this year.

Playing with texture and color will be big in 2024. Step back from the typical spade leaf shape and notice plants with finely serrated leaves, lace or ruffled leaves, and even soft, fuzzy textures. Philodendron 'Xanadu' has leaves that are even more finely cut than the traditional Swiss cheese variety, giving your home a tropical look. If you're looking for a lacy leaf texture, check out Asparagus Fern. When the flowers bloom, they look like the tips of asparagus. Plants that add color, like crotons, come in a variety of vibrant color combinations and leaf textures. Croton 'Zanzibar' or 'Banana' has brightly colored, finely toothed leaves that add both color and texture. Most of these plants are easy to care for, easy to find, and don't cost a fortune.

Large-leafed, bushy, tall plants will also grow big this year. Not only is it impressive, but it fills a corner or empty wall without adding furniture. Plants such as the African mask plant or Alocasia 'Dragonscale' have interesting dark-colored leaves with cream to white midribs that grow larger as they grow. Also consider plants that are more shrub-like, such as fishtail palms. These giants are also great for filling large corners. Most usefully, these plants can tolerate indirect light, making them ideal for open spaces on south-facing walls.

Variegated plants are often very popular. Variegation is a different colored pigment in the leaves that creates a unique pattern. Plants like variegated monsteras are often coveted, but they also carry high ticket prices. Plants that are almost black are also becoming more popular. ZZ Plant 'Black Raven' has almost black leaves compared to its sister plant which is traditionally green. Rubber trees also come in near-black varieties, but I find the 'ruby' color much more interesting, with dark green leaves with ruby ​​midribs, margins and variegation. Collecting these rare plants is impressive and something you'll definitely want to show off to your family and friends.

Lastly, I think it's great to focus on purchasing air purification plants. Why do certain plants purify the air? It's their ability to transpire carbon dioxide into oxygen, a process called photosynthesis. Research shows that some plants can diffuse toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde and benzene from the air. Most of these plants are traditional houseplants, such as snake plants, spider plants, Boston ferns, peace lilies, and aloe. It's easy to clean and easy to find in many stores. If you need to break away from traditional colors, don't worry. Growers are always finding new variations of these plants to keep things interesting. Have fun shopping and follow trends!