Plants and puppies top the list when it comes to welcoming guests who stop by over the holidays. And entryway plants don’t chew up your shoes! Pick the right feng shui plants and they might even attract good fortune, good relationships, or harmony into your home.
When it comes to selecting houseplants for your entryway, keep the type of sun exposure in mind. While some of our recommended plants - like the cast iron plant - thrive in low light areas, others require indirect light and a few need direct sunlight.
Here are my recommendations for some great houseplants to liven up that drab entryway!
For Good Fortune and Wealth
Who doesn’t want good fortune and wealth? Here are a few plants that are supposed to nudge luck and money into your life. Fortunately, whether you find this to be true or not, you’ll be a winner with either of these lovely houseplants in your entryway planters.
1. Money Tree
You’ve probably seen the unforgettable houseplant called the money tree - with its braided stem and lush, waxy leaves. Any guest who follows feng shui will appreciate the nod to luck and money as they enter, and, if they don’t. they’ll still be excited by this fascinating and unusual plant. Lively Root has a great selection of money tree plants in different sizes and different varieties of pots.
I’ve never had any trouble growing a money tree (Pachira aquatica) in my kitchen window and watering every week or so, but it has a reputation of being somewhat picky. The most important cultural care element is indirect sunlight - followed by its preference for stability. When you get it happy in your entryway, don’t move it!
2. Chinese Money Plant
While the Pachira money tree has no features that look like actual coinage, the Chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) does. It has leaves that are round as coins - large coins, I admit, huge coins in fact. (Note that the plant is also called the “pancake plant”.) There is something amusing and pleasant about the bright green, rounded leaves, each growing on its own little stem like a floppy lollypop.
Site this perennial in bright, indirect light and well-draining soil and watch it grow. In case you also decide to bring in that puppy as well, you’ll feel good knowing that the Chinese money plant is totally pet-safe. Find the perfect pilea from Hirt's Gardens through Walmart.
For Purity and Clean Air
NASA’s 1989 Clean Air Study suggested that some houseplants effectively purify indoor air, but then we learned it would take over 600 plants to clear the air in a small apartment. Somewhat disappointing. But having some NASA-suggested houseplants might still clear a toxin or two from your air and they are certain to offer psychological benefits, like stress reduction and improved mood.
3. Peace Lily
Does your entryway get bright, indirect light? Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) will be happy there - and whether or not they scrub your air, these elegant plants will brighten your entryway. In fact, I think they are among the best plants for entryways, making the day a little brighter for anyone who walks in.
Keep these beauties out of direct sun, and they are among the easiest of houseplants to maintain. In indirect light, their lush, glossy leaves bring beauty and freshness into your home, while the “white flag” blossoms really stand out. How to tell when they need water? They will tell you. Watch for the leaves to droop slightly. Find an easy-growing peace lily from Lively Root and get ready for a beautiful entryway refresh.
4. Snake Plant
Snake plants are my favorite plants to gift, since they are gorgeous - with their tall, mottled architectural leaves - and also virtually indestructible. Sansevieria trifasciata plants are perfect for entryways; their thick leaves stand upright like little soldiers that could care less about drafts, neglect, and too little sun.
NASA told us that snake plants filter toxins from the air, and that’s a good thing, even if a lot of toxins may remain. Snake plants are always welcome in my home just because I like them - they are impressive plants that require very little maintenance to thrive. Variegated Sansevieria 'Laurentii' can be found at Lively Root.
For Warmth and Friendship
What’s better than a healthy bank account? A happy social life. Here are great houseplants that may attract warmer relationships into your home.
5. Aloe Vera
Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis) is another feng shui plant, but rather than serving as a magnet for good fortune and money like the money plant, aloe vera promotes harmony in the home. Placed in an entryway, it is said to trap and absorb negative energy.
Aloe is a succulent, and its upright leaves look like the freckled green fingers of a Grinch from Mars. Yes, this is the same plant that soothes burns, including sunburns - just break off one of the “fingers” and rub the inner gel over the problem skin. It likes warm air, cactus-type soil, and bright, indirect sun. Find a lovely aloe vera plant from Fast Growing Trees.
6. Jade Plant
The jade plant (Crassula ovata) is another easy-care succulent that asks little, looks lovely, and lives long. These attractive plants look like miniature trees with their woody stems topped with thick oval leaves; they can live to 70 years. Cultural care for jades is a lot like that for aloe vera: bright, indirect light, cactus or succulent soil, and occasional water.
These popular houseplants also have special significance in feng shui. They symbolize trees and are considered auspicious. Their rounded leaves also look like coins, suggesting wealth. It’s considered lucky to place a jade plant in a home entryway, since this is the portal for the life force energy also known as Qi. That placement can attract wisdom, health and wealth into the home. Jade plants are known for their longevity and your can start your growing journey with a gorgeous jade plant from Lively Root.
7. Rosemary
Rosemary is one of the most popular Italian herbs, an herbaceous perennial that is usually grown outdoors as a large shrub. I fell in love with rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) when I saw fields of it growing in the wild in Spain, filled with indigo blue flowers.
You can grow a rosemary container plant indoors if you give the plant loamy soil, sufficient water, and lots of direct sunlight. Trailing cultivars are great for containers, so consider 'Blue Rain' or 'Tuscan Blue' for an entryway planter. But note: rosemary will not thrive and may not even survive unless it is placed in a site with lots of direct sunshine - some six hours a day. You can use that same succulent soil for rosemary, since it likes its dirt dry and well-drained.
Rosemary attracts good luck and enhances relationships in feng shui. Positioning a rosemary plant in your entryway can help make your living space happy and harmonious. 'Tuscan Blue' rosemary plants are available from Fast Growing Trees and are sure to add a gorgeous Mediterranean touch to your entryway.
For Elegant Low-Light Entryways
These low-light plants are personal favorites. They may not attract money or love, but they don’t require much effort and always look stunning.
8. Pothos
I’m crazy about my pothos plants and have two hanging baskets in my bedroom, forming a ceiling to floor curtain at the foot of my bed. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) are graceful, green-leafed and lovely, their lush leaves thick on cascading vines. All pothos have heart-shaped leaves but some cultivars offer different variegation, from gold to white. E
Pothos looks like it is a prima donna, but nothing could be farther than the truth. It is drought tolerant and also shade tolerant. Place it in an entryway for maximum wow-power. For smaller entryways, consider hanging pothos from the ceiling to maximize floor space while still enjoying its lush, trailing beauty. The Silver Satin pothos from Lively Root is a really beautiful and unique take on a classic.
9. Cast Iron Plant
Try damaging a cast iron plant - it’s indestructible! The cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) could be called amazingly resilient if not indestructible too. Its arching, lance-shaped, deep green leaves grow to two feet (.6m) long and four inches (10cm) wide, making the plant one that attracts attention in an entryway and offers a strong visual anchor.
This is a perfect choice for your home if the entryway offers little natural light. The cast iron plant doesn’t seem to care. It is also drought tolerant but requires well-draining soil. A durable and beautiful cast iron plant can be purchased from Lively Root.
