If you’re looking for the best plants for baby nursery, this is a must read post. You probably already know there are tons of wellness benefits to having plants in your home, including air purifying properties, improving mood, reducing stress and overall improving well-being. They’re also an easy way to add pops of color to any room. And if no one has told you yet, I’ll be the one to say it… you’ll likely be spending a lot of time in your new baby’s room so might as well make it calming and aesthetically pleasing. Keep reading to learn about the best plants for a baby nursery including some easy low maintenance plants.
This post is all about the best plants for a baby nursery that also safe, non-toxic, and air-purifying.
What plants are good for a baby’s room?
Here are the most important things to think about when considering what plants to get:
1. Non-toxic: It’s easy to think that most of the plants you might get at your local nursery or plant websites online are non-toxic. This isn’t the case! I made this mistake when I first started my plant parent journey (that’s another post for another time!). Some plants can be toxic to both pets and babies so it’s important to do a little research before buying.
2. Lighting conditions: Take a look at the nursery, is there enough light coming through the windows for a plant? Also consider how bright the room will be in general. If you will be using black out curtains a majority of the time, consider plants that thrive medium to low light conditions. If you are a data-driven person like me, you can pick up a plant light meter to measure how much light comes in.
3. Consider how the room will grow: For newborns, your baby will be delighted to have a beautiful green focal point to look at in the nursery. However as your baby starts to crawl, a very large plant in a big pot could be subject to tipping or being pulled up on. This might not be an issue if your baby isn’t curious about the plants, but if you think it might be, consider having smaller plants that are up on higher shelves or hanging plants.
4. Less likely to attract pests: There’s always a risk to buying plants — they can attract pests (spider mites eek!). However, some plants are more likely to do this than others. In any case, it’s a great habit to check leaves regularly and wipe down leaves every once in a while so they don’t get dusty. It also helps the plant to attract more light and grow. #Photosynthesis.
5. Understand plant care needs:
- Let’s face it, you are going to be busy. So you’ll have to be realistic about how much time you can put into taking care of plants. You may be able to juggle a newborn and remembering to water your plants regularly — nope, not me — so more demanding plants may be right up your alley. Otherwise, you’ll want to stick with non-fussy, easy to grow plants.
- Another important factor is understanding your home’s natural conditions. If your home is typically pretty cold or dry, I personally would stay away from plants that need a lot of humidity or moisture because they will require extra care.
- If your plant needs high humidity, you could also get a dedicated plant humidifier. IMO humidifiers are a must for newborn rooms so you could knock out two birds with one stone. You can also get a Soil Moisture Meter to help you from overwatering your plants or “killing them with too much love.”
There are so many options when it comes to styling/including plants in a nursery but it really will come down to learning about non-toxic options + your upcoming family lifestyle. Here’s my list of child safe plants for your baby’s new nursery:
1. Parlor Palm
Parlor palms are within the same family as coconuts and dates! They can grow over 6 feet tall in ideal conditions and you might also find it’s called a Bamboo Palm. It grows slowly and thrives in low light and can grow in small tight places.These can be put in corners of rooms and single plants or bunched together for a jungle-like feel.
2. Heart Fern
The heart fern is a fern plant with a delightful heart shaped leaf. It thrives in medium to bright indirect light and prefers its top soil to be moist. It does not like to dry out so regular waterings are a must. This compact plant is a little more on the high maintenance side but if you have a green thumb, this plant could be an option.
3. Calathea Medallion
The calathea medallion plant is a low-light plant that has stunning patterns. It does require regular watering so this is where the Moisture Meter would come in handy. These plants grow best in low to shady rooms and its leaves can shrivel if too close to any open windows with direct sunlight. The calathea medallion is also known as a ‘prayer plant’ and opens its leaves in the day and curls up their leaves at night. They tend to like more humid areas so your nursery humidifier would come in handy here too.
4. Hoyas
There are many different types of hoya plants and most of them are non-toxic (but again: make sure to look into the specific plant you are considering). My favorite in particular are Hoya Krimson Queen (the leaves can grow to be green, pink, or cream!) and Hoya Obavata (thick circular leaves that have speckled white or pink markings). They like bright, dappled light but leaving them directly under the sun can burn the leaves. In my experience they are pretty tough plants and mature hoya plants grow to be stunning hanging plants — in my opinion, get my #1 vote for the best plants for a baby nursery or toddler room.
5. Kentia Palm
The kentia palm is a tropical plant that likes to have partial shade. A mature kentia plant doesn’t require too much care beyond keeping it away from direct sunlight and regular waterings especially during the spring and summer seasons. It can also tolerate higher humidity levels.
6. Cast Iron Plant
The cast iron plant has been dubbed one of the hardest houseplants to kill. Like the snake plant, it’s known to be almost indestructible. These are really easy to grow: they grow well in low light indoors and can survive a missed watering or two. They come in a few different varieties and because they are so hardy, I’d definitely call them one of the best plants for a baby nursery.
7. Stromanthe Triostar
This gorgeous plant is often found with bright vibrant foliage and pops of pink painted on the leaves. It’s part of the prayer plant family and will grow quickly if it gets enough filtered or dappled light. It prefers bright indirect light but keep it away from a heather, radiator, or air conditioner. It can be a little fussy but its beautiful leaves make it worthwhile.
8. Spider Plant
This plant’s name personally gives me the creeps but that’s a personal opinion. Spider plants are hardy and can thrive in nearly any condition. They are called spider plants because of their long, skinny foliage. The longer they grow, the will grow s spider shaped “pup” plants off their leaves — hence the name spider plant. They prefer light shade and given how long they can grow, they make a great hanging plant in a baby nursery or toddler’s room.
9. Braided Money Tree
This braided money tree can give your home a tropical feel. Braided Money Trees are often associated with elements of feng shui. The stems are likely already braided and will need to be braided as the plant grows (it’s not as daunting as it seems!) This low maintenance plant prefers medium to bright indirect light. They can thrive in regular rooms but like extra humidity as well and damp soil will keep it growing and happy.
10. Airplants
‘Airplant’ is a big overarching term for ‘tillandsia’ — a kind of plant that typically would grow on other plants in nature, so they don’t need any soil to grow. There are hundreds of varieties of airplants to choose from to match almost any nursery room theme. Despite their unique no soil properties, they still need the right amount of dappled sun and water to grow. Instead of watering them with a watering can or bottom watering, airplants are different than other plants because they require being dunked or soaked in water for about 30-45 mins every few weeks. There are special hangers and small glass planters for displaying the airplants too, which makes them one of the best plants for baby nursery that could also double as an interesting visual focal point for newborns.
11. Dracanea
Dracanea plants are large palm like plants that also come in lots of different varieties. Most of them they thrive in natural to lower light but make sure to check the specifics for the type of dracaena you are buying. These plants are also sturdy and can withstand a forgotten watering. They tend to like indoor temperature so if your home is warmer than usual, this plant may have higher humidity needs.
12. Baby Rubber aka Peperomia
Baby rubber plants are more commonly known as Peperomias. It’s important to not confuse these plants with rubber plants, which can be toxic if ingested. There are many different types of peperomias (my favorite is watermelon pepperomia). They have round-ish thick leaves with store water so they can tolerate a little drought. In fact, these can be overwatered very easily. These are beginner friendly plants and enjoy indirect light (about 2-3 feet from a window).
Stay away from these poisonous plants for babies!
If you’ve been searching for low maintenance, non-fussy, indoor plants, I’m sure you have come across the following plants:
- Pothos
- ZZ Plant
- Snake Plant
They often show up on lists for ‘popular plants that are easy to take care’ of and I can attest that they certainly are! I have all three and they are strong. I’ve even gone a few months without watering them. However, they all could be potentially dangerous in a baby nursery or toddler room since they are toxic. I’d suggest getting these plants for an area in the home that your little babe won’t be able to pull down and potentially eat.
This post was all about the best plants for baby nurseries. Do you have any favorite plants to include?
Like I mentioned, there are so many types of non-toxic, safe plants out there to include in a nursery. Just like the different options for strollers, baby gear, cribs, etc it really comes down to lifestyle and environment when it comes to keeping plants alive and thriving. Let me know what your favorite safe, non-toxic plants are below.
1 thought on “The absolute best plants for baby nursery”