Houseplant Trends of 2024: Experts Weigh in On the New Popular Plants
Houseplants have been having something of a renaissance in the last decade–and not just because so many people became plant parents during the early days of lockdown. Today, the houseplant trend is going strong and growing beyond the fiddle leaf figs and monstera plants that are ubiquitous on Instagram. Easyplant’s top plant in their 2024 trends report is the Dracaena Janet Craig Compacta; $269 (in a self-watering pot) at Easyplant. The Giant Fan Palm (Licuala sumawongii) makes a statement in any room. Photograph by Kate Jordan. “This year, we’ll see consumers looking to incorporate larger-sized plants to uplevel their living spaces,” says Sterling, who notes that a large plant makes a big impact “without having to change too much or invest in home renovations.” In addition to Dracaena ‘Janet Craig’ Compacta, Sterling predicts other varieties of Dracaena (Dracaena Lemon Lime, Dracaena Cinthos, and Dracaena Warneckii) and some larger Ficus (Ficus Tineke and Ficus Altissima) will be in demand. Photograph via myBageecha. A Ficus triangularis ‘Variegata’. “Anything variegated will be popular,” predicts houseplant influencer Hilton Carter, the author of four books about houseplants (with a fifth, The Propagation Handbook, forthcoming in April). The Raven ZZ Plant sports near-black leaves; $79 at Bloomscape. “There are new varieties of variegated alocasias and philodendrons that have crazy red and pink colors to the leaves,” he says, pointing to the pink variegated alocasia ‘Black Velvet’ and philodendron ‘Red Moon,’ which he says are trending with collectors right now, noting “Tissue culture has come a long way!” Likewise, the striking Black ZZ with its almost black leaves was among Easyplant’s picks for 2024’s trending houseplants. The Variegated Pink Lemon Tree from Bloomscape is sold out until spring 2024; $79. Bloomscape’s Variegated Pink Lemon Tree also picks up on the variegated trend with its creamy patterned leaves. Photograph by Aubrie Pick. A meandering ‘Jade’ pothos plant frames the bed. In an article about the perennially popular vine in The Guardian, Freddie Blackett of Patch Plants, an online plant retailer in the U.K. told writer Alice Vincent sales of pothos had increased 45 times(!)