Small-scale living doesn’t mean that you have to give up your green thumb! As long as you have a window in your space and access to water, you can grow plants. Honestly. If you’re looking for ideas to green up your RV, van, loft, or micro home, read on! We have 8 gorgeous tiny house plants for you to enjoy.
Tiny homes, RVs, and apartment living are popular options for people today, especially among millennials and older generations. As housing costs rise, the move toward living on a simpler scale is gaining recognition nationwide. Rather than huge houses, many are opting to build better, more self-sustainable homes instead. Smaller spaces have lower heating and cooling costs, and they often cost much less to buy and maintain.
However, just because people are living in smaller spaces doesn’t mean they have to skip on greenery. There are tons of tiny house plants that offer all the benefits of having plants at home. From growing your own foods to creating beautiful décor, the following eight tiny house plants are absolutely perfect for small spaces.
1. Small Indoor Plants
Small indoor plants require little space, and make your home look stunning. The following list includes some of my favorite teensy indoor species that are easy enough even for beginners to grow.
Marimo Moss Balls (Aegagropila linnaei)
Marimo moss balls are fascinating miniature aquatic algae. They resemble tiny green balls, and when placed in a jar of water, make beautiful self or table décor. As they bring in a pop of bright green color, they also grow very slowly (5mm per year). You can slip a couple in a glass vase on a windowsill or shelf, and all you have to do is change the water every couple of weeks and keep them from direct sunlight.
Chinese Money Plants (Pilea peperomioides)
If you have a bright location with indirect sunlight, try a Chinese money plant. These tiny house plants require only moderate care, which totally centers around watering. Drench the plant with water and allow the soil to completely dry before watering the plant again. Be sure to include weekly misting, and the small round leaves will thrive.
Coffee Plant (Coffea sp.)
Although you can’t grow enough Arabica coffee beans for your daily habit, a coffee plant is a beautiful, easy-care addition to your home. Provide a medium amount of indirect sunlight each day and keep an eye on the leaves. They’ll droop when they need watering. With the right care, you might be able to collect enough beans to make a cup of your own brew occasionally.
Asparagus Fern (Asparagus aethiopicus)
These tiny ferns are popular houseplants in warm climates. They thrive on a tabletop or planted in a hanging basket, and you can grow them with regular watering and bright, indirect sunlight. Avoid overwatering, however, especially in the summer.
2. Hanging Wall Plants
If you don’t have much shelf or tabletop space and can’t hang a plant from your ceiling, you may enjoy wall-mounted plants. After all, wall space is more widely available in most tiny homes. These plants grow well along walls because they require little space, soil, or water to grow. Plus, you don’t have to sacrifice your floor space!
Jungle Cacti (Acanthocereus, Hylocereus, Lepismium, Selenicereus, etc.)
For a plant you can mount on a low-light wall, try jungle cacti. These tropical plants traditionally grow in jungle canopies and require humidity. They only require low or medium amounts of indirect light, so you just need to soak them in water every two weeks to keep them happy.
Staghorn Ferns (Platycerium spp.)
Unlike most plants, staghorn ferns grow on other trees rather than in soil. They’re easy to care for: just mount your fern on the wall in a low- to medium-light location. Their antler-like fronds look perfect mounted on a wood board, and they’re easy to hang. Find out how you can create your own display via this tutorial from Vitamini Handmade.
3. Succulents
Similar to cacti, succulents are hardy tiny house plants that don’t require much water. They look stunning in arrangements, come in tons of species, and are extremely versatile. Use them to create your own hanging wall art, place them in a terrarium, or keep them in small containers.
Living Stone Plants (Lithops spp.)
These small plants are easy to grow in warm temperatures. They resemble species you’d expect to grow under the sea, and you can place them in a sunny window in most locations. If you live in a tropical climate, however, try placing them in a place with filtered light.
Baby Toes (Fenestraria rhopalophylla)
Baby toes have an interesting appearance. Like most succulents, they’re easy to grow in small containers or in assortments with other succulents. You care for them in a similar manner as Lithops, providing a well-lit location with a couple of hours of direct sunlight and consistently warm temperatures.
Aloe Vera
Another plant perfect for the home, Aloe Vera offers medicinal cures for irritated skin, bug bites, and sunburns. Simply snap off a leaf when you need. It’ll regrow. You only must water Aloe once per week, and the soil should dry completely before watering again. Make sure to keep the leaves from resting on your furniture though.
String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus)
An increasingly popular, unique houseplant, String of Pearls cascades over the container. It’s an eye-catching plant that’s a member of the succulent family, so it doesn’t require much water or sunlight. String of Pearls can be hung, but they may thrive better as shelf décor.
4. Hanging Terrariums
Glass hanging terrariums are trendy in small homes because you can totally personalize how they look. People use rocks, pebbles, soil, or sand to house the tiny plants, depending on the species. Display succulents or air plants inside and decorate the terrarium as you see fit. You can make your own terrarium or buy pre-made designs.
Air plants are perfect for both hanging and mini terrariums because they don’t require soil. They’re small, delicate plants that are surprisingly hardy. These plants survive with full sun, water misting a few times per week, and plenty of air circulation. There are over 650 varieties of air plants to choose from, but we recommend the Tillandsia species
5. Herbs
Hanging herbs are great tiny house plants because they come with tons of benefits. You can use the harvest for cooking, garnishes, medicinal teas, and much more. Starting an indoor herb garden is easier if you purchase established plants from your local nursery, and you’ll be able to collect a harvest earlier.
Place the plants in pots along your kitchen window or attach them to a sunny wall. Anywhere with constant temperatures between 55-75 degrees F and plenty of light will work.
Popular herbs that look great in your home kitchen include:
- Basil
- Chives
- Cilantro
- Mint
- Dill
- Rosemary
6. Low-Light Plants
Small spaces often result in areas without the proper sunlight for most plants. If you’re in a studio apartment, RV, or tiny home with a lack of natural light, there are still plants you can try. While many of the following plants can grow quite large, which isn’t ideal if you’re living in a small space, they are easy to cut back or divide into new plants to maintain a small size.
Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.)
Low-light peace lilies are remarkably easy to care for. They only need water when the top layer of soil feels dry, and with the right conditions, the plant provides beautiful white blooms. While they can be quite small, these tiny house plants can become quite large over time.
Note: these plants are toxic to all pets, so choose a different species if you have animal companions.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
These easy to care for, low-light options can start out quite small. They require indirect light and light watering only when the soil is bone dry. Snake plants purify the air, and they’re perfect for a bedroom or bathroom.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Perfect to hang from the ceiling, spider plants are some of the easiest to care for. The curved leaves hang down, producing tiny babies you can transplant as well. Indirect, bright sunlight and regular watering are all this plant needs.
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Unlike real bamboo, this is a member of the Asparagaceae family. It’s a low-maintenance tropical plant known to bring luck and fortune. The number of stalks is said to come with good luck for varying areas of your life, and you can plant it in water rather than soil. With bright sunlight and regular water changes, your plant can soon reach 2-3 feet tall. You’ll have to maintain the plant’s size over time.
7. Small Flowering Plants
Flowering plants bring a pop of color into your home beyond simple greenery. Consider planting a few small flowering plants indoors if you want some variety.
Cacti (Cactaceae spp.)
Most people don’t think of cacti as flowering plants, but most cacti will flower at some point. They thrive in natural light, come in varying sizes and colors, and only require minimal water. Plus, you can create a cool terrarium centerpiece using cacti. I don’t suggest hanging them though, just in case the plants poke you. Cacti do better in unglazed containers with adequate drainage.
Cyclamen
Commonly known as Persian violets, these plants have heart-shaped leaves and vibrant blooms. Indirect sunlight is ideal, so place this plant in a slightly cooler room. Always keep the soil moist, but make sure not to overwater or the leaves begin to wilt.
Chrysanthemum
The colorful blooms on this plant are bound to brighten up any space in your home. Chrysanthemums thrive near a sunny window with bright light and only require water when the soil feels dry. Even better, this plant can help reduce the number of air pollutants inside your home.
Kalanchoe
A plant perfect for boosting your mood, kalanchoe makes a great kitchen addition. It does well with low humidity and thorough watering, but make sure to allow the soil to dry out between watering. You can even expect the blooms to extend into the winter.
8. Vining Plants
In a small space, trade-in large houseplants for plants that grow down. You can use vining tropical plants to create a living curtain or take advantage of the unused air space around your home. They are easy to train to follow a window frame, and the beautiful leaves provide a boost in privacy and classy texture.
Pothos
Pothos species are remarkably low maintenance plants. They will purify the air in your home, and they look especially classy on a bookcase shelf. You can also plant them in containers and hang them.
Kokedama
A traditional bonsai plant. Kokedama roots are traditionally bound into a ball along with clay and moss. The practice started in Japan during the early 1600s, and you can hang a self-contained plant from the ceiling or place it on a shelf so its foliage cascades down.
Note: this tropical plant requires a lot of moisture.
A Final Thought
With so many beautiful types of tiny house plants to choose from, the right choice for your little home may simply depend on the light and conditions you have available. Low-light, high humidity plants enjoy bathroom placement, for example, while herbs tend to thrive and make more sense in the kitchen.
If you live in an RV, however, the sunlight and temperature might constantly fluctuate. Choose hardy, low-care plants, and you’ll make your little home a veritable Eden.
