15 Feng Shui Plants to Boost Positive Energy

Besides enhancing the visual appeal of a room, plants have a powerful ability to uplift the energy of your home or office.

According to feng shui principles, houseplants invite the nourishing energy of nature into your personal space, boosting positive energy, improving harmony, and balancing different aspects of your life. But when you’re decorating with feng shui in mind, not every plant will have the same effect. Some plants are better suited for cultivating positive energy, while others may present challenges.

Let’s explore how plants can transform your space through the lens of feng shui, focusing on the best plants to incorporate and where to place them for maximum benefit.

Plants and Feng Shui: A Natural Synergy

In feng shui, the concept of balancing the five elements—wood, water, earth, fire, and metal—is essential. Living houseplants are linked with the wood element, which symbolizes growth, vitality, and strength. By placing plants in your home, you invite these qualities into your space, encouraging action, compassion, and kindness.

The wood element also stimulates personal growth and flexibility, which can lead to improvements in various areas of life, from your career to your relationships. Furthermore, the green color of many plants symbolizes rejuvenation, another powerful force to welcome into your home.

However, feng shui isn’t about good or bad plants in an absolute sense. Instead, it’s about understanding the dualities and interconnections within your environment. While some plants are often more effective for promoting positive energy, others can be tricky to work with. That said, any plant, if placed with intention and care, can support your feng shui goals.

Plants and the Bagua: Placing Your Plants with Purpose

One of the simplest ways to apply feng shui in your home is by understanding the bagua, the feng shui energy map of your space. Each bagua area corresponds to an important aspect of life, such as family, wealth, health, and relationships. By placing a plant in the appropriate bagua area, you can enhance the energy related to that part of your life.

Let’s break down each bagua area and how plants can improve the energy within these spaces:

• Family (Zhen): Houseplants placed in this area can promote growth and support family harmony. If you’re feeling stuck in life, adding a plant here can help get things moving.

• Wealth (Xun): The wealth area benefits from plants that symbolize abundance and prosperity, helping you attract more financial success.

• Health (Tai Qi): Placing a plant in the center of your home supports overall well-being and restoration in all aspects of your life.

• Helpful People (Qian): A plant in this area can activate energies to invite assistance and guidance from others when you need it.

• Children (Dui): If you’re nurturing children or creative projects, plants in this area can encourage growth and the ability to finish what you start.

• Knowledge (Gen): Houseplants in this space promote personal growth, expanding self-awareness and wisdom.

• Fame and Reputation (Li): To enhance visibility and recognition, plants in this area stimulate the fire element that fuels your reputation.

• Career (Kan): A plant in this area can foster professional growth, offering wisdom and the energy to advance in your occupation.

• Partnership (Kun): In relationships, plants in the partnership area help cultivate kindness, flexibility, and understanding between partners.

Challenging Feng Shui Plants: What to Avoid

Not all plants promote the same energy in feng shui. The concept of sha qi refers to sharp, attacking energy that can drain you, and certain plants, like those with spiky or pointed leaves, can create this effect. Cacti are one such plant, which, despite their popularity, can introduce challenging energy into your home due to their sharp spikes.

In addition, plants that are unhealthy, dying, or neglected can cultivate stagnant, draining energy. It's crucial to provide the right environment for your plants and to regularly care for them by removing any dead leaves or brown portions. Lastly, fake plants can be used in feng shui, but only if they are of very high quality and so realistic that they could be mistaken for live plants. If they don’t look convincing, they may have the opposite effect and bring stagnation instead of growth.

The 15 Best Feng Shui Plants to Bring Positive Energy into Your Home

Now that we’ve covered the basics of how plants interact with feng shui, let’s dive into the 15 best plants that can uplift the energy of your space.

1. Jade Plant (Crassula spp.)
Often called the “money plant,” the jade plant is famous for its rounded, lush leaves. These soft leaves invite serene, calm energy and are known for bringing prosperity into the home. This succulent is easy to care for, and its small stature makes it suitable for various spaces.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Family areas.
• Care Tips: Full sun, moist but not soggy soil.

2. Snake Plant (Nephrolepis exaltata)
Snake plants are sturdy and low-maintenance, making them ideal for feng shui beginners. Their tall, sword-like leaves are thought to offer protective energy, which makes this plant a great option for shielding a space from negative influences.

• Best Placement: Helpful People and Career areas.
• Care Tips: Indirect light, water only when soil is completely dry.

3. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
This popular trailing plant is not only easy to care for but also said to bring prosperity and positive energy. Its heart-shaped leaves add a gentle touch of green to any room.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Health areas.
• Care Tips: Thrives in most light conditions, keep soil moderately moist.

4. Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
The money tree is renowned for bringing good fortune and prosperity. Its braided trunk adds a unique visual appeal, and it can grow quite tall, making it a statement plant for any room.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Career areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; water when the topsoil is dry.

5. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
With its feathery, fan-like leaves, the areca palm helps fend off negative energy while bringing in fresh, positive vibes. This plant also works well as an air purifier.

• Best Placement: Family and Health areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; water when soil dries out.

6. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)
The lush, delicate leaves of the Boston fern can bring peaceful energy into a space. This plant thrives in homes with enough light and moisture.

• Best Placement: Family and Knowledge areas.
• Care Tips: Keep soil consistently moist, partial shade to bright indirect light.

7. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo symbolizes growth, adaptability, and harmony. In feng shui, the number of stalks of bamboo can have specific meanings, such as inviting love, happiness, or health into your life.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Health areas.
• Care Tips: Thrives in water or moist soil; change water frequently if grown in water.

8. Anthurium Clarinervium
With its heart-shaped leaves, Anthurium clarinervium is believed to promote love and positive energy. Its velvety texture and large leaves make it a visually striking choice.

• Best Placement: Partnership and Family areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; water when topsoil is dry.

9. Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai)
The bird of paradise plant, with its lush, tropical leaves, promotes creativity and passion. When it flowers, its bold blooms elevate the energy of any room.

• Best Placement: Fame and Creativity areas.
• Care Tips: Keep in bright, indirect light, and water when the top soil is dry.

10. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
With its elegant white flowers, the peace lily is known for bringing peace, calm, and positive energy into the home. Its dark green leaves attract wealth.

• Best Placement: Health and Wealth areas.
• Care Tips: Moderate light, water when topsoil is dry.

11. Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)
The Chinese money plant, with its coin-shaped leaves, is believed to bring luck and prosperity. It’s easy to propagate, making it a great plant to share with friends.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Health areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; let soil dry between waterings.

12. Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Known for its large, round leaves, the rubber plant is believed to promote positive energy flow, helping to cleanse the space of stagnant or negative energy.

• Best Placement: Health and Career areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; water when topsoil is dry.

13. String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)
This charming plant features delicate, trailing vines with heart-shaped leaves. It symbolizes harmony and balance, making it a great choice for relationship or creative spaces.

• Best Placement: Partnership and Creativity areas.
• Care Tips: Bright, indirect light; let soil dry out between waterings.

14. Peacock Plant (Calathea makoyana)
With its stunning, patterned leaves, the peacock plant is ideal for encouraging abundance and prosperity. It also brings beauty and elegance to any room.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Creativity areas.
• Care Tips: Indirect light; keep the soil consistently moist.

15. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
ZZ plants are incredibly low-maintenance and known for their air-purifying abilities. This plant is believed to bring abundance, prosperity, and positive energy to the home.

• Best Placement: Wealth and Career areas.
• Care Tips: Indirect light; water when soil is completely dry.

The Bottom Lines

By carefully selecting and placing plants in your home according to feng shui principles, you can not only beautify your space but also cultivate a more harmonious, abundant, and positive environment. Whether you’re a plant enthusiast or just starting your journey with greenery, these 15 feng shui plants will help you foster good energy and achieve your goals.