Indoor plants seem ready-made for short-term rentals. They add natural layers to a room, tie a home’s style together, and add visual appeal when done well. On a deeper level, house plants can enhance the guest experience as they bring energy and life into the home, reduce stress levels, promote better sleep, and purify air.
Still, house plants can understandably feel like too much work for STR hosts with a withered green thumb or little time to spare between guests. But fear not! Several low-maintenance live plants and their high-quality faux counterparts can be easy upgrades to a home that don’t eat into a homeowner or cleaner’s already busy schedule. These five strategies will shortcut the search for the house plants that will work best for your home.
Avoid Toxic Plants
Wherever plants are placed within reach of kids or pets, make sure they are non-toxic. Several commonly used indoor plants fall can actually pose risks if ingested by curious little ones, like various lilies, English ivy, or Dieffenbachia (dumb cane). Quick online research or talking to a garden shop like Fifth Season Gardening Co. in Carrboro will easily weed these out, but here is a helpful guide from Dengarden to some toxic plants with safe alternatives.
Find Local Species That Bring Chapel Hill Indoors
Mimicking the local environment with plants will not only enhance the vacation experience by bringing our beautiful natural scenery inside and tying an NC-inspired design style together, it can give plants a better chance of surviving. The best way to find local plants to bring indoors is to talk to a nursery in the area or check out the NC Botanical Gardens’ native plant sales in their Garden Shop daily March through December.
Pick Live Plants with Low Maintenance Needs
Look for plants that will minimize the time needed for routine care, those that need infrequent watering, trimming or repotting. Pothos, spider plants, and Boston ferns are common go-tos, but also consider mixing in more creative options guests may not see in their typical surroundings. See Good Housekeeping’s 30 Indoor Plants That Are Almost Impossible to Kill for inspiration.
Invest in High Quality, Realistic Fake Plants
For the ultimate low-maintenance plants, go for the ones you can’t kill with realistic-looking faux plants in durable materials. These plants will require only dusting and an occasional swipe with a damp rag.
The most lifelike fake plants are those whose real varieties already look fake. Think plastic or waxy textured leaves and stems, like jade, cacti, succulents, air plants, or fiddle-leaf fig trees. Many other faux options can look great as well so long as they are high quality and made out of materials that will stand the test of time, like plastic or polyester. Home decor sites like Etsy, World Market, West Elm, and IKEA have a collective range of good options for various budgets.
Style House Plants with Purpose
No matter what plants you choose, take them over the finish line with great styling. Be sure to mix and match sizes and place them strategically throughout the home. Large scale plants best fill open spaces; small potted plants find their best homes on shelves, counters, and tables; and plants with draping leaves or vines will probably work best in hanging baskets.
Have fun with color, too. Choose a range of greenery and florals that complement each other and the rest of your décor. For potted plants, opt for pots or baskets that amplify your design style or even make a statement. Arrange bouquets and sprays like a pro with appropriately sized vases and these tips from Gardenista’s Flower Arrangements 101.