Houseplants not only bring nature indoors, but they also have the power to enhance any living space. According to the principles of feng shui , plants can influence the energy in a space in both positive and negative ways. To harness the potential power of your houseplants, it's important to understand the basic principles of feng shui and how to position your plants for positive energy.
The Basic Principles of Plants and Feng Shui
The principles of feng shui revolve around balancing the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water) in a space to harness the natural energy, known as qi. Plants, associated with the wood element, invite vital energy and growth into a space. They are also linked to healing energy, as the color green represents healing in feng shui.
How Plants Are Used in Feng Shui
Plants are not just decorative elements in feng shui; they have specific purposes. Wood feeds the fire element, which fuels growth and change. Therefore, adding plants to your space can encourage growth, vitality, and flexibility.
However, it's important to note that not all plants are suitable for feng shui. When placed incorrectly or incorporated heavily, some plants can generate negative energy or block the flow of positive energy.
How to Avoid Bad Energy With Plants and Feng Shui
While there are no plants that are always considered good or bad in feng shui, it's essential to consider the placement and health of your plants. Plants with spikier profiles or ones that are unhealthy may disrupt the balance of the five elements, creating an undesirable energy flow in your space.
To avoid bad energy, it's important to select and position your plants mindfully, ensuring they contribute to a positive energy flow in your home or office.
How to Position Plants in the Home Based on Feng Shui Practices
To harness the positive energy of your plants, it's crucial to place them strategically in your space. Using a bagua map, which outlines eight areas of life associated with different cardinal directions, you can determine where to position your plants for specific intentions.
For example, you can place plants associated with the wood element in the Bagua areas related to growth, vitality, and change. Wood fuels fire, so adding plants to areas associated with the fire element can encourage growth in those aspects of your life. However, avoid placing plants in areas associated with other elements that weaken wood, such as water, earth, and metal.
Grouping plants together can also be beneficial. For instance, if a Bagua area's lucky number is four, arranging four plants in that area can enhance the positive energy.
16 Best Plants for Positive Feng Shui
Here are 16 popular houseplants favored by feng shui practitioners, along with their potential benefits and ideal placement:
1. Lucky Bamboo
- About: Lucky bamboo is associated with upward growth and is strongly connected to the trigrams of the bagua map.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Upward mobility, peace, flexibility, and adaptability.
- Where to Position: Place lucky bamboo in the wealth and relationship areas of the Bagua map or in offices, entryways, and living rooms.
- General Care: Requires moderate, indirect light and slightly damp soil.
2. Orchid Plants
- About: Orchid plants are visually beautiful and symbolize fertility and creativity.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Fertility and creativity.
- Where to Position: Place white orchids in the family and children areas, yellow orchids in the center or health area, purple orchids in the wealth area, and pink orchids with two stems in the relationship area.
- General Care: Requires bright, indirect sunlight, moderate temperatures, and moderate humidity.
3. Air Plants
- About: Air plants absorb nutrients and water through their leaves and symbolize balance and refreshment.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Balancing, calming, refreshing, and uplifting.
- Where to Position: Perfect for balancing energy in spaces with a lot of water, such as bathrooms and laundry rooms.
- General Care: Requires bright to medium indirect sunlight, occasional misting, and soaking in filtered water every 1 to 2 weeks.
4. Money Tree
- About: Money tree plants are associated with good luck, prosperity, and growth.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Enhances and attracts wealth and prosperity.
- Where to Position: Place money trees in the southeast part of your home or office for prosperity and wealth. The east portion is another suitable spot for a money tree.
- General Care: Needs bright, indirect sunlight and well-draining soil. Water when the soil is almost dry, allowing excess moisture to drain completely.
5. Snake Plants
- About: Snake plants have upward-growing leaves that symbolize upward flowing energy, neutralizing negativity, and restoring flow.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Neutralizes negativity and restores flow to stagnant energy.
- Where to Position: Place snake plants beneath beams, entryways, and living rooms.
- General Care: Requires bright, indirect light and well-draining soil. Water every 1 to 2 weeks when the soil has completely dried.
6. Jade Plants
- About: Jade plants symbolize wealth and prosperity and are known for their longevity.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Wealth and prosperity.
- Where to Position: Place jade plants in the southeast corner of your home or office.
- General Care: Prefers partial shade, sandy potting mix, and watering when the soil has completely dried.
7. Rubber Plants
- About: Rubber plants have broad, round leaves that enhance positive energy flow.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Happiness, abundance, wealth, and enhanced positive energy flow.
- Where to Position: Rubber plants enhance the energy in the southeast section of your home for wealth and dining rooms.
- General Care: Requires bright, indirect sunlight and a well-draining potting mix. Water when the soil is almost dry and fertilize regularly during the growing season.
8. Ficus Ginseng Plant
- About: Ficus ginseng, popular in bonsai art, is suitable for smaller spaces and brings good luck, wealth, and prosperity.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Good luck, wealth, and prosperity.
- Where to Position: Perfect for darker rooms, offices with artificial lights, or any area that needs a little good luck.
- General Care: Requires shade or artificial light, well-draining soil, and warm, humid conditions.
9. Calathea Plants
- About: Calathea plants have striking foliage patterns and are known for their air-purifying capabilities.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Calming energy, abundance, and enhanced energy flow.
- Where to Position: Place calatheas in the south of your home or office to improve energy flow to the fame and recognition area of your Bagua map.
- General Care: Prefers low to medium sunlight and evenly moist soil with frequent watering.
10. Banana Plants
- About: Banana plants have large, broad leaves associated with positive energy and can bring peace, prosperity, and positive energy.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Peace, prosperity, and positive energy.
- Where to Position: Place a banana plant in the southeast of your home or southeast corner of your office, as long as the space is large enough to accommodate its size.
- General Care: Needs full sun, frequent watering, warm temperatures, and regular fertilization during the growing season.
11. Peace Lily Plants
- About: Peace lilies have air-purifying capabilities and symbolize peace and harmony.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Calms, harmonizes, and neutralizes negative energy.
- Where to Position: Highly recommended for offices and home offices.
- General Care: Requires medium, indirect sunlight and a well-draining potting mix. Keep the soil moist with frequent watering.
12. Aloe Vera Plants
- About: Aloe vera plants may have spiky leaves but are known for their healing properties and protective energy.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Protective energy and combating negative energy.
- Where to Position: Choose small aloe vera plants and place them in the healing center of your home.
- General Care: Prefers bright, indirect light. Water infrequently, allowing the soil to dry completely.
13. Areca Palm
- About: Areca palms have soft, pinnate leaves that draw positive, peaceful energy into a space.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Brings peace, prosperity, and wealth while attracting positive energy.
- Where to Position: Versatile plant suitable for the north, east, southeast, or south areas of the home.
- General Care: Requires full, bright sun exposure and even moisture in a well-draining potting mix. Fertilize during the growing season.
14. Golden Pothos
- About: Golden pothos is a resilient plant with heart-shaped leaves that neutralize negative energy.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Protection and neutralization of negative energy.
- Where to Position: Thrives in darker corners and dead or negative spaces in the home.
- General Care: Can thrive in various light conditions. Water every 1 to 2 weeks, allowing the soil to dry out completely.
15. Peony Plants
- About: Peony plants symbolize love, fortune, and bravery.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Prosperity, love, marriage, and healing relationships.
- Where to Position: Place cut flowers in the northeast corner of the bedroom or a living plant in the northeast corner of your home. They can also enhance wealth and prosperity in the southeast area.
- General Care: Requires full sunlight and evenly moist soil. Fertilize during the growing season.
16. Philodendron Plants
- About: Philodendron plants are easy to grow and have heart-shaped leaves that draw positive energy.
- Feng Shui Benefits: Calming energy, abundance, and enhanced energy flow.
- Where to Position: Place philodendrons in dark, low-energy spots indoors, especially in the east or southeast sections.
- General Care: Prefers medium to low indirect sunlight. Water every 1 to 2 weeks, adjusting frequency based on light exposure.
Plants That Create Negative Feng Shui Energy
While many plants bring positive energy into a space, some can generate negative energy in feng shui:
- Cacti, spiny succulents, and spiky plants are considered bad in feng shui as their sharp needles can cause discomfort and disrupt a sense of security.
- Fake plants are discouraged in feng shui. If you use them, they should be incredibly realistic.
- Unhealthy plants drain and diminish the energy in a space. Remove dead or diseased parts immediately or replace the plant if it's beyond saving.
Choosing the Right Rooms and Parts of Your Home for Your Plants
To create a harmonious environment, place your plants strategically in specific areas of your home:
- Southeast and East: These areas belong to the wood element, making them ideal for plant placement to enhance family and financial health.
- South: The south represents reputation and fame. Placing plants associated with the wood element here can improve relationships and reputation.
- Entryway and Living Room: Plants in these areas create welcoming energy.
- Dining Areas: Adding plants, especially fruit-bearing ones, to the dining space can improve prosperity and wealth.
- Home Office: Lucky bamboo in the home office symbolizes prosperity and success in business aspects.
- Beneath Beams: Position tall plants beneath beams to balance energy and restore the natural flow of qi.
Where Not To Position Plants in the Home According to Feng Shui
Certain areas are not recommended for plant placement according to feng shui principles:
- Center of Your House, Northeast, and Southwest: These areas represent the earth element, and placing large plants here could disrupt the energy balance.
- Kitchen: The fire element dominates the kitchen, so adding plants can create an imbalance.
- Bedroom: Restful energy is essential in the bedroom, and plants with strong energy can disrupt this. Instead, use a vase of cut flowers for romantic energy.
- Northwest: Placing plants in this area, associated with family and health, can weaken the energy in these aspects of life.
If you decide to place plants in these areas, choose small plants that draw less energy.
Plant Size, Shape, Color, and Texture in Feng Shui
The characteristics of plants play a role in their feng shui energy:
- Size: Larger plants draw more energy, so consider the size of your plant in relation to the available space.
- Shape: Large, rounded leaves bring more positive energy than long, pointy leaves.
- Color: Different colors in plants may have associations with other elements. Ensure the overall energy balance when considering colorful plants.
- Texture: Consider the texture of a plant's leaves and how it contributes to the overall energy in the space.
Don't Forget About Your Plant's Care Needs
While feng shui placement is essential, don't neglect your plant's general care requirements. Placing a plant in a location with insufficient light or neglecting its watering needs can lead to a sick plant, which brings negative energy.
By understanding feng shui principles and considering your plant's care needs, you can cultivate positive energy and create a healthy, harmonious environment in your home or office.
