This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of RewardStyle, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please visit our privacy policy for details.
Every houseplant in your home is descended from plants that once grew in the wild alongside other plant varieties. Like their ancestors, your houseplants may grow well when juxtaposed with other plants. In some cases, two plants may even grow better together than alone.
Companion planting is not only useful and advantageous for farmers, but houseplant parents too!
Here are some of the benefits of co-planting companion houseplants in your home, along with some examples of plants that can coexist well.
Benefits of Combining Plants
The first question is why you should combine two plants into one pot in the first place. You may discover several benefits when you start growing companion houseplants together.
Save Space
If you often struggle to find another spot in your home for a new plant, saving space can be a big deal. Planting multiple plants in the same pot can let you make the most of the space you have and allow you to bring a wider variety of plants into your home.
Create Supportive Environments
Some plants thrive best with high humidity levels. For example, many ferns will dry up and drop their leaves if the air isn’t as humid as they’d like. Planting a fern in a pot with a large, leafy plant may help the fern thrive since the other plant’s leaves can increase the humidity slightly through evapotranspiration.
Add Visual Interest
If you have a tall, thin plant, you can increase the planting’s visual interest by adding a short, spreading plant to the pot. Or, if you have a plant with broad, flat leaves, adding a plant with narrow, pointy leaves could provide another layer of interest.
Which Plants to Put Together – The Best Companion Houseplants
Now that you know the benefits of adding companion houseplants to your home, here are a few examples to get you started.
Jade and Cactus
Jade is a type of succulent with an upright growth habit and relatively high light requirements, and low water requirements. Pair a jade plant with another low-water and high-light plant, such as a cactus. A shorter cactus such as a thimble cactus can be a perfect companion for jade since each plant will catch the sunlight at different levels rather than competing for the same rays of light.
Buy a Jade Plant HERE | Buy a Cactus HERE
Pothos and Dracaena
Pothos and Dracaena plants both have medium-to-low water requirements and medium light requirements, and neither of them needs much fertilizer. Having so much in common means these plants can thrive in the same soil and with the same care, making them great companions. And since Dracaenas tend to have an upright shape, the Pothos’ trailing or climbing stems can provide a welcome visual contrast.
Buy a Pothos HERE | Buy a Dracaena HERE
Calatheas and Ferns
Calatheas and ferns both have high water requirements and love humid air. So bunching several of these plants together in a pot to help increase humidity can be a great idea. These two plants both enjoy indirect light, and they look great together too. The airy fronds of a fern can provide a lovely lacy texture, while Calatheas can add color to the mix. Some Calatheas have white-and-green or even pink-and-green leaves.
These are just a few of the companion houseplants you may want to consider. Have fun coming up with your own combinations, and remember to start by evaluating your plants’ care needs so both of the companions in your planting can thrive.
Buy A Calathea HERE | Buy A Fern HERE
