Western Living Magazine
Protected: How the right windows can help create your dream bathroom
5 Designer Looks That Show How Sliding Glass Doors Can Elevate a Space
8 Beautifully Curated, Art-Filled Homes
A Taste of Taiwan: TikTok’s Tiffy Chen Shares Her Fave Childhood Taiwanese Dishes
Recipe: Traditional Taiwanese Chow Mein (Gu Zao Wei Chao Mian)
Recipe: Fried Shallots
A Relaxing Getaway to San Juan Island: Wine, Alpacas and Farm-Fresh Finds
Black Creek’s Sauna Retreat Is the Ultimate Rural Escape
Local Getaway Idea: Kingfisher’s Healing Caves Redefine Wellness and Escape
The Secret Ingredient to Creating the Perfect Kitchen: Bosch
Everything You Need to Know About the New Livingspace Outdoor Store
New and Noteworthy: 11 Homeware Picks to Refresh Your Space in 2025
Designers of the Year Frequently Asked Questions
Enter Western Living’s 2025 Designers of the Year Awards
Over 50% Sold! Grab Your Tickets to Our Western Living Design 25 Party Now
Before you invest in a living design element, read these tips from Plantsome.
Nothing brightens up an empty corner like a big, beautiful plant. Unfortunately, big beautiful plants can be extremely expensivea worthy investment, of course, if you manage to keep them alive for more than a couple of months.
That's my design conundrum when it comes to greenery. I love the impact that large plants can have on a space, but the stakes are so much higher. If the plant doesn't thrive, I havent just lost an eco-friendly aesthetic element: I'm out a hundred bucks (or more).
There are large, low-maintenance plants out there, and I asked Lauren Upham, product manager at Vancouver-based Plantsome, for her advice on flora that’s as hardy as it is eye-catching. Here are her top five picks.
If you've a serial under-waterer, this is the plant for you. They are nearly impossible to kill, says Upham. Snake plants don't need much light to survive, and very little wateryou can let the soil dry out completely in between watering, which can take any time from a couple of weeks over a month. Really, the only way you can mess with a snake plant is by watering it too much.
A downside to this is that snake plants don't grow very quickly (and that’s true for most of the plants on this listlow-maintenance often equals slow growing in the world of plants). So if your goal is a large plant, don't buy a small one and expect it to shoot up. Start big!
These plants grow a little bit faster than snake plants, and they can get very large, says Upham. Birds of Paradise thrive best near south-facing windows, but can fare well in an east or west-facing window as well. They are super fun to watch grow because new leaves come up furled, and then they unfurl, she shares, adding that split leaves are normal. Keep your Bird of Paradise's soil moist and you've good to go.
Buddhist Pines add a real pop of personality to any space. Theyre definitely a funkier look, almost frilly, says Upham. Keep a Buddhist Pine away from any AC vents or heaters, especially baseboard heaters. Bright, indirect light is key.
These plants are like the Peace Lily's lower-maintenance cousin: they have the same big, glossy leaves but are much, much sturdier. Care for a Cast Iron plant is similar to a snake plant (not much light and not much water is required). Unlike a cast iron pan, this plant isnt a fan of the heatkeep them out of direct sunlight.
Dragon trees are pretty flexible in terms of lighting, says Upham. The plant expert says that Dragon tree parents often freak when the plant starts losing leaves, but that's normal. They gradually lose their leaves along the bottom of the trunk, so eventually you will end up with this super long trunk that bends towards the light, she explains. In fact, you can make the trunk twist around by gradually turning the plant.
Are you over 18 years of age?