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One of the quickest ways to increase positive and life vitality into your home is to decorate with houseplants. In essence, Feng Shui “loves” houseplants, but not any old or wilted plant. Healthy plants promote the wood element in feng shui thus enhancing new beginnings and progress. Feng shui has specific guidelines to enhance the “chi” and energy with these guidelines below.
Light Conditions
The first concept to understand is what plants thrive in certain types of lighting. If your home is well lit, light-loving plants will thrive. However, if your home or living areas are kept in well-shaded areas, low-light plants would be a better fit.
Light to Bright
When you have found what type of light environment your home exudes; you can start to ponder the type of plants for the lighting situation. Low light conditions are ideal for plants such as peace lilies, rubber plants aspidistras, or dracaena. Bright rooms with direct light work best with orchids, begonias, or ficus trees. Rooms that contain medium light work well with plants such as bamboo, jade plants (the “money plant”) or philodendron.
Feng Shui Elements
Feng shui incorporates the use of five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. The Bagua chart is used in Feng Shui to detect certain energies that work best for specific areas of life. Each area is linked to an element. The most ideal spots to place plants are in the areas that are nourished by the element, wood. The east, south and southeast corners of the bagua chart are the most ideal spots to keep plants. In fact, the north aspect of the bagua chart can be decreased if there are too many plants present in this area. The west, southwest, northwest, and northeast should also contain a moderate presence of plants.
Plant Shapes
Every leaf, petal, and stem has a different shape, thus creating a different energy. Houseplants with rounded leaves attract positive energy and are linked with abundance, symbolizing to the roundness of coins and money. Cacti and snake plants contain spiky energy; however, this energy shields negative chi. These plants are best in less-traffic areas. Droopy plants like ivy may stimulate tiredness as the droopiness represents fatigue. Droopy plants such as ferns and trailing plants are best kept in rooms where you want to stimulate relaxation (like a reading room).
Purify the Air
Plants purify the air. However, in Feng Shui there are some air-purifying rock-stars, which are ideal to provide clean air and breathable oxygen. Peace lilies, devils ivy, and Parlor Palms are excellent air purifying plants.
