Dear Plant Stylist: "Can you help me choose a plant for my child's bedroom?"

Cast Iron Plant in Nouvelle White, Photo by Léon & George — The Cast Iron Plant is an excellent, ultra-hardy choice for a child’s bedroom or playroom.

In our Dear Plant Stylist series, we share styling and lighting inquiries received by our in-house stylists with our audience. So read on-- you just might find that your plant styling questions are answered below!

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Dear Plant Stylist,

We are finally getting around to decorating our kid’s room. He’s a super creative kid that loves all things visual and we want to brighten up his space with child- safe (preferably air-purifying) plants. Obviously, nothing too easy to kill or too delicate/breakable. Advice?

Best,

C.R.

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Hi C.,

This sounds like a fun project! Kids epitomize creativity and because there are well-known links between the presence of living greenery and boosted mood, creativity and tranquility, we think that emphasizing greenery in kids’ rooms is a great idea.

Let’s focus on child-safe plants that have a fairly vertical silhouette, to minimize the chance of mishaps or foliage breakage. The presence of any plant will help to freshen the space and there are certainly no plants that are bad for air quality— though some are more widely regarded for their air-purifying properties than others, and you can find a comprehensive collection of the most highly-rated air purifying plants on our website.

Rattlesnake & Bird’s Nest Fern Duo, Photo by Léon & George — Rattlesnake & Bird’s Nest Fern Duo

Good options for large plants include the large Monstera Deliciosa and the Cast Iron Plant. Monsteras are renowned for their fun, sculptural foliage. They’re also incredibly easy to care for and flexible when it comes to light! Cast Iron Plants are—you guessed it— virtually indestructible; a good option should you have a fledgling experimental botanist on your hands. Another great benefit of the Cast Iron Plant is that it thrives in shade, so if this room will usually have the curtains closed, the Cast Iron Plant will be perfectly content.

Moving along to accent plants: in keeping with the fantastical aesthetic of children’s books and the desire for air-purifying prowess, the Parlor Palm is a great choice. There’s so much to love about these petite dynamos: their fun, feathery foliage and non-toxic nature are complemented by their super-relaxed light requirements. (Low light? No worries! They’re fine with anything from medium indirect to low, artificial light.)

Cap off your new biome with a decidedly Seussian Pilea Peperomioides. It just doesn’t get more fun than the Pilea: like a solar-system mobile, its lily-pad shaped leaves orbit around its base of stems. Keep in mind, though, that Pileas are sensitive to high temperatures. So if you’re cranking the heater, you’ll want to forego this option and perhaps opt for a Calathea Rattlesnake. Who wouldn’t love that colorful, Jurassic foliage!

Note: Looking for plants for a baby’s room? Read our full post on the best plants for a nursery, which only features non-toxic plants that are safer with younger children who may be inclined to take a bite out of their leafy friends! It is important to note that while none of the plants mentioned in this post are dangerous, some are considered mildly toxic if consumed.