One of the first things to consider when considering plants around your home is what kind of light filters into your spaces. Do the windows get northerly sun? Are the rooms filled with light in the hottest summer months? Or do they receive only weak light in winter? Most indoor house plants flourish in bright but indirect light, as their ancestors once lived in various types of forests, where their light source was distributed through tree foliage. When you’re deciding where to place your plants, consider what time of day the sunlight pours into that room, or if there is enough shade in your backyard for your outdoor plants. Afternoon light can be very hot and can burn many plants, though some plants, like the jade plant, love to sit and soak up the sun’s rays.

Light also cultivates different environments that call for different plants. Some plants thrive in moist and humid conditions – for example, maidenhair ferns and snake plants really take to bathrooms – while others need to live in drier, lighter spaces, such as the lounge room. In the kitchen, hanging plants can make great use of vertical space and add life to an otherwise dull area, such as above a main window or on top of cabinetry.

A plant that cleans the air, such as a Boston fern or weeping fig, is a good idea in a well-used room such as your bedroom or study. According to a study by NASA, some plants are even known for filtering and absorbing any VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that machines such as printers and laptops emit.

Some plants are versatile and can thrive in both indoors and outdoors. Perhaps your indoor-outdoor seating area can be livened up with a striking yucca plant. This interesting plant loves to be inside or outside. As long as it lives in brightly lit but shaded areas, it’ll be happy.