The Ultimate Indoor Plants Trend Forecast for 2023

As we enter our third year of the pandemic, you’d think the houseplant obsession would have waned by now, but it seems to be growing stronger than ever. What has changed over this short period of time are the types of indoor plants people gravitate toward. If we’ve learned anything from the history of houseplant trends through the decades, it’s that while the trends themselves may be cyclical and ever evolving, plants in general remain a staple ingredient to any room.

Some will reach for more easy-to-manage plants like pothos or snake plants, while others may look to spice up their collection and really put their green thumbs to the test with rare, unique-looking plants like the monstera albo. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, there’s bound to be a plant (or two or three) that you’re pulled to when it comes to these 2023 predictions. While you’re here, revisit our 2022 indoor plants trend forecast.

Easy-to-Care-For Plants

Plantfluencer Christoper Griffin, also known as Plant Kween, predicts that as more people ramp up their traveling and head back into the office, they’ll seek out lower-maintenance plants that can tolerate being abandoned for a bit. Enter easy-to-care-for varieties.

Pothos is one that falls into this category. It also happens to be the plant that jumpstarted Christopher’s journey into greenery and gave them the confidence to continue exploring the world of plants. The climbing variety can thrive in low or bright light and its leaves can get as big as a monstera with proper care. “She’s actually considered an invasive species in certain parts of the world because she just grows too well,” explains Christopher. 

Another plant in the low-maintenance sector is the snake plant, which can also thrive in a myriad of lighting conditions and is best treated like a succulent. (Meaning it doesn’t require too much watering.) Every 10 days during the growing season and every three weeks to a month during the dormant months should be sufficient. ZZ plants have a similarly chill aesthetic. Christopher, who currently cares for over 200 plants at home, notes that it’s the one variety they have yet to kill. 

“Those three plants are always the plants I recommend for folks who are just starting out and are nervous, because I think it provides them with a confidence booster that allows them to explore and be curious a little bit more,” they say. “They’re staple plants that are also just readily available.”

Rare, Designer Plants

On the opposite end of the houseplant spectrum are what plant specialist and stylist Hilton Carter calls designer plants, or rare varieties. The types he predicts will be big next year include the monstera albo, angel wing and polka dot begonia, alocasia cuprea and brandtianum. These plants can range in price from $300 to $4,000 and will take a little more sleuthing to find. As Hilton further explains, “These are gonna end up in your more boutique mom-and-pop shops versus in those bigger plant nurseries or online shops like The Sill or Bloomscape.”

He suggests that people are going to approach plants with more discernment and consideration going into the new year and really think about how they can seamlessly incorporate them into their homes with intention. His forthcoming book, Living Wild, touches on this idea. “It speaks to making real decisions based on what your style is, what the mood is, what the vibe is in that particular room, and trying to find plants that can really lift that space beyond just being a splash of green in a corner of a room,” he says. The leaves on a brandtianum plant, for example, look like wood grain which could evoke a symbiosis next to a wooden piece of furniture or add a push-pull contrast if placed next to something concrete. “These plants stand out for their color, pattern, shape, or texture and can elevate the space in the same way a particular coffee table or rug or curtain or lamp can,” says Hilton. “They’re perfect for trying to bring attention to some of the other pieces that you might have in your home.” 

Jungalow founder Justina Blakeney echoes Hilton’s interior points and suggests that the Schefflera Amate is a plant we’ll be seeing more often in 2023. She specifically calls out its chartreuse color as one that she’s noticing more in home decor. The fishbone cactus is another she highlights for its wavy leaves. “We’re seeing so many undulating lines in design these days so it feels like a perfect fit for a popular houseplant for the coming year,” Justina adds. 

Minimalist Plants

Zilah Drahn, the founder of Plants and Spaces, believes that minimalist plants will be a huge hit in 2023. Her company specializes in varieties that fall into this category, ones with sparser foliage and a sculptural feeling. Some of the plants that Zilah highlights—and often shows off on her own Instagram—are the dracaena marginata and pleomele. The look is usually achieved through pruning, or the process of removing excess leaves, something Zilah has done since her early planting days. “It promotes more growth to other areas instead of putting energy out into what's been already produced,” she explains. “So once you remove all those bottom leaves, you're giving it a push to continue growing at the top. It’s actually healthy and great for the plants.”

Hilton also proposes plant lovers will be drawn to more subdued olive trees and fewer commanding fiddle leaf figs. He thinks that olive trees will “make their way back into the homes and the hearts of plant lovers and people in design because the plant itself can grow really large, but the foliage stays pretty petite and that look can be perfect for your more minimalistic blank-canvas situations.” They can also thrive in pretty much any home, given the appropriate accommodations, which include direct sun for about six hours a day and humidity between 55% to 60%. Hilton adds, “You can live in Alaska and have all of these plants, you just gotta recreate or mimic their natural habitat inside your home to really make sure that they look as great as they did the first day you purchased them from that plant shop.” 

Another way to participate in the minimalist plant trend is by loving the green babies that you already have. Instead of buying more, Zilah suggests placing them into new planters to change their appearance. (Some of her favorite places to source unique, vintage vessels are Etsy and estate sales.) “I hope the trend is that people are drawn to the uniqueness of plants that they already have, that they’re able to sculpt and prune themselves and see that plants are pieces of art,” she concludes. “[Plants are] living with us, growing with us, and teaching us things—they’re not just something to put in your house for a few months.”