Certain indoor species can use extra care, like these Plants That Love Misting, which keeps them in the best possible health!
Plants thrive in various conditions in their natural habitat. Some love the occasional misting and won’t mind having wet leaves for some time, as it recreates their native tropical habitat and helps them cope with the dry air indoors.
Plants That Love Misting
1. Caladium
Botanical Name: Caladium
Caladiums are excellent foliage plants with heart-shaped, broad leaves. These popular ornamentals can be grown as annuals in colder climates or as perennials in warmer regions.
They also love high humidity levels of up to 80%. In addition to watering them every week, mist them regularly to ensure colorful and robust leaves.
2. Chinese Money Plant
Botanical Name: Pilea
Chinese Money plant’s perfectly round leaves, and fast-growing nature make it a favorite among gardeners. It also produces small offsets or “pups,” which can be used to propagate easily. These plants aren’t fussy about their growing needs, but if you’ve got them in a dry room, they’ll need misting.
It needs regular watering, and especially in dry weather, a mild daily mist helps it get its ideal humidity fix.
3. Arrowhead Plant
Botanical Name: Syngonium podophyllum
When young, the arrowhead plant makes a lovely showpiece with its upright clusters of stems. As it matures, it has a trailing habit that makes it perfect for home decor, among other reasons. This cultivar is native to tropical rainforests and likes misting for proper humidity.
To ensure it grows well, use a potting mix with peat moss, perlite, and pine bark. While it needs regular watering outdoors, it is also prone to root rot, so be conservative when growing it as a houseplant.
4. Banana Plant
Botanical Name: Musa
Despite its seemingly enormous size, the banana plant is surprisingly a popular choice for indoor gardening, especially for some tropical feels. This fast-growing perennial herb needs ample humidity to thrive, and hence, misting it infrequently with lukewarm water helps.
Humidity levels below 50% can damage its leaves. However, water only when the soil surface feels dry, as it is prone to root rot.
5. Ctenanthe
Botanical Name: Ctenanthe
You might mistake Ctenanthe for its cousin Calathea, but these two are entirely different species, often called by the same name of ‘prayer plants.’ Ctenanthe has a unique habit of closing its leaves at night and opening them in the morning.
Place it in a humid spot in your home, like a bathroom. Otherwise, place the pot in a pebble and water-filled saucer and mist it for the best results.
6. Peace Lily
Botanical Name: Spathiphyllum
Native to tropical Central America and Southeast Asia, the peace lily is a lovely plant with green foliage and white flowers. Misting its leaves helps increase humidity around the plant while mimicking its natural environment. If you love to see year-round blooms in your home, this is the plant for you!
Peace lilies thrive in moist soil and dappled sun. To get your plant to shine truly, read this article about squeezing a lemon into your peace lily growing medium.
7. Philodendron
Botanical Name: Philodendron
Philodendrons thrive in humidity, preferably 60-80%. If this lush, tropical houseplant is in an air-conditioned room or a drier environment than misting it every few days will keep it happy.
However, avoid misting if the leaves turn mushy or yellow or begin wilting despite sufficient moisture. Follow these tricks to get bushier Philodendrons.
8. Boston Fern
Botanical Name: Nephrolepis exaltata
With luscious, feathery fronds, Boston fern is surprisingly easy to grow indoors. It thrives in warmth and humidity and is also said to purify indoor air, in addition to lending its bouncy look to your decor.
Boston fern grows well with dappled sunlight, intermittent misting, and watering when the soil gets dry.
9. Fittonia
Botanical Name: Fittonia
Nerve plant is a standout plant for your collection with its green leaves and white to deep pink veins. This plant loves to stay moist, so mist it once a day to keep its leaves hydrated. Also, give it a good soil mix with perlite and peat moss.
It is a low-growing plant that can spread and cover the soil. You can use it for terrariums or as a ground cover. Try these Fittonia varieties.
10. Orchids
Botanical Name: Orchidaceae
If you love exotic blooms, orchids are the way to go. These perennials thrive in ample humidity and dappled sunshine; an east-facing window is perfect for orchids. If the setting is dry, misting it mildly once daily will help regulate the moisture it needs.
Your orchids won’t do well in a regular indoor potting soil, so to get their favorite growing medium, get an orchid-specific porous mix with sphagnum moss. Did you know you could grow orchids in water as well?
11. Bromeliad
Botanical Name: Bromeliaceae
Bromeliads are tropical plants that grow easily if given all that they need, especially humidity. Producing beautiful rosette-shaped foliage and long-lasting flowers, bromeliads need high humidity and will thrive with regular misting.
Naturally growing as epiphytes, these plants that grow on the bark and parts of other plants draw their nutrients from air, dew, fog, and rain. This makes misting all the more essential in its upkeep. Here’s how to get your bromeliads to flower.
12. Monstera
Botanical Name: Monstera deliciosa
Monstera, also known as the Swiss cheese plant, is a favorite among indoor plant enthusiasts due to its broad, glossy green, split leaves. Native to the tropical forests of Central America, monsteras thrive in high humidity and benefit greatly from regular misting.
This plant can grow quite large, so ensure it has ample space to spread. Here are super tips to help you grow bigger monsteras.
