Monstera and schefflera in a living room

16 XXL indoor plants for those who think big

Article for :All parent plants

Sometimes in life, you need someone smaller than you. And sometimes you want something big, spectacular, unforgettable. Are you looking for an XXL plant to green up your cathedral living room or warm up a huge, impersonal open space? You've come to the right place. The Monstera team has put together a selection of large indoor plants that are sure to impress your visitors.

#1 Ficus (Ficus lyrata, Ficus maclellandii and Ficus benjamina)

This 15-year-old Ficus benjamina has made itself at home in the living room - Photo by Madaise / Flickr

When it comes to decorating a large space with green plants, fig trees are a sure bet. Several species, such as ficus lyrata (Ficus lyrata), ficus maclellandii (Ficus maclellandii) and the weeping fig Ficus benjamina ) exceed three meters in height, even in pots and indoors.

To help your ficus reach this height, find a sunny, draught-free spot. Fig trees are easy to care for, but they hate change. Once the shrub is established, don't move it. It could lose its leaves!

#2 Giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolaï)

Even when it's not in bloom, the giant bird of paradise knows how to get noticed - Photo by Julia Kuzenkov / Unsplash

The ostrich, the world's largest bird, stands 2.5 meters tall. That's about how tall your Giant bird of paradise (Strelitzia nicolaï) will grow if you plant it indoors. This bird won't give you eggs. But it will give you gray-green leaves and flowers with the air of an exotic bird.

Flowering is induced by temperature variations between winter and summer. If you want your Strelitzia nicolaï to bloom, install it in an unheated veranda or loggia.

#3 Platycerium coronarium

A fern is so much more decorative than a light fixture! Photo by Manuseitz / Plantnet

You've run out of room for a pot on the floor, but you'd like to expand your XXL plant collection? Opt for a Platycerium coronarium! Although it's 1.50 metres wide and three metres long, it won't take up a single square centimetre of floor space. This fern, with its lace-like fronds, can be grown as a hanging plant.

After a few years, your Platycerium coronarium will completely cover its container and you won't be able to repot it. Continue to provide it with the nutrients it needs by fertilizing it with a green plant fertilizer.

#4 Monstera deliciosa

No need for furniture when you have a 3-meter-high Monstera in your living room - Photo by Gunera / Flickr

The Monstera deliciosa is up to three meters tall. The taller your plant grows, the more cut leaves it will have. In fact, it's the leaf blades at the top that have the most holes. The fenestration allows light to pass through to the leaves at the base.

Monstera deliciosa is a climbing plant. Its aerial roots grow until they find a support on which to cling. To ensure that your plant concentrates its energy on its stem and foliage, provide it with a stake. Your false philodendron will grow faster when its roots are anchored in coconut moss.

#5 Milky spurge (Euphorbia lactea)

Euphorbia lactea likes bright light - Photo by David J. Stang / Wikipedia

Ever since Beyoncé donned a cowboy hat, country has been all the rage. Want your home to follow the trend? Get a milky euphorbia (Euphorbia lactea). This candelabra-like succulent grows to over two meters, even in your own home.

Succulents have a reputation for being easy to live with, and euphorbia lactea is no exception. But it will grow bigger and stronger if you fertilize it with a cactus and succulent fertilizer when the weather's fine. Remember to halve the recommended dose. The plant is not greedy and an overdose would do it more harm than good.

#6 Giant Yucca (Yucca gigantea)

Multiple stipes make for a fuller plant - Photo by Kenpei / Wikipedia

With a name like that, Giant Yucca sets the tone. And it doesn't bluff! Depending on growing conditions, it can reach heights of between five and nine meters. Not bad for a tree or shrub. After all, Yucca gigantea is a flowering plant. It has no trunk, but a stipe.

Yucca gigantea is very slow-growing. If you want yours to impress with its stature, choose a mature plant. You'll also be able to take advantage of its bulging trunk, like an elephant's foot.

#7 Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (Philodendron bipinnatifidum)

Something to hide? Conceal it at the foot of your Philodendron bipinnatifidum - Photo by Jungle Rebel / Flickr

Philodendron bipinnatifidum is a fast-growing plant. After a few years, and with proper care, your potted plant will form a bushy shrub two meters high and as wide. Enough to turn any room into a tropical jungle!

Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum's huge leaves can become real dust traps. This is not very aesthetic and hampers the shrub's development. To ensure that the foliage fully captures the light, clean the limbswith a clean, damp cloth every month or two.

#8 Giant tarot (Alocasia macrorrhizos)

The giant tarot is an easy-to-care-for alocasia - Photo by Paige Dansinger / iNaturalist

In ancient Greek, macrorrhizos means large roots. But in Alocasia macrorrhizos, it's not just the roots that are oversized. The leaves measure up to 40 centimetres long and 20 centimetres wide, even indoors. The plant grows to over four meters when warm and humid. In pots and indoors, it reaches two meters in height.

Is your Giant Taro too big to repot? Resurface it every spring. Remove around a third of the substrate and replace it with fresh potting soil. In this way, your plant will benefit from new nutrients and be able to continue growing.

#9 Umbrella tree (Schefflera actinophyllum)

With its bright green leaves, the umbrella tree will dress up any space - Photo by Rachel Claire / Pexels

Schefflera actinophylla grows up to two meters tall when cultivated as an indoor plant. But its great size isn't its only attraction. Its green, varnished and cut leaves seem to form an umbrella or parasol.

The umbrella tree tolerates half-shade exposure, but grows faster in the sun. You can install it behind a curtained bay window or in front of an east-facing window.

#10 Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)

The same plant can have leaves of different colors - Photo by Karla Nayelis Pitty Bell /iNaturalist

At just under five feet tall, codiaeum variegatum gatum) is far from the tallest variety on this list of XXL houseplants. But it's undoubtedly the most colorful. Its leaves, up to 30 centimetres long, come in shades of pink, purple, yellow and green.

To help your croton grow taller quickly, fertilize it with a green plant fertilizer in summer. You can also repot it to give it more room.

#11 Jade tree (Crassula ovata)

Over time, Crassula ovata becomes a true shrub - Photo by DerBorg / Wikipedia

You can appreciate big plants and small leaves. If you do, adopt a jade tree. Even the largest specimens, up to three meters high, have leaf blades no more than four centimeters long.

Encourage the growth of your Jade tree by pruning it in spring. Always use clean, sharp pruning shears to facilitate healing, and cut just above a node. This encourages branching.

#12 Palms (Dypsis lutescens and Howea forsteriana)

Having a palm tree in your home means you'll feel like you're on vacation all year round - Photo by Malanfcm / iNaturalist

Shrubs aren't the only option for greening up a vast, empty space. Some palms, such as areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens) and kentia (Howea forsteriana) grow up to three meters high in pots and indoors.

These plants flower in summer. Their flowers often go unnoticed amid the dense foliage. Don't hesitate to remove them when they appear. Their growth is detrimental to that of the palms.

#13 Asparagus falcatus

Asparagus falcatus is a cousin of asparagus - Photo by KP Laer / Plantnet

We're used to seeing Asparagus falcatus a few dozen centimetres tall in terrariums. But given enough room to grow, this shrub can reach 2.5 meters in height. It then resembles a fir tree with delicate, airy foliage.

Indoors, asparagus falcatus can be attacked by red spiders. To prevent this, spray it regularly with non-calcareous water. You can also install it with other plants to increase ambient humidity.

#14 Japanese banana (Musa basjoo)

The Japanese banana is hardy. You can also grow it outdoors - Photo by Steve Jamm / Plantnet

The banana tree is the tallest grass in the world. Some varieties reach fifteen meters in height. Musa basjoo, on the other hand, is only five meters tall. But it can be grown indoors. And indoors, its bright green leaves are unlikely to tear.

Japanese Banana likes rich, light substrates. Repot yours in potting soil for green plants mixed with a little sand or perlite.

#15 Goeppertia orbifolia

Calathea orbifolia is one meter tall, round and soft... Photo by Arribas Mantecon / Plantnet

At just one meter tall and with a wingspan of sixty centimeters, Goeppertia orbifolia is an outsider in this ranking. But its 60-centimeter-diameter silver-striped green leaf blades more than make up for its small size.

Goeppertia orbifolia is native to the tropical forests of South America. It thrives in humid environments. If the air in your home is too dry and your plant's leaves are damaged? Place the pot on a bed of moist clay balls to increase humidity.

#16 Money tree (Pachira aquatica)

Often sold with several braided trunks, Pachira aquatica can also be grown on a single trunk - Photo by Kenpei / Wikipedia

If the amount of good luck you get is proportional to the size of your lucky charm, forget about four-leaf clovers and rabbit's feet. Get yourself a Pachira aquatica instead. This caudex tree is over fifteen meters tall in the wild. It easily reaches two meters in pots and indoors.

Like most green plants, pachira aquatica can't stand having its roots immersed in water. Remember to empty any stagnant water from the saucer or pot after each watering.

By Servane Nemetz
on 17-06-2024 at 19h50