Simple Rules for Feng Shui Plants in Bedroom Spaces
The wisdom of feng shui plants in bedroom spaces is a contested topic, according to feng shui experts. Feng shui rules are all about maximizing the flow of good energy in your environment. The bedroom is especially important in feng shui belief as it is the place for rest and rejuvenation that allows you to perform your daily duties well.
Feng shui practitioners are divided on plants in the bedroom; while they do produce oxygen and help to purify the air, they may also disrupt sleep. Plants are living things that produce a small amount of carbon dioxide. They are also believed by some to create stagnant energy, which can interfere with the flow of good energy in this vital area of your home.
There are certain important reasons why you may not want to have plants in your bedroom. You might have allergies related to plants or space constraints that make sharing your bedroom with plants untenable. Yet, if you do want plants in your bedroom, there are some rules that certain feng shui experts advise in order to create the best energy flow in your bedroom possible.
Guidelines for Feng Shui Plants in Bedroom Spaces
Having plants in your bedroom and still having optimal feng shui is just a matter of following some basic guidelines that are helpful, even if good feng shui is not your goal.
Choose the Right Plants
In feng shui design, different plant varieties represent distinct energy types. Promoting the most optimal energy in the bedroom is an essential goal in feng shui design. In general, you want to promote yin energy as it is softer and more restful than yang energy, which is more aggressive and forceful. Use plants that have a curvy and flowing structure to promote yin energy. Consider feng shui plants like ferns with a soft and feathery structure or trailing plants like golden pothos. Flowering plants are also helpful, like orchids and peace lilies.
Avoid plants with prickly or thorny structures which promote active and aggressive energy as these can interrupt peaceful sleep. Also you should also avoid plants with which you have a negative association, as these can produce bad feelings and allow negative energy into your space.
Avoid Plants by the Bed
Yin energy is helpful in balanced doses in the bedroom, but too much of it can create dark and cold energy, which can cause restlessness and discomfort. Therefore, try to keep plants at least three feet away from the bed. This will allow for a balanced circulation of energy around the bed and promote the best quality sleep.
Plants also give off a small amount of carbon dioxide at night. This emission is small compared to other toxic influences on the air, like household chemicals, VOCs from paint, and tobacco, but it can affect your sleep quality. Having plants at a distance while you sleep can mitigate the negative effects of this harmful diffusion.
Quality Over Quantity
It is vital that when choosing plants for your bedroom, you pick plants that work to purify your room and not overload the space with too many plants. Some of the plants that have been proven to purify the air while you sleep are the Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria Trifasciata), the Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens), and the Pothos (Epipremnum aureum).
Feng shui design embodies balance, so it is essential in feng shui bedroom design not to fill your room with too many plants. There is no magic number of plants in the bedroom. Instead, consider the size and shape of your room. Work toward a balanced approach between plants and the other elements in the room. One good rule of thumb is to have around two plants in a small to mid-sized room. Aim for three to four plants in a mid-sized to large room.
Keep Your Plants Healthy
While there is no rule for an exact number of plants, you should never have more plants that you can care for well. Dead or dying plants are discouraged in feng shui design as this promotes negative energy.
To promote the best quality plants, it is vital that you know your space. Various types of plants have unique maintenance requirements. Some plants require more or less sunlight, while others need dry or humid air. Understanding your room, its light and air conditions, will help you choose a plant that will thrive in your space.
Healthy plants produce positive feng shui. Plants that are sick or dead should be removed from your bedroom. Place them in a designated area if they are sick and work to bring them back to health.
Avoid Faux Plants
Feng shui experts discourage the use of faux plants, just like dead plants, in feng shui design. Feng shui principles encourage the use of natural rather than synthetic materials. Faux plants do not offer the same natural energy and cannot contribute to the flow of energy.
Feng shui experts also believe that faux plants produce negative symbolism. Faux plants do not represent vitality and growth like live plants but rather a stagnant and artificial environment.
Consider the Bagua Map
The bagua map is a tool that feng shui designers use to map out the energy flow in a particular environment. You can use a bagua map over a large area like a home or even a neighborhood or city, but you can also use it for a small area like a bedroom. Line up a bagua map with your bedroom. Consider the life areas that each section of the room represents. You can use plants to help activate the energy in an area where you want to see growth. It is best to choose two or three areas at one time rather than try to activate the energy in every space.
Ideal Feng Shui Plants for Bedrooms
There are some obvious “best” choices for plants in the bedroom according to the goals for feng shui design.
Snake Plants (Sansevieria)
Snake plants, also called Mother-in-law’s tongue, are popular in feng shui design. Even though they have a blade-like growth pattern, they are well-known for their ability to purify the air by removing toxins. This helps to promote restful sleep, which makes it an ideal choice for bedrooms.
Snake plants are easy to maintain, which makes them good for beginners. They can also tolerate a variety of light conditions, from low light to bright sunlight, making them ideal for many room types. Snake plants prefer to dry out between watering sessions, so make sure that the top inch of the soil is dry before watering again.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Plant experts also tout the peace lily for its ability to remove toxins from the air. Feng shui designers use the peace lily to attract good luck and positive energy.
Peace lilies are easy to grow and maintain. They prefer bright but indirect light, as too much direct light can burn their leaves. These plants can also tolerate low light conditions. Keep peace lilies consistently moist but not wet, as waterlogging will rot the stems. They also prefer warm and moist air conditions. Keep away from air conditioning vents and mist them if the air is too dry.
Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Areca palms are beloved in feng shui design because of their ability to remove toxins and impurities from the air. Many people also enjoy them because of their lush tropical growth, which symbolizes vitality. Their upright growth structure symbolizes wood energy that is flexible with upward momentum.
Areca palms are easy to grow and thrive in many indoor environments. They prefer bright but indirect sunlight, but they will also grow in low-light environments if necessary. Keep the soil moist but not wet and the air humid and warm. Areca palms might need occasional pruning to remove dead or damaged leaves in order to preserve the most optimal feng shui environment.
Orchids
Orchid varieties are an elegant choice for feng shui bedroom designs. They represent love and fertility, so they are an ideal choice for bedrooms.
Orchids require a higher level of care, so they are best reserved for people who have experience with houseplants or have the time to develop expertise. Keep in a bright area but one that has indirect sunlight. Orchids like moist but not wet soil. It is best to water them once every week when the top of the soil is dry to avoid overwatering.
Orchids require a warm room temperature (60-80 degrees Fahrenheit) and regular fertilizer to grow well. Fertilize at least every 2-4 weeks.
ZZ Plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
ZZ plants are popular in feng shui belief because they are believed to represent wealth and good fortune. These are wonderful plants to place in the back left area of your room as this represents the wealth area. Additionally, ZZ plants have an attractive appearance with shiny, dark green leaves. They grow well in a variety of conditions.
ZZ plants prefer bright but indirect sunlight but also work in low-light conditions. They are drought-tolerant plants and will survive infrequent watering. Allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again.
Plants to Avoid for Feng Shui Bedrooms
There are some “usual suspect” plants that you should avoid if you are aiming for optimal bedroom feng shui.
Cactus Varieties
Cacti have a spikey growth pattern that is discouraged in feng shui design because of its symbolism. Feng shui experts believe that it brings negative and aggressive energy into your space, which you should avoid in order to promote positive energy.
Rubber Plants
Some feng shui practitioners avoid using rubber plants in bedroom design because they believe that the flat, broad leaves attract stagnant energy. These plants are also believed to attract financial problems.
Bonsai Trees
We associate bonsai trees with stunted growth. These plants carry symbolism that is not propitious in feng shui designs, including bedrooms, as they can promote stagnant and stunted energy.
Ivy
Plant experts often warn against ivy varieties as they have an aggressive and invasive growth pattern. This plant symbolizes negative energy that overpowers other energy.
Dried Plants/Flowers
Dried plants and flowers are dead versions of the live variety, even if they are decorative in nature. Just like dying plants symbolize negative energy, so do dried plants and flowers.