12 Tiny Indoor Plants That Are Ideal For Small Spaces

Finding the perfect houseplant is an eternal quest for some plant lovers. You need to find a plant that not only thrives indoors, but one that also speaks to your space and breathes life into the room. It’s also important you find a plant that is the right size. This can be particularly challenging if you are trying to find an indoor plant to fit in a small space.

Tiny plants that are great for compact spaces in your home include several succulent species like jade plants, aloe vera, and zebra haworthia. Air plants and several cactus species like prickly pear are unique and low-maintenance options. African violets and purple shamrock can offer a pop of color to your small indoor space, while a small Venus fly trap can help rid your home of insects.

Small plants that thrive indoors are something every person who loves houseplants should learn more about. You can add these plants to your desk, on a small window sill, or even in a tiny nook on a shelf. If you are looking for ways to incorporate more life and natural color into your home, but have limited space, then take a look at this list of the top tiny indoor plants that will fit just about anywhere in your home.

12 Small Plants That Are Perfect For Tight Indoor Spaces

1. Air Plants

One of the best tiny plants to incorporate into your home with limited space is an air plant. These exotic plants thrive in hanging terrariums, or simple glass bowls. Some species flower from time to time, offering tropical color to your space.

What makes air plants ideal is their size and their low-maintenance nature. They love direct or indirect light, and you hardly ever need to water them. They absorb moisture from the air, which means a simple misting from time to time works great. Or if you want to make these plants even easier to maintain, put this plant in your bathroom and let the steam from your shower provide the water they need to live.

2. African Violet

If you want a houseplant for a small space in your home but are insistent on a flowering plant, then opt for the African violet. These resilient plants do well indoors, as they can tolerate lower levels of light.

These plants can stay relatively small and regularly offer beautiful purple flowers. This makes them an ideal selection for someone looking for a flowering houseplant for a compact space.

3. Jade Plant

A jade plant is amazing in that it can thrive both indoors and outdoors, and can grow into the size of a small tree, or live in a tiny pot. Jade plants come from the succulent family and are known for their tree-like stalks and plump green leaves.

They grow well with some direct light but can tolerate indirect light. These plants are great for those looking to improve the feng shui in a living space. These plants are also incredible air purifiers. Even when they are small, jade plants can remove toxins from the air and pump in additional oxygen.

4. Nerve Plant

Nerve plants are known for their signature leaves, which have vein-like patterns throughout. These plants vary in color, which means it’s easy to find a nerve plant that can add different shades of color to a small living space.

These plants are native to the tropics, so it’s best to keep them away from cold windows. They do, however, enjoy some filtered light. These plants can creep like a vine, but if you need to keep them in a confined space, you can easily prune your nerve plant back.

5. Scotch Moss

If you want to create a lush living accent in a small space, then consider the vibrant green that Scotch moss provides. Scotch moss is a resilient and stunning moss that is easy to grow from seed inside the home.

It tolerates all sorts of light conditions, and while it grows quickly, it doesn’t grow tall. This makes it perfect for a tiny indoor space. It even grows small white flowers from time to time, which is a fun bonus.

6. Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is an often-small and always easy-to-grow species of bamboo. This plant grows great by a kitchen window, or any shelf where there’s some sunlight. Lucky bamboo is said to bring good luck and good fortune. 

Even if it doesn't bring good luck, it is very hard to kill. It should thrive in a small space as long as you keep it hydrated.

7. Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is one of the many miracles of the succulent family. The nectar inside aloe can treat skin burns, rashes, and all sorts of other skin ailments.

While aloe can grow quite large, you can opt for smaller varieties of this plant. There are more than 650 types of aloe, so choose the size and style that works best for your small indoor space.

8. Chinese Money Plant

The Chinese money plant is another “lucky” plant worth bringing inside your home, especially if you are superstitious. These plants symbolize good fortune and friendship, and they are also really easy to care for.

A Chinese money plant can grow larger if you let it, but can also stay small if you need it to fit in a tiny space. These plants are also great air purifiers. They are also non-toxic, which means your pets are safe around a Chinese money plant.

9. Prickly Pear Cactus

If you love the desert aesthetic a cactus brings into a home, and love how low maintenance they can be, consider a prickly pear cactus. This cactus species is known for its signature flat- or paddle-shape leaves with sharp spines, like a wild cactus in miniature.

It is very low maintenance and can live in various light conditions. You can also find this plant in small sizes, and since they grow slowly, they can fit just about anywhere.

10. Venus Fly Trap

If you want a plant that can keep insects out of your home but is also compact, then look no further than a Venus fly trap. These carnivorous plants might look intimidating, but they only grow a few inches tall and can fit easily in a six-inch pot.

They are the most iconic of the carnivorous plants, and there’s even a Broadway musical centered on this plant. A Venus fly trap is a great insect killer and an even better conversation starter.

11. Purple Shamrock

For a tiny indoor plant that isn’t green, you may want to try bringing purple shamrock into your home. Purple shamrocks grow only a few inches high, making them ideal for small spaces, and they have a stunning deep purple color.

Another fun feature about this plant is that each night the shamrocks fold inward, and then re-bloom in the morning.

12. Zebra Haworthia

Zebra haworthia is one of the most unique and fun succulents you can find. It looks like a zebra-striped miniature aloe plant and is so perfect in its stripes that it sometimes looks fake. This succulent is very low maintenance, requiring minimal water and tolerating all sorts of light conditions.

It grows very slowly and looks great in a tiny rock garden, or even perched on a desk. Since this plant grows very slowly, it’s easy to keep it in a very small space in your home for a prolonged time.

Final Thoughts On Tiny Indoor Plants Ideal For Small Spaces

Finding a houseplant to fit a tiny space might seem like a daunting task. It limits your options a bit, but the good news is there is still a vast variety of tiny indoor plants you can choose from. If you want a flowering tiny plant, consider African violets, Scotch moss, or even some types of air plants. Many small succulents thrive in small indoor spaces, including jade plants, aloe vera, and zebra haworthia. If you want something unique or exotic, consider a purple shamrock, prickly pear cactus, or a Venus fly trap.

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• All The Ways To Use An Aloe Plant