Malaysians are obsessed with home decorating trends at the moment. However, this one is said to last longer than the rest. With that in mind, we compiled 20 indoor plants in Malaysia that are great for beginners. There are tonnes of benefits to placing greens in your house. It can boost your mood and of course enhance the overall appearance of your space. Some may even increase creativity, reduce stress, and eliminate air pollutants.
Beginner Friendly Indoor Plants in Malaysia
To those that want to jump on the bandwagon but are scared of commitments, here we have listed 20 low-maintenance indoor plants for your perusal. Almost all of them are beginner-friendly so you can get better gradually with them. Let’s check out these indoor plants in Malaysia.
1. Fiddle Leaf Fig
Benefits:
- Highly versatile
- Minimal care
- Air Purifying plant
- Boost concentration
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The fiddle-leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) is a popular indoor plant featuring large, heavily veined, glossy violin-shaped leaves. A fiddle-leaf fig can be the perfect focal point in a large room. It’s a fairly fast grower and can be potted at any point in the year. However, you have to keep in mind that this gorgeous plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
2. Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Benefits:
- Absorbs CO2 at night
- Remove toxic pollutants
- Great oxygen factory
- Effective against allergies
- Low maintenance
Shopee: https://shp.ee/4dg9wjj
Also known as the “Mother-in-law’s Tongue”, the snake plant can be visually striking. It looks like a bundle of sturdy spikes covered with yellow, green, and greyish patterns. These hardy shrubs require minimal care as you only need to water them every week. And they thrive as indoor plants in Malaysia. The best way to display this edgy plant is to feature it as a centerpiece in the living or dining area.
3. Aloe Vera
Benefits:
- Contain healthful plant compounds
- Contains antioxidant and antibacterial properties
- Accelerate wound healing
- Reduces constipation
- Improve skin and prevent wrinkles
- Lower sugar levels
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This miracle plant is valued for its healing properties. Its succulent leaves are chock-full of active gel that can be harvested into various medicine, edible, and vanity products. What people don’t realize is that this plant makes a great indoor decoration as well. The best location to put it would be the kitchen. If you have a kitchen island, potted aloe plants grouped on the countertop would act as a strong visual hook.
4. Succulent
Benefits:
- Brighten up home in any climate
- Purify air
- Improve house humidity
- Add fresh oxygen to the environment
- Improve focus
- Enhance memory
Shopee: https://shp.ee/jmx8q6j
If you long for indoor greenery but have not succeeded with houseplants, consider a succulent. They are easy-to-please pet plant can comfortably survive indoor conditions with minimal effort, especially in Malaysia. Strong, distinct leaf shapes give succulents striking textures that transform them into living sculptures for interior rooms. Get creative and mix them up a little in a glass terrarium to turn them into a piece of living art.
5. Spider Plant
Benefits:
- Hard to kill
- Purifies the air
- Safe for pets
- Increase humidity
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Don’t worry, this plant has nothing to do with real-life spiders. However, it is obviously named as one due to its long tapering leaves which do bear a striking resemblance to the legs of a spider! Spider plants grow well in humid spaces with restricted amounts of light, which is perfect for the climate in Malaysia. Spider plants double up as natural room fresheners, so you don’t have to buy one anymore.
6. Monstera (Swiss Cheese Plant)
Benefits:
- Drought tolerant
- Improves air quality
- Traps dust
- Adds humidity to the environment
Shopee: https://shp.ee/qq7gttj
While the name may sound a bit odd, this plant is anything but monstrous. This hardy and easy-to-care plant actually possesses unique leaves that add character to a room. As they’ve been known to grow to a gigantic size, you’d need to dedicate a corner of your room for them. If that’s not possible, just keep trimming off new growth until it is at your desired size.
7. Pothos
Benefits:
- Low maintenance plant
- Easy to propagate
- Can grow without sunlight
- Air purifying houseplant
- Increase humidity
Shopee: https://shp.ee/4iftgyj
One of the easiest indoor plants to grow, pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is often overlooked. This tropical vine comes in an array of foliage colors and patterns that appeal to a wide range of tastes and decors. Nearly foolproof even for beginners, pothos is forgiving of neglect, virtually pest- and disease-free, and tolerant of low light, making it a good choice for darker rooms and offices. The long stems trail or climb by aerial roots that adhere to surfaces, making this a versatile choice for hanging baskets, plant stands, and bookshelves.
8. Chinese Evergreen
Benefits:
- Efficient air-purifying plant
- Comes in various colours
- Low maintenance plant
- Can survive in any light condition
Shopee: https://shp.ee/drdcctj
Aglaonema (also known as Chinese evergreen/Philippine evergreen/poison dart plant) is a classic indoor houseplant well-loved for its stunning variegated leaves and easygoing nature. This plant is perfect for beginning houseplant owners who may not have a ton of space or the perfect lighting conditions. Most Chinese evergreen varieties grow slowly and tolerate low light conditions well, and they won’t throw a fit if your watering routine isn’t spot-on.
9. Birds Of Paradise
Benefits:
- Adds tropical vibe to your home
- Good for air purification and circulation
- Grows very quickly
- Grow very large
- Improves mental health
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The Bird of Paradise is considered the queen of the indoor plant world. This large, upright plant adds a rich, tropical flair to your space as its glossy, banana-shaped leaves fan out. It is relatively hardy and adapts to a wide spectrum of light conditions from direct sun to low, indirect light, but will flourish in a sunny spot. With proper care, a bird of paradise can grow to over six feet tall, even indoors. Its broad, arching leaves make a dramatic, graceful statement in your home.
10. Bird Nest Fern
Benefits:
- Absorbs harmful gasses
- Improves indoor air quality
- Improves temperature
Shopee: https://shp.ee/t3nu973
Native to tropical regions such as southeast Asia, Bird’s Nest Ferns (Asplenium Nidus) is basically at home when grown as indoor plants in Malaysia. Given the right indoor environment, they will thrive and make for a wonderfully unique houseplant. The Bird’s Nest Fern has large simple fronds that are tropical-like in that they resemble banana leaves. Their fronds are light green, often crinkled or wavy, and grow from a central rosette. The rosette is fuzzy where the emerging fronds resemble bird’s eggs – hence the common name.
Also Read: Malaysian Couple Transformed Their Terrace Into A Stunning Mid-Century Modern Home
11. Air Plant
Benefits:
- Traps dust
- Increase humidity
- Allowing you to focus better
- Reduce carbon dioxide
- Requires no soil
- Resistant to pests and diseases
- Versatile and can be placed anywhere
Shopee: https://shp.ee/9pp2vt3
Air Plants, also known as Tillandsia, are some of the easiest plants to care for. They are named as such because they don’t require soil to survive. It can collect nutrients and moisture from the air allowing them to thrive in a wide range of settings, vessels, or spaces. Making them the ideal indoor plants in Malaysia. Due to its high flexibility, this plant is popular as a home and office decoration.
12. Rubber Plant
Benefits:
- Has no allergic properties
- Purify air
- Low maintenance
- Easy to grow
- Anti-inflammatory properties
Shopee: https://shp.ee/y75rejj
Ficus elastica (more commonly known as a rubber plant, rubber tree, or rubber tree plant) is a popular houseplant because of its waxy leaves and larger-than-life appearance. Rubber plants earned their name thanks to their sap, which is sometimes used to make rubber. The rubber plant’s leaves also have a shiny and rubbery appearance perfect for a minimal room design.
13. Philodendron Minima
Benefits:
- Improves air quality
- Great at absorbing toxins
- Dust trappers
- Add humidity to the air
- Comes in a lot of varieties
Shopee: https://shp.ee/9me7w63
Not to be confused with the Monstera, the Philodendron ‘Minima’ is a vining plant with small glossy green leaves that develop fenestrations as they mature. Although it is often referred to as the ‘Mini Monstera’ this plant is highly sought after due to its gorgeous split leaves, fast growth, and ease of care. It can easily fill up a space thanks to its vining characteristic which helps in adding character to a room.
14. Cactus
Benefits:
- Better air quality
- Increase productivity
- Reduce outdoor or indoor background noises
- Comes in wide varieties and shapes
Shopee: https://shp.ee/sebrq93
Although cacti are known for their love of sunlight, many thrive as indoor plants. Add one to your windowsill or living space for some unique decor. Indoor cacti tend to need less light and are smaller in size, making them the perfect houseplant. It comes in many different types that you will be spoilt for choices. The most popular ones at the moment are bunny ear cactus and ladyfinger cactus that make a perfect indoor plant in Malaysia.
15. Dragon Tree
Benefits:
- Purify air
- Humidity control
- Sharpen concentration
- Low maintenance
- Great ornamental value
- Absorbs lead
Shopee: https://shp.ee/233jwi3
Thanks to its tolerance for a wide range of temperatures, dragon trees are very popular as large potted plants for homes and offices. Though they can thrive in a variety of light conditions, they do best with indirect bright light. Making them one of the best indoor plants in Malaysia. In addition to adding beauty and visual interest to your space, they are also beneficial in removing harmful chemicals in your household air.
16. Pandan
Benefits:
- Versatile
- Can be consumed
- Natural fragrance
- Low maintenance
- Contains insecticidal properties
- Drought tolerant
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The pandan plant is popular in southeast Asia countries due to its sweet scent and insecticidal properties. Little do people know, it can also grow beautifully as an indoor plant in Malaysia. To allow this fragrant shrub to realize its full potential, it’s best to place yours in a spot with plenty of access to filtered sunshine and fresh air. Indoors, the pandan plant would thrive in an open-concept house with large windows and wide corridors that promote cross-ventilation.
17. Peace Lillies
Benefits:
- Purifies the air
- Low maintenance
- Promotes restful sleep
- Removes mold spores from the air
Shopee: https://shp.ee/h6xts2j
This plant is perfect for those that suffer from insomnia. Durable and beautiful, the peace lily is prized for its air-purifying abilities. They bloom only in infiltered or limited sunlight and are best placed in decorative pots in your bedroom. Not only would you be able to sleep better, but you’d also be breathing in fresher air. If your bedroom is styled minimally or industrially, the soft aesthetic of the peace lily flower will be a welcome contrast.
18. String of Pearls
Benefits:
- Drought tolerant
- Easy to care
- Purifies air
Shopee: https://shp.ee/g48ytkj
String of pearls (Senecio Rowleyanus) is a beautiful, cascading succulent that will add that little quirk to any house. The plant grows fast and propagates easily and can grow both indoor and outdoor. If you are looking for a beautiful succulent to grow, Senecio Rowleyanus Strings of pearls is a great choice. They are very easy to care for as indoor houseplants.
19. Umbrella Plant
Benefits:
- Low maintenance
- Improves air quality
- Can grow very big, very fast
Shopee: https://shp.ee/q6k6r7j
This non-showy, unassuming plant isn’t on many Pinterest boards, but they’re super easy to care for and would be happy in a sunlight-filled kitchen. Given a healthy dose of sunlight, ample watering, and room to grow, this plant will fill out and take up as much space as needed. Since they require very little maintenance and are more tolerant of dry soil than wetness, you’d be forgiven if you forget about it once in a while. In fact, they don’t need fertilizer at all, and yet they’re considered one of the fastest-growing houseplants!
20. English Ivy
Benefits:
- Filters toxins in the air
- Great medicinal properties
- Helps to remove mold
- Humidified indoor air
- Low maintenance
Shopee: https://shp.ee/jvqnqe3
The English Ivy plant is notable for its lush, evergreen foliage. As an indoor plant, English Ivy should be put in a basket against a wall in proximity to a window, so it has access to sunlight. From an interior design perspective, this house plant would look picturesque hanging from a ceiling or wall, especially if it’s near the sink or bathtub. The English Ivy lends a much-needed tropical wonderland vibe to any washroom, especially those constructed with white and grey marble.