1. Snake Plant
2. Pothos
3. Aloe Vera
4. ZZ Plant
5. Spider Plant
6. Bromeliads
7. Moon Cactus
8. Lucky Bamboo
9. Ponytail Palm
10. Peace Lily
Having plants in your living space is a great way to add life and color to the room, but being a plant lover and college student can be quite the challenge. Between classes, studying, and lack of sunlight there are many challenges dealing with the upkeep of plants. Luckily there are several plants that do not require much care and are perfect for a college student living in a dorm room. There are a few things to consider when picking a plant for your dorm room First, it will have to be able to grow indoors and figuring out what kind of light it will need to survive. Below we will discuss the 10 best plants for dorm rooms and why they should be on your going back to school list!
10 Perfect Plants For Your Dorm
1. Snake Plant
Photo via @kellysikkema
A snake plant is a great addition to any room, not just a dorm room. They are amazing at producing oxygen as it is considered to be one of the highest oxygen producing plants. Higher levels of oxygen are shown to help with a deeper sleep and to fight against allergies. They are perfect for a dorm room because as low-light plants they can survive in almost every type of light situation. Also, snake plants do not require frequent watering as they can go up to two weeks without water. The snake plant should be at the top of the list when deciding what plant to place in your dorm room.
2. Pothos
A pothos plant is another great addition for a dorm room. Some benefits of this plant include eliminating odors and purifying the air. They give off an ivy style look without needing much maintenance, making them great indoors. For maintenance, this plant requires little watering, snipping the lower leaves, and it does not require direct sunlight. It is best to keep a Pothos indoors especially during the colder months, which is perfect for a college student as you can keep it outside during the summer months.
3. Aloe Vera
Photo via @feeypflanzen
The aloe vera is another low maintenance plant that will fit perfectly in your dorm room. For thousands of years people have been growing these for medicinal purposes such as healing wounds and treating skin problems. When dealing with the upkeep it only needs watering every 2-3 weeks and it requires artificial light. This works well for a dorm room because there is typically minimal sunlight, but with a simple LED grow light bulb the aloe vera will do very well. Between the low level maintenance and health benefits the Aloe Vera plant is a perfect dorm room plant.
4. ZZ Plant
photo via @pinomadikos
Zamioculcas zamiifolia, otherwise known as the ZZ Plant, is one of the most aesthetically beautiful and easy to care for plants. They are the perfect size to provide just a touch of contained decoration in the home and are easy to notice due to their shiny, rich colored leaves. The ZZ is able to thrive in low light areas and only needs to be watered when the soil becomes dry throughout the pot. They are also helpful with removing compounds such as toluene and xylene from the air.
5. Spider Plant
Photo via @susan_wilksinson
Spider plants are a common plant that you may see in schools or businesses. These plants give the illusion of taking up an ample amount of space as it is very dense. This plant does well with a hung pot, but not necessary if you choose a tall enough pot as a hanging pot can be difficult while living in a dorm room. As far as taking care of a spider plant, watering is only necessary once a week as it holds water in its roots as backup. They are paired well with a grow light as they require bright to moderate indirect sunlight.
6. Bromeliads
Photo via @sasha-kim
Growing a bromeliad is very easy and will bring a vibrant color and texture into your dorm room. This plant gives off the impression that it is difficult to grow but it easily adapts to home conditions. It is also a great plant to pair alongside other plants on this list. The reasoning for this is bromeliads prefer 60% humidity and through transpiration other plants close in proximity convert water into vapor then realize it which helps raise the humidity in that specific area. They should be watered once a week and misted regularly paired with indirect light from a grow light.
7. Moon Cactus
Photo via @scottwebb
The moon cactus is a very small plant that displays beautiful colors including pink, orange, and yellow. This plant requires only 1-2 hours of sunlight and can be placed near a window for proper sunlight requirements... but be careful to not give it too much sunlight as they may get burnt. It only needs watering every two weeks - even less watering is required during the winter months. These plants typically only survive for 6 months to a year, which can make it the perfect plant for one school year in a dorm room.
8. Lucky Bamboo
Photo via @jrmswny
The lucky bamboo is a very easy plant to care for which would make it great for a dorm room. This plant thrives in 65-95 degrees paired with indirect sunlight, but be careful of cold drafts in the winter months as it could dry out. It can be grown in soil or distilled water and should be watered once a week to keep the soil moist. You can even twist different stalks together on this plant to create a unique design that is sure to impress your friends when they enter your dorm room.
9. Ponytail Palm
The ponytail palm is a visually appealing plant that will liven up your dorm room. They are a popular and easy-to-grow indoor plant. They are a forgiving plant as they can endure any indoor plant light conditions in the cold months as long as they are outside during the summer. This makes it a perfect plant to keep with you at school and bring it home for the summer to keep outdoors. Maintaining this plant is quite simple as they require dry soil and only need to be fertilized two times a year. When it comes time to repot your ponytail palm be sure to use a pot that is only an or two wider than your last pot.
10. Peace Lily
Photo via @elizmari_a
The peace lily is a slow growing plant that produces beautiful white blooms up to two times a year. One of the reasons this is a great plant for your dorm room is due to it enhancing air quality. Maintaining the peace lily is an easy task as they do not need much water to thrive and require bright indirect sunlight. If the leaves start to turn pale you may be exposing too much light to your plant and if they receive too much water it will show signs of wilting.
