Home Gardening House Plants 16 Colorful, Mood-Boosting Houseplants to Brighten Your Space These cheerful indoor plants will perk up any room. By Debbie Wolfe Debbie Wolfe Debbie Wolfe is an author and freelance writer who specializes in home and garden, food and cooking, parenting, and travel topics. She is also an accomplished photographer and is currently the senior visual editor for Dotdash Meredith. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on April 6, 2023 Fact checked by Isaac Winter Fact checked by Isaac Winter Isaac Winter is a fact-checker and writer for Real Simple, ensuring the accuracy of content published by rigorously researching content before publication and periodically when content needs to be updated. Highlights: Helped establish a food pantry in West Garfield Park as an AmeriCorps employee at Above and Beyond Family Recovery Center. Interviewed Heartland Alliance employees for oral history project conducted by the Lake Forest College History Department. Editorial Head of Lake Forest College's literary magazine, Tusitala, for two years. Our Fact-Checking Process Share Tweet Pin Email Colorful indoor plants will not only brighten up any dreary space, but they may also improve your mood—whether they are amazingly realistic fake plants or natural ones. It's well known that color can affect our moods, and a 2015 study indicates that houseplants may reduce psychological and physiological stress. If you are looking for a way to add a pop of color to your home and lift your mood at the same time, consider adding one of these colorful, mood-boosting houseplants to your home. chulii/Getty Images 5 Fail-Proof Plant Combinations for a Gorgeous Front Yard 01 of 16 Geogenanthus Costa Farms Although geo is a dark foliage plant, its purple-black color makes it a standout for bright white or boldly colorful spaces. Justin Hancock, a horticulturist at Costa Farms, says that geo does prefer average to above-average humidity. "It's a good choice for kitchens, bathrooms, terrariums, or other places there's a bit more moisture in the air." Light: Medium to high Water: Medium, but high humidity Color: Dark purple 02 of 16 Baltic Blue Pothos Costa Farms Pothos plants are one of the easiest indoor plants to grow, and Baltic blue is absolutely a showstopper for bright spots. Featuring elongated bluish-green leaves and a trailing growth habit, Baltic blue is a lovely addition to a room with bright, indirect light. "It's especially effective in a living room, den, or other space where you can let it grow vertically, so the leaves become bigger and even more fenestrated with time," says Hancock. Light: Medium to highWater: Medium, but allow to dry in between wateringsColor: Blue-green 03 of 16 Silver Dragon Alocasia Costa Farms Featuring thick green leaves with a silver overlay, silver dragon alocasia makes an elegant addition to your house plant collection. Hancock says it makes an excellent partner for geo due to similar growing needs, and they look great together.Light: Medium to high Water: Medium, but high humidityColor: Silvery green 04 of 16 Global Green Pothos Costa Farms This brightly colored pothos is a new variety that features lovely green-on-green variegation. "We've found it's just as tolerant to a range of light and humidity conditions as good old-fashioned golden pothos—just with a fresh new look," says Hancock.Light: Tolerates low light, but grows best in medium and high lightWater: Medium, but allow to dry in between wateringsColor: Variegated green on green 05 of 16 Schumi Red Peperomia This plant beauty offers metallic red-purple leaves with an interesting corrugated texture. It will provide a burst of color in a bright corner of your home. "It's a small houseplant, which makes it a perfect workmate on your desk," says Hancock.Light: Medium to high Water: Medium Color: Reddish purple How to Use Plants to Enhance Your Home's Feng Shui 06 of 16 Stromanthe Plant Greendigs Stromanthe will convert you to a pink person. This pastel, variegated beauty features a pretty combination of pinks, creams, and greens. "We're suckers for plants in motion," says Sadie Oldham, the brand director at Greendigs. "As daylight fades, Stromanthe leaves raise toward the skies, showing off not just their mobility, but the striking color under their leaves." Light: Medium to high Water: Medium, but high humidity Color: Variegated green with pink, cream, and purple 07 of 16 Moonlight Philodendron Greendigs Moonlight philodendron features frilly, deeply cut leaves in brilliant green. Like other philodendrons, it's easy to grow virtually anywhere. "Any plant that gives this much greenery without demanding much in return is worth having in your home," says Oldham. Light: Tolerates low light but will thrive in medium to high lightWater: Medium, but allow to dry in between wateringsColor: Lime green 08 of 16 Dragon Tree Greendigs The dragon tree is a slow-growing and maintenance-free plant—perfect for a beginner plant parent. It features long green and pink spiky leaves with pops of pink on its edges. "Its versatility means that the dragon tree is great as the center of attention, but it also slips neatly into a quiet corner," says Oldham. Light: MediumWater: MediumColor: Green and pink 09 of 16 Anthurium Greendigs Anthurium features long-lasting, bold red blooms contrasted by large, glossy leaves. "Every home has a spot that needs a plant with diva status, and this is where your anthurium goes," says Oldham. This plant does need attention, but will reward you with its eye-catching flowers.Light: Bright, indirect lightWater: Medium, but high humidityColor: Green leaves with bold red blooms 10 Indoor Flowering Plants to Add Color to Your Home 10 of 16 Echeveria 'Pink Frills' Greendigs Echeveria 'Pink Frills' features plump, rose-shaped compact leaves. It's almost hard to believe it is a succulent. "It's no surprise that it's popular with interior decorators, florists, and wedding planners alike," says Oldham. Like other echeveria, 'Pink Frills' will reward you with delicate blooms in the spring if you give it what it needs. Light: Bright, high lightWater: Low, allow soil to dry out completely between wateringsColor: Green and dusty rose 11 of 16 Begonia Maculata Anastasiia Tretiak This colorful houseplant features some seriously show-stopping leaves, with silver polka dots on top, and bold crimson beneath—and eventually, white or pink flowers will bloom, too. Keep this in a warm, sunny, and humid environment, to match its tropical origins. Light: Bright, indirect lightWater: Medium, but high humidityColor: Green, silver, and red, with white or pink flowers The Polka Dot Begonia: Too Cute to Be Real? 12 of 16 Raven ZZ Plant AnSyvanych/Getty Images If your ideal houseplant color is more dramatic than bright, the rich black leaves of the raven ZZ plant will be a perfect addition to your plant collection. (Note that new growth is bright green, before mellowing out to that black hue.) Like most ZZ plants, it's a low-maintenance, easy-care houseplant, which can survive in low-light conditions, but thrives in brighter light. Bonus: In feng shui, this plant can bring wealth and good fortune. Light: Tolerates low light but will thrive in medium to high lightWater: Low, allow soil to dry out completely between wateringsColor: Green and dark purple-black 13 of 16 Prayer Plant Andrey Nikitin/Getty Images Known officially as Maranta leuconeura, the prayer plant will brighten up your home with its boldly striped leaves, which feature striking red veins and yellow patches beside the deep, emerald green. For the prayer plant to thrive, give it an environment similar to its Brazilian roots—warm and humid, with moist soil and indirect light. (It can also take low light conditions as well.) Light: Bright, indirect light, tolerates low lightWater: Medium, but allow to dry in between wateringsColor: Green, red, and yellow 14 of 16 Rose Succulents VinStoreFinds/Etsy.com If you're looking for colorful plants, succulents can come in an array of bright hues that'll go with any decorating style. But the rose succulents, which feature a pretty pink hue and a rose-like shape, may be the perfect way to "gift" roses that'll last. Like many succulents, these are pretty low-maintenance plants, requiring low humidity, with bright, but indirect light. Let the soil dry out between waterings. Light: Bright, high lightWater: Low, allow soil to dry out completely between wateringsColor: Dusty rose 15 of 16 Prince of Orange Philodendron The Sill New leaves on this pretty philodendron start out a shocking yellow-orange before mellowing out to green. It'll grow up to two feet tall, so find the perfect corner for it to brighten up. Light: Bright, indirect lightWater: Medium, but allow to dry in between wateringsColor: Green, yellow, and orange 16 of 16 Coleus This low-maintenance plant is a favorite addition to large outdoor planters, but its beautifully variegated leaves make it a striking colorful houseplant, too. You can find variations that present with yellow, cream, pink, burgundy, and purple leaves. The plant can handle bright sunlight, as long as it's sheltered during the midday hours when the light is strongest, when it can fade or even burn the leaves. It thrives in moist soil, so make sure you water it regularly. Light: Bright lightWater: MediumColor: Burgundy, pink, purple, yellow, cream, or green Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit Sources Real Simple is committed to using high-quality, reputable sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts in our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we fact check our content for accuracy. Lee MS, Lee J, Park BJ, Miyazaki Y. Interaction with indoor plants may reduce psychological and physiological stress by suppressing autonomic nervous system activity in young adults: a randomized crossover study. J Physiol Anthropol. 2015;34(1):21. doi:10.1186/s40101-015-0060-8