As you might already know, most plants are more than just a pretty sight. Many of them serve several purposes, such as releasing a sweet or calming fragrance, removing toxins from the air, adding flavor to your favorite dish, and more. Some flowers and ferns, for example, simply make your space more comfortable as they boost productivity, reduce stress, and promote positive or creative energy. By keeping one or more of these plants near your favorite place to work and create, it's possible that you can increase your natural ability to paint, write, draw, design, or simply give time to your favorite hobby.
As explained by Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, plants have been proven to help our minds in a few different ways. Being outdoors or near plant life can help us concentrate and improve our memory. This creates a positive work environment that increases our energy and our ability to think through difficult tasks and decisions. If you're interested in boosting your creative energy, consider growing a few of these plants in your favorite outdoor workspace or bring them into your office.
Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) add some drama to any room you grow them in. This Ficus species boasts large, glossy leaves that look like they're made out of rubber, hence its common name, as per Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center. If you're feeling a bit stuck in your creative process, this plant's unique look can help inspire you.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
The cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) is a gorgeous flowering species that boasts bright red, star-shaped flowers and fern-like leaves. It can grow quite tall, up to 20 feet high, but it needs to be supported by a trellis or something else it can climb on, as explained by North Carolina State Extension. It could make a great addition to your favorite outdoor sitting area.
Bloom Season: Summer and fall
Size: 15 to 20 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide
One of the things marigolds (Tagetes spp.) are known for symbolizing is creativity. According to Clemson Cooperative Extension, these flowers are easy to grow and they bloom all season. For this fact, you should grow marigolds in your garden to heighten your creative energy when you're feeling burnt out.
USDA Growing Zone: 2 to 11 as an annual
Soil Type: Well-drained and loamy
Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall
The pothos plant (Epipremnum aureum) is recommended for all kinds of uses relating to energy, health, and productivity. As The Sill explains, this leafy, vining houseplant is great at filtering toxins out of the air. This means, no matter what, adding pothos to your plant collection is a good idea. Even if you don't feel its energy, you still know that it's making your space healthier.
Bloom Season: Does not flower
Size: 6 to 10 feet long when grown indoors
Silver dollar eucalyptus (Eucalyptus cinerea) is well-known for its fragrant leaves that emit a fresh and relaxing scent. The broadleaf evergreen tree grows extremely tall in nature, but it's easy to raise as a small houseplant or outdoor plant when it's planted in a container. Be sure that you provide your eucalyptus plant with warm temperatures, full sunlight, and well-draining soil, as told by Oregon State University.
Soil Type: Well-draining loam or sand
Size: Up to 50 feet, much smaller when container-grown
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) is a plant with several uses. You can grow it as an herb, an ornamental plant, or to remember your creativity. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, rosemary plants look great in containers, border gardens, rock gardens, or wall-side borders. You should plant yours in an area where it will be valuable to you.
Bloom Season: Spring and summer
Soil Type: Well-draining chalk, loam, clay, or sand
Size: Up to 8 feet tall and wide
The snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata) is a somewhat tall-growing plant that is loved for its unique look, low-maintenance habit, and ability to thrive almost anywhere. A snake plant in your home or garden can help remind you to keep going and growing just like it does. As mentioned by Penn State Extension, the snake plant has lots of different species and cultivars. You can pick one that reflects your style.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to partial shade
Size: 6 inches to 3 feet tall
Money trees (Pachira aquatica) are native to Central and South America, where they reach staggering heights in their original environment. Potted money trees grow much smaller. As said by the University of Arizona, this tree is thought to harbor positive energy that can bring you more success when you grow it in your home.
Growing Conditions: Partial shade or indirect sunlight
Soil Type: Evenly moist, rich, and well-draining
Size: 16 to 20 feet tall, much smaller grown indoors
The bamboo palm (Dypsis lutescens) is a widely used tropical plant that features large, arching green fronds. It is among the most popular houseplants, according to North Carolina State Extension, because it can purify the air inside your home. It's also popularly used outdoors as it grows several feet tall and casts some shade.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Size: Up to 10 feet tall
Air plants (Tillandsia spp.) are a trendy genus of epiphytic plants that can grow just about anywhere. Most Tillandsia species do not need any soil or direct sunlight. As long as you can provide them with weekly misting or watering sessions and a bright spot to live in, as suggested by Penn State Extension, these unique specimens can live for some time.
Bloom Season: Only bloom once
Growing Conditions: Partial shade or indirect sunlight
Soil Type: Does not grow in soil
The prayer plant (Maranta leuconeura) is a herbaceous perennial that has a strange habit that gives it its common name. During the day the plant's flat, ovate leaves are open as they welcome the sunlight. At night they close together like praying hands, per the Missouri Botanical Garden. Consider growing your own prayer plant, and allow its movement to inspire your creativity.
Bloom Season: Spring to summer
Soil Type: Well-draining, humusy, and moist
Size: 6 to 12 inches tall and wide
Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) are an easy-to-grow option for busy plant owners that enjoy the sight of a beautiful, fragrant flower, but don't have much time to care for it. According to Clemson's Home & Garden Information Center, there are many different species and cultivars of peace lilies. It's easy to find an option that matches your energy for a creative boost in your work.
Whether you're an artist, a writer, a designer, or another type of creative, you can't go wrong when you buy a jade plant (Crassula argentea). This succulent, known for its perseverance under all kinds of conditions, as described by the University of Florida, acts as a constant reminder of your hard work and dedication to your craft so you can keep going even when you're stuck.
Growing Conditions: Full sun to full shade
Size: 2 to 4 feet tall and 1 to 3 feet wide
Lavender plants (Lavandula angustifolia) are recognized for their natural calming fragrance that brings you back down to earth when you're feeling stressed. As explained by the Missouri Botanical Garden, lavender flower petals are commonly used in potpourris and sachets for you to smell for hours. A creative person who is creating their own mental blocks can benefit from growing this plant to calm down.
Size: 3 feet tall and 4 feet wide
The Chinese banyan bonsai tree (Ficus microcarpa) is a ficus plant that grows extremely tall in its native habitat. However, most Chinese banyan tree owners keep theirs in a small pot and raise it as a bonsai tree, explains North Carolina State Extension. Raising a bonsai tree can be useful for increasing your creative energy as it reduces stress and positively affects your productivity.
Bloom Season: Rarely flowers indoors
Soil Type: Well-draining loam or sand
Size: 40 feet tall outdoors, smaller when grown indoors