Large Indoor Plants That Are Easy to Care For

Looking to up your indoor plant game? Think bigger!

Large indoor plants aren’t necessarily harder to take care of than small ones, and they make for stunning centerpieces in living spaces. Whether you’re looking for tall and leafy, bushy and dense, wide and waxy or something larger-than-life, try these large indoor plants next time you’re looking for a new apartment plant!

Indoor plants that grow big

Angel wing begonia

Begonia corallina

This beautiful begonia grows tall and, with the right support, can cover a decent amount of space. It’s also one of the easier varieties of begonias to care for, as it can thrive within a wider range of humidity and sunlight levels than its spotty counterparts.

Looking at those spots is actually one of the easiest ways to identify this particular begonia. The large, angel-wing-shaped leaves are wider than most and are covered in small, silvery spots over a dark green leaf top. Check underneath the leaves for a gorgeous dark red color with hints of yellow present in younger leaves. Occasionally, these begonias will bloom with gorgeous pink bell-shaped flowers growing in clusters, making it a truly remarkable plant to keep in center stage of your home.

You may need a stake to keep the long stalks upright once they reach a foot or two in height, as the weight of the leaves is certainly enough to drag the tops down. You could also use some twine or some plant clips attached to a trellis, or even some string and a couple of stick-on hooks — whatever you end up doing it’s sure to be a beautiful centerpiece. 

Child & pet safe: no

Fiddle-leaf fig

Ficus lyrata

There’s no way we could forget our favorite fiddle-leaf fig, a staple in homes all over the world. 

But really, though, the fiddle leaf fig is a great plant to have in the house. Its veined and wavy-edged leaves are shiny and wide, and they cascade beautifully from a tall, thin stalk. Fiddle-leaf figs will grow well in indirect light, as long as you dust their leaves occasionally to keep them photosynthesizing properly. They aren’t super great with changes in their environment, though, so try to keep the temperature, light and moisture as constant as possible. These are plants that do not like to be moved. They've been known to drop a leaf or two when adapting to new location in new or existing homes.

Child & pet safe: no

Rubber plant

Ficus elastica

Thick, waxy leaves, a hardy stalk, easy-to-care-for qualities — what’s not to love?

The rubber plant, a member of the ficus genus, is one of the easier greens to grow if you aren’t familiar with that particular foliage family. Oval-shaped leaves with dark green tops and lighter bottoms grow straight off its thick trunk, creating a dense and bushy look with an elegant twist. If cared for well, this plant can reach heights of up to 10 feet indoors! There are also several variegated varieties that have become more and more available in recent years.

Fun fact: this plant is called the “rubber plant” because its white, milky sap was used to make the first kinds of rubber just over 2 centuries ago! 

Child & pet safe: no

Weeping fig

Ficus benjamina

Okay, so a lot of figs are on this list, and for good reason!

The weeping fig looks almost nothing like its fiddle-leafed cousin, nor its rubber-plant neighbor, but it’s in the family nonetheless.

This plant’s leaves are smaller, and more oval-shaped — often with striking variegation along the leaf edges. The trunks are small and thin, but they support the plants well enough to give a more tree-like effect than most other figs would. Oftentimes two or three plants are grown right next to each other and their trunks braided as they rise, creating a beautiful canopy of leaves over a gentle gray trunk. 

Child & pet safe: no

African fig tree

Ficus cyathistipula

The African fig tree is, in many ways, very similar to the rubber fig. It’s got similar-looking leaves, though maybe a bit more elongated, and a similar glossy shine. The leaves grow a little more densely, though, which gives this plant a shrub-like effect when grown indoors. Be sure to give it plenty of indirect light, humidity and water, and you’ll have a leafy indoor paradise in no time!

Child & pet safe: no 

Banyan fig

Ficus roy benghalensis

In their native habitats in the Indian subcontinent, these trees can grow to be absolutely massive, reaching heights of upwards of 100 feet with a wide-spreading canopy. 

Indoors, though, you can expect this gorgeous tree to reach anywhere between 5 to 10 feet tall. Its leaves are longer, paler and softer than an African fig’s, giving the plant a softer and more drooping look that’s perfect for a sunny apartment. 

Child & pet safe: no

Bird of Paradise

Strelitzia nicolai

This tall, waxy-leaved plant is sure to transform your apartment into a tropical beachfront paradise, though you’ll need a decent amount of light to keep it shiny and beautiful. It’s not particularly cold tolerant, either, so the hotter and brighter the spot you put it in, the better. 

The leaves of this native South African plant resemble those of the banana tree, earning it the “wild banana” nickname. If you’re lucky, a really healthy strelitzia may even push out a couple of those bright flowers that resemble birds — hence the name “bird of paradise.” Be careful, though, if you have children or pets, as the leaves of this plant are toxic if eaten. 

Child & pet safe: no

If you were waiting for palms to show up on this list, don’t be disappointed! We have a whole article on indoor palms for apartments here!

Good luck!

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Featured photo courtesy Pixabay/Nika_Akin