Kitchen Plants: What to Choose for a Bright Window, Part Shade or a Dark Kitchen

The kitchen isn't the easiest place for plants: it's hot by the hob one minute and chilly from an open window the next, with steam, splashes and little windowsill space. Yet well-chosen plants thrive in kitchens, making them cosier — and herbs on the sill come in handy for cooking. Here's which houseplants to choose for your kitchen depending on the light, where to put them and how to care for them.

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What makes kitchens special

• Temperature swings. Air near the hob heats up while cooking and cools quickly when you air the room. Choose tough plants.
• Steam and grease. They settle on leaves, so kitchen plants need wiping or rinsing more often.
• Light. The window is often busy or curtained, and worktops get little light. Light determines almost every choice.
• Children and pets. Many popular plants — ZZ plant, pothos, dieffenbachia, aloe — are toxic if eaten. Keep them out of reach.

You often read that plants "purify kitchen air". Sealed-chamber experiments do show some uptake of certain substances, but in a normal home the effect is tiny compared with ordinary ventilation and a cooker hood. Kitchen plants are mainly about beauty and mood.

Which plants to choose

For a bright windowsill

• Jade plant (money tree). A succulent that forgives infrequent watering but needs bright light. See how the jade plant flowers.
• Aloe. An easy succulent for a sunny window. Water once the soil is completely dry.
• Kalanchoe. Flowers long and brightly, but only in good light; in shade it stretches and stops blooming.
• African violets. Compact and in bloom almost all year; they like bright indirect light and watering from below.
• Ornamental peppers and citrus. Their bright fruit suits Mediterranean or country-style kitchens, but they need plenty of light.

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For part shade

• Spider plant. One of the toughest: it tolerates temperature swings, grows fast and produces babies on long runners — lovely in a hanging planter.
• Pothos and ivy. Trailing plants you can train along a shelf or hang, keeping the worktop free.
• Begonias. Prefer bright indirect light without direct sun; foliage varieties add patterned leaves.
• Grape ivy (Cissus). A glossy-leaved climber, easy and fast-growing.

For a dark kitchen

• ZZ plant. Copes with low light, dry air and missed waterings. Just don't overwater.
• Snake plant. Strong upright leaves, minimal care.
• Aglaonema. Attractive variegated leaves, grows even away from the window.
• Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra). The name says it all: it survives shade, cold and forgetful owners.

Find a plant for your kitchen among our potted plants.

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A windowsill herb garden

The most useful "kitchen plants" are herbs. But they need more light than ornamental plants: a south- or east-facing window is best, plus a grow light in winter.

• Spring onions. The easiest option: stand a bulb in a glass of water or plant it in a pot.
• Basil. Loves warmth and sun; pinch out the tips to make it bushy.
• Mint and lemon balm. Spread quickly, so give them their own pots.
• Parsley. Slower to grow but crops for a long time.
• Rosemary and thyme. Like bright light, moderate watering and a cool winter.
• Microgreens. Cress, radish and mustard are ready in 7–14 days.

Where to put kitchen plants

• Not by the hob. Heat and oil splashes damage leaves.
• Not by the sink. Detergent splashes harm plants.
• Not on the fridge. It's usually dark up there, and warm air from the back grille dries out the soil.
• Hanging planters and shelves. Save worktop space — ideas in DIY plant pot covers.
• One group instead of scattered pots. Several plants together look neater; see houseplant arrangements.

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Caring for kitchen plants

• Every two or three weeks wipe leaves with a damp cloth or rinse them under a lukewarm shower to remove greasy film.
• Air the room, but keep plants out of cold draughts in winter.
• Water as the soil dries; in a kitchen it may dry faster because of heat from the hob.
• Turn pots towards the light weekly so plants grow evenly.

FAQ

Which plants are best for a kitchen?

Tough ones: spider plant, ZZ plant, snake plant, pothos — and on a bright window, jade plant, aloe and herbs.

Which plants suit a dark kitchen?

ZZ plant, snake plant, aglaonema and cast-iron plant.

Do plants really purify kitchen air?

In a normal home the effect is small. A cooker hood and ventilation clean the air; plants make the kitchen cosier.

Can I put plants on top of the fridge?

Better not: there's little light, and warm air from the grille dries out the soil.

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Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.