A tall, lush houseplant is a fantastic way to make a statement in your living space. Tall houseplants add pops of color and beauty to otherwise dull or unsightly spaces. There are lots of tall houseplants to choose from, each with its own attractiveness and unique features.
Why Tall Houseplants?
A tall houseplant can:
- Cover up unsightly corners or views
- Be a centerpiece or focal point
- Enhance and enrich the character of a living space
- Add a tropical/jungle vibe
- Improve vertical height
The 15 Best Tall Indoor Plants
Here are 15 of our favorite tall houseplants that anyone can keep in their home:
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
This ficus species is elegant and graceful. Weeping figs have light brown trunks that are often braided for additional ornamental interest. The foliage grows densely at the upper portion of the trunk, creating a cone-shaped figure.
Weeping figs are treasured by houseplant enthusiasts for their arching branches that earn them the “weeping” name. The leaves are on the small side and glossy with pointed tips. They grow abundantly along the stems, but there is still significant space between them, creating an airy, ethereal appearance.
- Mature Height: 6-10 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, consistently warm, humid environment. Tolerates low light.
- Options
- “Golden King” has glossy green leaves with yellow or cream-colored borders
- “Starlight” features mostly cream-colored leaves with patches of green
Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
The foliage of the money tree is eye-catching and intriguing. The leaves grow in whorled groups of 5-9 lance-shaped dark green leaflets, which originate from a central point. The leaf whorls get quite large, with the narrow pointed leaflets fanning out to great lengths.
Money tree trunks usually consist of 3-7 tree stems braided together. This adds significantly to the overall aesthetic and creates a remarkable houseplant centerpiece or focal point. In addition to being extremely attractive, the money tree is thought to bring good luck and fortune to all who plant it or have it in their home.
- Mature Height: 6-8 feet
- Care Level: Moderate
- Basic Needs: High humidity, bright indirect light, temperatures above 60F
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
This tropical gem adds a real jungle feel without being overbearing. It is smaller than most of the other houseplants on this list, but it makes up for it in its vibrant green coloring and lush foliage. Parlor palms thrive in many places where other houseplants struggle – they’re highly adaptive.
The green frond foliage of the Parlor palm is light green with a delicate, airy texture that is elegant and pleasing. The plant grows multiple stems which droop slightly as they spread out. Parlor palms easily grow 2-3 feet wide. Even though it looks graceful and even a bit fragile, it is a robust houseplant and easy to maintain.
- Mature Height: 4-7 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Low or medium indirect light, medium humidity, warm climate
Umbrella Plant (Heptapleurum actinophyllum, formally Schefflera actinophylla)
Also known as the Octopus Tree due to its unusual and distinctive foliage, the Umbrella tree is a stunner as a houseplant. The rich green leaves grow in compounds (groupings) of 7-16 leaflets that droop down to form an umbrella shape. Or, like octopus tentacles.
The overall appearance of the Umbrella plant is lush and dense, giving off a strong tropical or jungle feel. This tall houseplant is also almost kill-proof, making it an optimal choice for anyone.
- Mature Height: 3-6 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: High humidity, bright indirect light
Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)
This enormously popular houseplant gained its huge following after home stagers used them to brighten up minimalist-styled interiors. The glossy green leaves and tall structure give off a striking aesthetic statement in any space they occupy.
Fiddle leaf fig trees grow long trunks, and their foliage is concentrated at the top. This creates a very bushy, lush appearance that stands out in a living room or kitchen. The foliage is dense with massive uplifted deep green leaves.
Several fiddle leaf figs assembled in one spot radiate a real jungle-like vibe. This is especially true if you have several different-sized ones, so the foliage grows at different levels.
- Mature Height: 8-10 feet
- Care Level: Moderate
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, consistently warm, humid environment
- Options: The Compacta, Bambino, and Suncoast cultivars grow 3-4 feet tall; great if you’re looking for something slightly smaller but still outstanding.
Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
The enormous glossy and leathery leaves of the rubber plant are so extraordinary they almost don’t look real. Rubber plants are real stars of whatever space they occupy. Their leaves are darker and glossier than their fiddle-leaf cousin, and they’re easier to care for since they do well in low-light situations.
While the fiddle leaf fig grows bushy, the rubber plant foliage is more deliberate. The leaves appear along the stem in a balanced fashion, which creates an exquisite and rather sophisticated appearance.
- Mature Height: 7-10 feet
- Care Level: Moderate
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light and a consistently warm, humid environment
- Options
- “Tricolor” features variegated green, pink, and cream foliage
- “Tineke” leaves are dark and light green with cream-colored edges and pink stems.
- “Doescheri” has light and dark green leaves with cream-colored blotches all along the edges. The central part of the leaves look a bit like camouflage.
- “Burgundy” foliage is so deep and dark burgundy that it borders on black. In contrast, the stems are red.
- “Red Ruby” leaves are dark green with purple, red, and white variegation.
- “Black Prince” foliage is an intense dark green that looks black from a distance.
- “Yellow Gem” features leaves with green centers and golden yellow-green borders.
Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)
One of the best accent pieces, the Swiss Cheese plant is lush, vibrantly green, and incredibly attractive. It has massive heart-shaped leaves with large holes (fenestrations) or splits in them, which add abundant character. The leaves can reach up to 2′ wide!
Swiss cheese plants are more vining than tree-like. If you provide them with a strong structure, they will happily climb up it to great heights. Swiss cheese plants grow outwards as much as they grow upwards. In the right conditions, they easily reach 8 feet wide – make sure you have the room before acquiring this houseplant.
- Mature Height: 6-12 feet
- Care Level: Moderate
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, warm and humid climate
- Options:
- “Albo Variegata” features green and white variegated leaves
- “Thai Constallation” foliage is multiple shades of green with creamy white dots and splashes across it.
Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
Don’t let the common name of this plant deter you from getting it. Corn plants are elegant, tall, and stately. They make a stunning centerpiece or focal point plant.
The Corn plant grows with one or more stems (canes), and each stem has a crown of long, deep green, lance-shaped leaves fanning outward. New leaves only form at the top, so it keeps the distinctive crowned shape. The stems are pale gray, thick and woody, and a vivid contrast to the vibrant foliage.
- Mature Height: 8-12 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, high humidity
- Options
- “Massangeana” features rich green leaves with a yellow stripe down the center
- “Victoria” has green leaves with a yellow stripe, like the “Massangeana,” but the leaves are much shorter and the yellow stripe bolder.
- “Lemon Lime” foliage is dark green in the center with light-green stripes on both edges.
- “Lemon Surprise” features lime green leaves with dark green centers and thin white stripes between them. The main draw to this cultivar, though, is its twisting, curling leaves. “Lemon Surprise” only grows 2-3 feet tall.
- “Warneckii” foliage is variegated with dark green leaves and creamy white stripes. This is also a shorter variety, averaging 2 feet tall.
- “Limelight” leaves are all electric lime green.
- “Hawaiian Sunshine” has dark-green leaves with a lime-green stripe down the center.
- “Bausei” foliage is dark green with white stripes down the center.
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
This uniquely stunning houseplant thrives on neglect, which makes it an excellent choice for beginner houseplant growers. Or for folks with minimal time for plant care. The ponytail palm has a thick, swollen brown trunk and a bush of thin, dark green leaves on top. It looks like the foliage is cascading over the stem like a fountain or waterfall.
The aesthetic of this houseplant is actually very Dr. Seuss-like with its bizarre foliage – it could be a mop of green hair or the top of a cartoon tree. Ponytail palms are slow growers and will live for decades if given the proper care.
- Mature Height:
- Care Level:
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, medium humidity
- Options:
- “Albomarginata” features green leaves with yellow striping on the edges.
Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata, formally Sanseveiria trifasciata)
This super popular low-key houseplant can grow to great heights with the proper attention and space. Snake plants have broad sword-like dark green leaves with sharp points. They grow upright, with each leaf stretching straight up. Some even develop a slight curve as they grow, which is very attractive.
Snake plants are succulents that store water in their leaves. This is one of the reasons their care is so easy. They can go for a very long time without being watered. In fact, over-care is the number one killer of the snake plant.
- Mature Height: 4-6 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Medium indirect light
- Options
- “Laurentii” features variegated dark green, light-green, and cream-colored foliage with bright yellow-green edges.
- “Bantel’s Sensation” foliage features alternating white and green stripes.
- “Moonshine” has almost solid gray-green leaves with dark green edges.
Mini Monstera (Rhaphidophora terasperma)
This isn’t actually a Monstera plant, but it sure does look similar. The leaves are lush, deep green, and widely split along the edges. Mini Monstera plants are long vining plants like their namesake that will grow to great heights given the opportunity.
The mini Monstera is a striking ornamental and gives off a deep jungle vibe as it goes up a support or across a beam. It doesn’t get as wide as the true Monstera, which is one reason it is so adored. This is the Monstera look without the loss of interior real estate that a Monstera takes.
- Mature Height: 5-12 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Bright, indirect light, high humidity
Elephant Ear (Alocasia)
The gigantic heart-shaped (or elephant-ear-shaped) leaves of this houseplant are downright stunning. If you’re looking for an absolute showstopper, attention-grabbing centerpiece plant, this is it. A single leaf on these plants can reach up to 2 feet wide, and they grow singularly at the end of long 3-5 foot long stems.
There are many Alocasia species and cultivars to choose from, each with its own stunning leaf design. A subgroup of this species is called the “Jewel Alocasias” due to their attractiveness as houseplants. Alocasias are dramatic houseplants!
- Mature Height: 3-6 feet
- Care Level: Medium to High
- Basic Needs: High humidity, warm climate, bright indirect light
- Options
- Alocasia amazonica “Ivory Coast” grows up to 4 feet tall and features wavy-edged arrow-shaped leaves with white veins.
- Alocasia baginda “Dragon Scale” averages 3 feet in height and grows spectacular silver-green leaves with rich dark-green veins that make the leaves look like they have scales.
- Alocasia zebrina features pure green shield-shaped leaves, but the real draw is the stems – they’re striped black and yellow. This variety grows up to 3 feet tall.
- Alocasia zebrina “Reticulata” also has the black and yellow striped stems, but the leaves have an unusual and unique light and dark green pattern. This Alocasia also grows up to 3 feet.
- Alocasia macrorrhiza “Stingray” has the same striped stems as A. zebrina, but the leaves are very different. They’re bright green, rounded, and have a long tail-like growth at their tip. The Stingray grows 3-5 feet tall.
- Alocasia macrorrhiza “Giant Taro” is one of the largest varieties, with an average height of 6 feet and a width ranging from 3-5 feet. The leaves are enormous, shiny green, and arrow-shaped. They grow slightly crinkled or wavy, especially around the edges.
- Alocasia wentii features dark green heart-shaped leaves with burgundy undersides. It grows 3-4 feet tall.
- Alocasia lauterbachiana “Purple Sword” is notable for its long, narrow leaves with scalloped edges – they look very much like swords. The tops of the leaves are rich green, and the undersides are metallic purple. This variety grows up to 4 feet tall and just as wide.
- Alocasia portei, also known as the Malaysian Monster, is extremely dramatic with its 5-8 foot growth and deeply lobed dark green leaves.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae)
This unusual tropical gem is regal as a houseplant. Specimens grown outdoors are known for their stunning bird-like and brightly colored flowers. However, indoor Birds of paradise probably won’t bloom. But it’s still a spectacular houseplant due to its broad, tall, dark-green, and glossy foliage.
The leaves grow upright, like the snake plant, adding a vertical aesthetic that is as striking as it is charming. Birds of paradise are related to banana plants and are often confused with them.
- Mature Height: 4-8 feet
- Care Level: Easy
- Basic Needs: Bright indirect light, temperatures above 70F, and high humidity
Majesty Palm (Ravena rivularis)
The majesty palm is a robust tropical plant with super attractive feathery palm fronds. Majesty palm leaves start growing from the trunk and then form a dense crown at the top o the plant. The foliage is bright green and arches downwards from several slender stems.
At full maturity, this houseplant truly is a majestic plant. Place it somewhere it can be easily seen and admired – it’s an excellent corner plant, and its size hides all types of interior imperfections.
- Mature Height: 8-15 feet tall.
- Care Level: Easy/Moderate
- Basic Needs: Normal to high humidity, bright indirect light
Fishtail Palm (Caryota mitis)
The leaves of this stunning and tall houseplant resemble a jagged fishtail. It’s pretty unique and really stands out in any living space. The leaves are bright green, wide like fans, and grow densely. They make a fantastic privacy screen once the tree is large enough.
- Mature Height: 6-8 feet
- Care Level: Moderate/Difficult
- Basic Needs: Extremely bright indirect light, temperatures above 65F, and medium to high humidity.
Conclusion
Many houseplants grow for a long time, but tall tree species easily live for 20-50 years. When you’re choosing a tall plant specimen, think of the long term and how it will fit in your home. All of these tall houseplants will add a stunning and unique quality to your living space that you’ll surely treasure for decades.
