Guide to Indoor Trees: 23 Trees to Grow Indoors

Indoor trees are houseplants that can help purify the air and add to the overall aesthetic of your home. A variety of trees can thrive indoors, including weeping figs, European olive, and lady palm. Before acquiring an indoor tree, consider the amount of light it needs, its level of drought tolerance, and its maximum height.

There are a variety of indoor trees that come in several colors, shapes, and sizes. Here are trees or tall, tree-like plants that can grow indoors under the right conditions:

1. 1. Areca palm (Dypsis lutescens): Place an areca palm in a room with filtered light, and you can grow an indoor tree that reaches up to seven feet tall. It also develops white and purple flowers almost all year, providing a touch of color to your room.
2. 2. Bird of paradise (Strelitzia): Able to grow up to six feet tall, a bird of paradise requires bright sunlight and a humid environment to thrive.
3. 3. Bonsai tree: Bonsai refers to the method of regularly pruning a tree so the plant keeps its small stature, but there are many different species that make good bonsai trees. These are not low-maintenance plants; bonsai trees require constant upkeep.
   
4. 4. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema): The Chinese evergreen has large leaves and is best in indirect sunlight and mild humidity.
5. 5. Clementine tree (Citrus reticulata ‘Clementine’): This citrus tree can grow indoors if you give it plenty of bright sunlight or direct sun. It will also produce sweet orange fruit, which adds another pop of color to your space. It’s one of many fruit trees, including lemon trees, that can work indoors if cared for properly.
6. 6. Common fig (Ficus carica): This fig tree can grow wide or tall—depending on how it’s planted—and can produce fruits as well. It needs lots of bright light to develop well.
7. 7. Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans): While these plants do not grow corn, they do have wide, long leaves that are yellow in the middle and blend outward to green. They prefer indirect sunlight.
8. 8. Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia): The dumb cane has mammoth leaves with thick, white variegation. They can grow over five feet tall, making them a tree plant that complements entryways and living rooms well.
9. 9. European olive (Olea europea): These olive trees are not specifically indoor trees; however, they can live inside for long periods of time. Plant the olive tree in a pot and move it to a patio or porch during the summer and give it lots of direct sunlight.
10. 10. Fiddle-leaf fig tree (Ficus lyrata): The fiddle-leaf fig requires indirect and bright light and has large green leaves on short branches.
11. 11. Fishtail palm (Caryota): The leaves on this indoor tree look like the tails of a goldfish and have a bright green appearance. They need lots of light and water to thrive as a houseplant.
12. 12. Guiana chestnut (Pachira aquatica): Also called a money tree, this indoor plant develops a braided trunk that branches into individual, leafy ends. It requires a lot of water and indirect sunlight.
13. 13. Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa): Similar to other palm trees, the lady palm has long fronds. It performs well in low-light rooms and can grow up to six feet tall and four feet wide, so give it a lot of space.
14. 14. Madagascar dragon tree (Dracaena marginata): These trees sit on spindly trunks with a wide burst of greenery at the top. They need bright, indirect sun to perform well. Dragon trees are toxic to pets, however, so keep them in a pet-free home.
15. 15. Majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis): This tree has long fronds and stems that split out at the base to create a wide pattern. They require a high humidity environment to perform well.
    
16. 16. Norfolk Island pine (Araucaria heterophylla): This tree looks like a small Christmas tree to some, but the Norfolk Island pine is a tropical plant that needs full sun to thrive. Place it in a room with a sun-facing window.
17. 17. Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans): A parlor palm doesn’t require a lot of maintenance: Water it fairly regularly and place it in low-light conditions, and it will thrive.
18. 18. Ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata): The ponytail palm has a trunk that’s thin at the base and tapers up to long, thin leaves that arc like a ponytail. Ponytail palms prefer small amounts of water and need bright light or full sun.
19. 19. Rubber tree (Ficus elastica): This tree is popular because of the variety of different leaf colors it can produce, from a bright green to a deep, almost black, dark green. The rubber plant requires water once a week. Put it somewhere it can receive indirect light.
20. 20. Split leaf (Monstera deliciosa): The split-leaf has wide leaves that look like shiny lily pads, with natural cuts breaking up the surface. They require a lot of light to grow and you should water the plant once a week.
21. 21. Umbrella tree (Schefflera arboricola): When given good light, these plants can reach up to eight feet tall and have tear-shaped leaves that grow around the entire height of the tree.
22. 22. Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina): This ficus tree is easy to maintain, requiring very little water and low-light conditions. You can find it at most plant centers and in home decor shops.
23. 23. Yucca (Yucca elephantipes): The yucca plant has a similar design to a palm tree, but its foliage grows up and out. Like other palm plants, it does best in direct sunlight and does not require much water, as it is a drought-tolerant plant.

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