5 Lucky Houseplants Designers Love for Bringing Good Energy Into a Home – (And They're All Low-Maintenance)
Plus, how to care for these prosperous plants
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Did you know certain houseplants are believed to bring good fortune, prosperity and positive energy into your home – and they’re all surprisingly easy to care for?
From Feng Shui favorites said to boost harmony and abundance, to plants long considered lucky in different cultures, these indoor plants are chosen as much for their symbolic meaning as their good looks.
1. Chinese Money Plant
The Chinese money plant is believed to symbolize wealth, prosperity and good fortune, thanks to its round, coin-like leaves – and many people keep one at home as a living good-luck charm.
In Chinese culture, its flat, circular foliage is associated with abundance, and it’s often gifted as a housewarming plant. Placing a Chinese money plant near entryways is known to welcome positive energy into the home.
Luckily, this lucky houseplant is also one of the easiest to grow indoors. Chinese money plants love bright, indirect light and will reward you with healthy, glossy leaves when positioned near a sunny window (just avoid harsh, direct sun, which can scorch the foliage). Their succulent-like leaves store some moisture, making them fairly forgiving if you forget the occasional watering.
'Keep the plant moist but not soggy,' advises Julie Bawden-Davis, indoor plant expert at Healthy Houseplants. 'You should also fertilize from spring through fall monthly with a well-balanced, organic fertilizer,' she adds. We love this organic fertilizer (available at Amazon)
If your Chinese money plant's leaves are curling, it’s often a sign of heat stress or inconsistent watering. Although they enjoy plenty of light, too much direct sun can cause leaf scorch, while dry soil can lead to drooping or curling leaves. Keeping the soil lightly moist and the plant in a bright-but-gentle light spot will help it thrive.
Another reason this plant is linked to abundance? It’s famously easy to propagate. Mature plants produce little offshoots that can be shared with friends and family – symbolically passing on good fortune, which adds to its reputation as a lucky, generous plant to have in the home.
You can find a Chinese money plant at Walmart.
Julie Bawden-Davis is a garden author and University of California Certified Master Gardener, who has written several gardening books, including Indoor Gardening The Organic Way. In addition to running HealthyHouseplants.com, she shares indoor gardening advice on her YouTube channel @HealthyHouseplants.
2. Aglaonema 'White Kiwi'
With so many Chinese evergreen varieties to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right one for your home. But if you’re choosing with luck in mind, Aglaonema ‘White Kiwi’ is said to be a particularly auspicious option.
In Feng Shui, Chinese evergreens are associated with calm, positive energy and steady good fortune, and their soft, rounded leaves are thought to encourage harmony and gentle growth rather than sudden, disruptive change.
This makes them a popular choice for living rooms, home offices and entryways, where they’re believed to invite welcoming, uplifting energy into the home.
'This plant is said to bring positive energy and good fortune into a space, according to Feng Shui,' Julie explains. 'One of the reasons it is considered such a lucky plant is due to how easy it is to grow,' she adds.
Caring for a Chinese evergreen is straightforward, as Julie notes. They're indoor low light plants, can tolerate short period of drought, and don't grow too quickly, so only require repotting every three years on average.
Their slow, steady growth is also thought to symbolise long-term stability and sustainable prosperity, rather than fleeting bursts of luck.
'It's best to provide medium light and water when the first inch of soil has dried out,' Julie notes. You can use this soil moisture meter from Amazon to identify when it's time to water your Chinese evergreen.
3. Lucky Bamboo
It's no surprise lucky bamboo is on the list of lucky houseplants, it even says it in its name. It earns its luck from Asian cultures that observe it's fast-growing indoor plant nature and easy propagation, among other factors.
However, there are some considerations to keep in mind if you want to make the most of your lucky bamboo.
The number of stalks of your lucky bamboo plant represent different things. For example, one stem is symbolic of a meaningful life, two is luck in love, and three represents happiness and longevity.
You can also place lucky bamboo in certain areas of your home to impact the good fortune it brings, according to Feng Shui. A big part of this is growing lucky bamboo in optimal conditions with plenty of sunlight.
'This plant tends to be grown in water, so make sure to change the water every one to two weeks,' Julie notes. 'Generally, they don’t need to be fertilized if they are being grown in well or tap water. But, if you grow them in RO or filtered water, fertilize very three months with ¼ strength liquid fertilizer put into fresh water,' she advises.
You can purchase a bundle of lucky bamboo stalks from Walmart.
4. Peace Lily
Not only are indoor flowering plants beautiful additions to houseplant displays, bringing color and shape, they can also help set a positive and harmonious energy in your home. Peace lilies – available at The Sill – are a particularly popular choice of lucky houseplant for this reason.
In Feng Shui, peace lilies are thought to purify the air, attract positive energy, and bring peace and calm to interiors when placed with intention, making them a favorite for bedrooms, living rooms, and shared spaces where a sense of balance is desired.
'Peace lilies are known as the resurrection plant, because of their association with death and rebirth,' Julie explains. 'They are also tolerant of drought and will resurrect after not being watered,' she adds.
To care for peace lilies and to keep them blooming, place your peace lily somewhere with bright, indirect lighting. Their elegant white blooms symbolize purity and renewal, and in Feng Shui are believed to encourage emotional healing and long-lasting harmony in the home.
'Despite their tolerance of drought, it is best to keep the soil moist but not soggy,' Julie adds. Prolonged periods of drought may cause a peace lily to turn yellow or cause a peace lily to droop.
Don't forget to deadhead once peace lilies finish flowering. This will encourage new growth and returning blooms, ensuring your home continues to benefit from their lucky, restorative energy.
5. Jade plant
'Jade plant is considered one of the most revered plants to attract wealth and prosperity,' says Julie. This is partly due to the foliage of these plants resembling jade stones, which have long been valued in Chinese culture as symbols of luck, success, and protection.
That's why placing a jade plant in certain areas of your home, such as a workspace or entryway, is a popular practice. Not only this, but it's easy to care for jade plants and keep them happy.
'They are succulents, so let the soil dry before watering,' Julie notes. When watering a jade plant, ensuring it has first dried out will prevent issues of houseplant root rot and stop your jade plant dropping leaves.
'Provide bright light and fertilize every six months with a fertilizer designed for succulents and cacti (from Amazon),' Julie adds.
You can find a jade plant at Walmart.
FAQs
What happens if my lucky houseplant dies?
If your lucky houseplant is dying, it could be interpreted as bad luck. For example, it's a common Feng Shui houseplant mistake to not provide your houseplants with proper care, as it can impact the energy in your home.
To avoid this, make sure to familiarize yourself with the optimal care your lucky houseplant needs and make any adjustments in its growing environment to bring it back to health - such as pruning away discolored foliage and improving your watering regime, for example.
No matter which lucky houseplant you choose for your home, proper care is key – an unhealthy plant won’t bring the energy, prosperity, or positive vibes you’re hoping for. Make sure to avoid common indoor plant mistakes, like overwatering, poor light, or neglect, so your lucky plants can thrive and continue to enhance your space.
Likewise, some Feng Shui practitioners suggest avoiding certain plants, such as cacti, which are thought to bring sharp energy that can counteract the calming and prosperous effects of lucky houseplants.
When cared for properly, lucky houseplants can do more than brighten your décor – they can invite harmony, abundance, and a little daily inspiration into your home. Even a single thriving plant is a reminder that a small, intentional touch of nature can make a big difference in the energy of your space.
