There’s something quietly radical about growing a houseplant. Tending to a living thing—particularly when the world outside your window feels fast, fractured or fraying—can be both protest and poem. And summer 2025, with its shimmering heat and shifting patterns, offers a chance to rethink the greenery we bring indoors. Not just for the Instagram aesthetic (though, yes, your grid will thank you) but for air, for mood, for presence.
So what should you be growing this summer?
1. The Resilient Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Low-maintenance but lush, the rubber plant is your best mate if you like drama without the tantrums. Its broad, glossy leaves catch the light like lacquered stone. And it doesn’t wilt at the first sign of neglect. Place it near a bright window, water sparingly, and let it do its thing. In the warmer months, it even throws out new leaves like confetti—deep green with a touch of burgundy. A quiet triumph.
2. Calatheas: For Pattern People
If you live for texture, for contrast, for the delicate chaos of design, the calathea family will speak your language. Their leaves are marked like brushstrokes—zebra, peacock, pinstripe—and they fold up at night like prayer hands. Calatheas thrive in humidity, so a bathroom with indirect light is ideal. Or, if you’re the misting type, give them a morning spritz with your coffee. They’re a bit finicky, yes, but the reward is a plant that feels like living fabric.
3. String of Pearls: Sculptural but Playful
For the minimalist with a wink of whimsy, this succulent trails like jewellery from shelves and hanging pots. Its bead-like leaves store water, making it a low-hassle summer stunner. Place it in direct light and water deeply but infrequently. It’s one of those plants that makes you pause—unexpected and charming, like finding a pearl in a drawer you forgot to open.
4. Monstera Deliciosa: The Reliable Icon
It’s been trendy for years now, but don’t mistake popularity for passé. The monstera is still the blueprint for cool, urban greenery. With its split leaves and confident sprawl, it fills space without shouting. Give it room, a moss pole if you’re generous, and watch it stretch towards the light like it’s got somewhere to be. Come summer, growth speeds up, and it’s a satisfying thing to witness: visible change, day by day.
5. Herbs on the Windowsill: Utility Meets Beauty
Sometimes the most stylish choice is also the most sensible. Basil, mint, rosemary—they don’t just smell divine, they serve a purpose. Grow herbs in terracotta pots on your kitchen windowsill, and you’ve got dinner companions as well as décor. Snip a bit for your salad, inhale the green, peppery scent. It’s small-scale self-sufficiency. A soft rebellion against shrink-wrapped supermarket life.
What’s Changed in 2025?
This year, the climate curveballs continue. It’s hotter, yes, but more erratic too. Indoor humidity can spike with unexpected storms, then plummet with the dry blast of AC. The key is adaptability: choose plants that can ride those waves. And consider your microclimates—sun traps, draughts, warm corners. No two homes are the same. No two summers, either.
Also worth noting: there’s a renewed interest in soil health, even indoors. More plant lovers are swapping out basic compost for blends with mycorrhizal fungi or worm castings. The goal? Healthier roots, more resilient growth. If you’re not quite ready for full soil science, start with one thing: better drainage. Terracotta pots with saucers, chunky potting mix, a few pebbles at the base. Simple shifts with big results.
The Emotional Bit
Houseplants in summer are more than interior decoration. They tether us to a rhythm. While everything else speeds up—holidays, projects, plans—plants stay slow. Rooted. They demand attention in the gentlest way. A drooping leaf, a crisped edge, a sudden flush of new growth. Tiny messages in green.
For many, the act of caring for plants becomes a kind of meditation. A way of making peace with silence, with slowness. With being present. And in 2025, that feels more essential than ever.
A Note on Aesthetics
Of course, we still want our spaces to feel like us. That mix of curated and lived-in. Try grouping plants by mood: a tropical corner of monstera, bird of paradise, and caladiums; a desert vignette with aloe, echeveria, and cactus. Or go maximalist—plants on stools, hanging from the ceiling, tucked onto bookshelves. Let your interior become a canopy. A green conversation.
For stunning handmade ceramics to house your new green friends, we love the earthy minimalism at Wolfpaw Co. – organic shapes, tactile finishes, and the kind of quality that lasts beyond trends. Because your plants deserve a home too.
Final Thoughts
Growing houseplants in summer 2025 is not about following rules. It’s about listening—light, water, warmth, your own attention. Some plants will thrive. Some won’t. That’s part of it. Growth is rarely linear, and nature doesn’t rush.
So pick a plant. Or five. Give them names. Talk to them. Water them while your coffee brews. And watch as your space, slowly, becomes something more than the sum of its furniture. Something living. Something patient.
Green, after all, is the colour of hope.