Top 5 Fun and Unique Houseplants for the Classroom

Try these fun and unique houseplants for the classroom that you and the kids will love!

Back-to-school will be here before you know it. After a long year of remote learning, you may be tempted to bring some houseplants into the classroom. Having a couple of houseplants in the classroom will make the space warmer and more inviting as you ease back into the school year. Not only that, but plants can also be very educational and a valuable teaching tool for the kids as well. Now this list will depend on the lighting conditions of your classroom, but for the most part these plants are easy to care for, can tolerate a little bit of neglect, and are a bit more unique than your average pothos (no shade to pothos of course!) Here’s a list of the Best Houseplants for the classroom!

Reasons Why You May Want To Add A Few Houseplants To The Classroom:

• They have stress relieving properties, making them helpful and relaxing for the kids and for yourself as well.
• Houseplants literally breathe life into any space and will green up your environment.
• They are a good teaching tool- their watering can be incorporated into a schedule and they can teach the children about photosynthesis.
• Plants can be a great alternative to the “classroom pet”-the kids can name the plants and rotate their care duties.
• They can nurture a similar satisfaction or even joy for caring for houseplants as we do.

The Best Houseplants For The Classroom

1. Ponytail Palm

This is a very fun and unique houseplant that you and the kids will love. If you have a sunny southern window, this houseplant is a must for the classroom. They rarely require water, due to their large trunks that store their extra water reserves. The Ponytail Palm has a very fun and playful appearance that you and the kids will enjoy having around. They aren’t too difficult to care for, and they come in various sizes from a small tabletop plant all the way up to a large tree!

2. Peperomia Obtusifolia

Nicknamed the “baby rubber plant”, peperomia obtusifolia are an adorable, easy care plant that will happily sit on a ledge, desk, or table and essentially mind their own business. And all the while, keeping your classroom a little brighter and a little greener. What makes them the one of the best houseplants for the classroom? They have thick succulent leaves, so they can tolerate infrequent watering. However, there are some peperomia varieties I’d steer clear from for the classroom, such as the caparata or prostrata, but the obtusifolia is a very laid back plant as long as you do not overwater it. For a deep dive into peperomia care, see my Peperomia 101 Guide!

3. Hawarthia

Is sunlight a bit of an issue in your classroom? Hawarthia are a great choice for low light spaces! Their dark green leaves allow them to tolerate medium to even low light spaces, and they prefer to be neglected on the watering front as well, as they are a member of the succulent family.

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4. Spider Plant

Spider plants are a classic staple in the houseplant world and for good reason! They are hardy, tolerant of medium to even lower light conditions, and they produce adorable pups in the right conditions! These plants typically need the most attention of the other plants on the list so far. This could make them a great teaching tool or weekly activity to get the kids involved. As a bonus, if your plant produces pups, you can even propagate them as a class and do “planty experiments” together! These really are some of the best houseplants for the classroom.

5. Goldfish Plant

We’ll round up this list of the best houseplants for the classroom with the beloved goldfish plant! Your adorable houseplant is sure to be a hit with the kids because its small, orange blooms are in the shape of, you guessed it, a goldfish! As for their care, Goldfish plants prefer bright indirect light and also have small, chubby succulent leaves so they don’t require frequent watering. This makes them one of the easiest and most fun houseplants for the classroom! 

Which of These Classroom Plants Will You Pick Up?

Let me know which of these fun and unique houseplants you’ll be picking up for the classroom! And don’t forget to follow my plant journey on instagram @plantyquirkyblogger for more fun houseplant content!