5 Houseplant Trends to Leave Behind — How a Plant Expert Says Styling Your Home’s Greenery Has Evolved for 2025
In general, houseplants are a timeless décor trend but the nuances surrounding their styling are everchanging.
So we reached out to a houseplant expert, who is more than familiar with the ins and outs of styling these potted green accents, to tell us all about the trends that may have once been a popular idea, but don’t make the cut as houseplant trends for 2025.
So without further ado, here are some houseplant design don’ts to leave behind.
1. Olive Trees Indoors
No more suffocating your olive trees indoors, let them beautify your backyard in peace instead.
(Image credit: Plant Drop)
It’s no secret that we love olive trees and the tall, elegant foliage they sprout. Especially when placed in the corner of a living room or by an entryway, these beautiful twiggy trees immediately brighten up the space. However, Dom Butler, founder of Plant Drop, tells us that we might be doing it wrong.
“Olive trees, olea europaea being the botanical name, are outdoor plants from Mediterranean countries,” he notes. “And these trees need ventilation and direct sunlight that can only be achieved outside.
“The look of these trees is beautiful so we see why interior designers style them inside, but they just won’t survive beyond six months. Aside from leading these plants to a withering death, styling them indoors also leads amateur indoor gardeners to believe that growing them indoors is possible. And this in turn leads to them investing a lot of work and money into fostering a tree in the wrong environment.”
So instead of bringing olive trees in, leave them to spruce up your home’s exterior and decorate with tall indoor trees that are known to thrive inside instead.
Dom Butler is the Founder of Plant Drop, an online retailer (plantdrop.co.uk) of statement plants and pots. At Plant Drop, we carefully select greenery to uplift your space, using natural artistry to bring life into your home and elevate your decor. Aligning with the environment, our curated collection of plants are here to reflect the unique character of a space — providing the final piece to round off the home; elevating the aesthetic and experience of any place.
2. Fake Plants
The allure of live houseplants is unrivalled and can’t be replicated with faux foliage.
(Image credit: Derek Swalvell. Design: Zen Architects)
“Fake plants had a moment in 2024. You can understand why — no watering, no care, no loss — but we think no joy,” says Dom.
“They stay the same, they do not have the quality of something that grows and evolves over time,” he notes. “And no matter how real they might look they don’t give you that extra flourish.”
Fake plants just don’t live up to the beauty standard set by live, growing houseplants. And typically, as much as you’d like for your houseplant to camouflage as live foliage, the truth is that they probably don’t.
So if you have a couple of faux houseplants dotted around your home, take this news as the motivation you need to finally start your gardening journey. Begin with low-maintenance houseplants that are easy to care for and before you know it you’ll have a beautiful burgeoning indoor jungle featuring high-maintenance houseplants that showcase your expertise.
3. Moisture Meters
Go back to basics and leave moisture meters behind.
(Image credit: © Flower Council of Holland)
Why are moisture meters a plant trend to leave in 2024? Well, Dom tells us that moisture meters just don’t work.
“It isn’t accurate, nothing tells you how to water as much as feeling the soil with your hands,” he explains. “They can be incredibly misleading which is why we never sell or recommend them.”
Aside from moisture meters lacking accuracy, we also find them to be a bit of an eyesore. Every time we lock eyes with a leggy moisture meter head sticking out from behind the stems, we lose sight of the plant’s natural beauty and it instantly takes away from the aesthetic.
If you’re worried about watering your houseplants and are unsure of what to do in the absence of a moisture meter, don’t be afraid to get your hands a little dirty. Simply touching the surface of your soil and checking to make sure it dries out between waterings happens to be the best practice among most gardening experts. So if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
4. Living Walls
A trailing vine or two can do so much for a bare nook.
(Image credit: Plant Drop)
According to Dom, 2024 should mark the end of living walls. Although pretty, they have become so popular they’ve crossed over from distinctive to mainstream and now border on being overrated.
“Every high street store has one. They just aren’t unique anymore, they are starting to feel like a corporate office cliche,” he says. “They also have little variation or interest to them, often planted with the same green mass of plants.
“Outdoor walls intended for biodiversity are much more appealing. However, they just don’t make the same cutting-edge design statement they once did. Plus, they are incredibly expensive to install and maintain.”
As an alternative, Dom suggests going back to basics. “I believe a vigorous trailing plant in a pot can do just the trick,” he says. So get yourself some trailing houseplants and if you’re looking for a style that makes more of a statement, indoor plant corners will never fail you.
5. Giving Plants Human Names
Maybe not every houseplant needs a kitschy name of its own.
(Image credit: Dion Robeson. Design: Suzanne Hunt Architect)
Dom points out that human names on plants are not the charming trend they once were and truth be told, this is a hot take we can get behind.
“It was cute the first time someone did it, but it has become a bit of a marketing trope,” he explains. “And while it helps people talk about popular plants that have complicated botanical names, it can also feel like dumbing down.
“These plants already have colloquial names that are easy to master, and rather than prescribing human names on these plants, isn’t it better for the new owner to name the plant something that speaks to them? It is far more genuine when someone who has kept a plant for many years and has an affinity to it gives it a name, rather than the shop that sold it.”
At the end of the day, the creative license lies with you but we’re going to pass on human names for plants in 2025. And if you do want to bless your houseplant with a moniker, ban the basic and go personal instead.
Plants to Buy into for 2025
Price: £8
Size: 25 to 35 cm
Monsteras are effortlessly cool and have beautiful perforated leaves that instantly elevate a space. So when it comes to styling monsteras, keep it simple and let the plant do its thing.
Price: £8
Size: 25 to 35 cm
Money tree plants are one of the best plants to treat your home to in 2025. Aside from sporting striking glossy leaves, they also happen to be Feng Shui-approved. So good energy here we come.
Price: £18
Pot Size: 12 cm
Fiddle leaf fig care does call for a bit of effort but the results are well worth it all. They happen to be one of the chicest houseplants around and when styled right they are capable of becoming perfect focal foliage features.
And there we have it. These are the plant trends we will not be linking arms with in 2025. In their place, we will be welcoming refreshing new aesthetics that will take decorating with houseplants to a whole new level.
So let’s have a moment of silence to put these trends to rest and move forward with the mindset of making indoor jungles as chic as they can be this year.
