The kitchen is one of the most underrated rooms for houseplants. It's often the warmest, most humid room in the home — thanks to cooking, boiling, and washing up — and many kitchens have good light too. Add greenery here and you get the bonus of useful herbs within arm's reach, trailing plants softening the cabinets, and a fresher, more alive space where you spend a lot of your day. Here's how to green up a kitchen, whatever its light.

#Why kitchens suit plants

Two conditions make kitchens good plant homes:

  • Warmth and humidity. Cooking and running water raise the temperature and moisture, which many tropical plants love — a happy alternative to the dry air of a heated living room.
  • Often decent light. Many kitchens have a window over the sink or a bright breakfast area.

The main thing to work around is heat and drafts — keep plants away from the direct blast of the stove or oven and from cold air by an often-opened back door.

#Herbs for a sunny windowsill

If your kitchen window is sunny, the most rewarding kitchen plants are culinary herbs — pretty, fragrant, and useful:

  • Basil, mint, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, and rosemary all grow indoors on a bright sill.
  • They need lots of light — most want around 6 hours of direct sun, so a bright south- or west-facing window is ideal. In a dimmer kitchen, herbs get leggy and weak, and do far better under a small grow light.
  • Harvest regularly by pinching the tips, which keeps them bushy — the same principle as pruning houseplants.
  • Water when the top of the soil dries and use pots with drainage.

Fresh herbs by the stove are one of the genuine joys of a kitchen garden.

#Easy trailers for cabinets and shelves

Kitchens are full of high spots — the tops of cabinets, open shelves — perfect for trailing plants that spill down and soften the hard lines:

  • Pothos — the go-to; tough, fast, and happy in a range of light. See pothos care.
  • Heartleaf philodendron — just as easy, draping beautifully. See philodendron care.
  • Spider plant — arching, pet-safe, and it makes free babies. See spider plant care.
  • String of hearts — a delicate cascade for a brighter spot.

See more options in best hanging plants.

#Humidity-lovers that enjoy the steam

The extra moisture in a kitchen suits plants that crave humidity and often struggle elsewhere:

  • Ferns — Boston and bird's nest ferns enjoy the humidity (and are pet-safe). See Boston fern care.
  • Pothos and philodendrons — thrive in the warm, humid air.
  • Calatheas and prayer plants — humidity-lovers that can do well in a bright, humid kitchen (mind their water quality). See prayer plant care.

#Tough plants for a low-light kitchen

If your kitchen is short on natural light, stick to genuinely low-light-tolerant plants:

  • Snake plant — nearly unkillable and fine in low light. See snake plant care.
  • ZZ plant — glossy, tough, shade-tolerant. See ZZ plant care.
  • Cast iron plant and pothos also cope well.

See best low-light houseplants. And remember: for herbs and light-lovers in a dim kitchen, a small grow light works wonders.

#Kitchen plant care tips

  • Mind the heat. Keep plants away from the direct heat of the stove, oven, and toaster — hot, dry blasts scorch leaves.
  • Watch for grease. Cooking can leave a film on leaves; wipe them occasionally so they photosynthesise well — see cleaning leaves.
  • Use pots with drainage (or a nursery pot inside a decorative one) — see choosing the right pot — and never let pots sit in water on the counter.
  • Consider pets. If pets roam the kitchen counters, favour pet-safe plants like spider plants and ferns — see pet-friendly houseplants.
  • Keep herbs picked and rotate plants toward the light for even growth.

#The bottom line

A kitchen's warmth, humidity, and light make it a genuinely great — and useful — place for plants. Grow herbs on a sunny sill for fresh flavour, trail pothos and spider plants from the cabinets, let ferns enjoy the steam, and fall back on snake plants and ZZ plants if the light is low. Keep everything clear of the stove's heat, wipe off cooking grease, and your kitchen becomes not just a place to cook, but a small, living, edible garden.

Frequently asked questions

What plants are best for a kitchen?
Herbs (basil, mint, parsley) on a sunny windowsill, easy trailers like pothos and spider plants on top of cabinets, and humidity-lovers like ferns and pothos all thrive in a kitchen. Match each to your kitchen's light, and use the warmth and humidity to your advantage.
Can I grow herbs on a kitchen windowsill?
Yes, if the windowsill is sunny — most culinary herbs need about 6 hours of direct sun to thrive indoors. A bright south- or west-facing kitchen window is ideal; in a dimmer kitchen, herbs do much better under a small grow light.
What plants like the humidity in a kitchen?
Ferns, pothos, philodendrons, spider plants, and many tropical foliage plants enjoy the extra humidity from cooking and washing up. A kitchen's warmth and moisture can make these plants happier than a dry living room would.
Where should I put plants in a kitchen?
Use the sunny windowsill for herbs and light-lovers, the tops of cabinets and open shelves for trailing plants, and any bright counter corner for a compact plant. Keep plants away from direct heat from the stove or oven and from cold drafts by the back door.
kitchen plantsherbstrailing plantshumiditywindowsill