When you first move into a dorm room, decorating a space of your own can often be one of the most exciting parts of the move-in process. While your dorm room bedding will enliven even the drabbest dorm room, any student will tell you that most dorm rooms require a bit of effort to bring these cookie-cutter rooms to life. One fantastic way to brighten up your dorm room is to invest in some greenery!

Plants not only act as living companions to keep you company but double as decor and air purifiers for your room and be an important part of your overall wellness and happiness.

Considering purchasing some plants to add to your dorm room? You came to the right place! Save for pure visual appeal, picking the right plant for you can be difficult when considering your specific space’s environment and your own expertise in plant care. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the perfect plants for every student, regardless of prior knowledge or experience with plants. Whether you’re looking to create a calming and green study space or bring your gardening streak to school, plants can become compatible in any college student’s life with the right amount of knowledge and care!

Low-Maintenance Succulents

These little desert plants are super cute and even easier to care for.

For any college student looking for some plants but worried about adding work to the already heavy workload that comes with university, succulents are the answer! These versatile plants will fit into any dorm room’s decor and provide an aesthetic appeal that simple objects and accessories cannot provide.

The great thing about succulent plants is that they come in so many different varieties that each depend on different amounts of light and water, making them easy to add into every student’s dorm room, whether that be a dark basement space or light-filled haven. Place them next to your windowsill or on your desk to create small statements of lush within your room. Succulents bring decorative appeal and are an easy way to get started with indoor gardening. Their hardiness and variability make them an excellent plant for dorm rooms and college students that don’t have access or skills to provide care for more delicate species.

Sprawling Ferns

Make a major statement with these funky plants!

For students who may have some prior experience taking care of plants and/or gardening, the classic fern may be the plant for your dorm. Ferns are especially great for those with other houseplants, as they love the humidity that is created when placed next to other plants. Having a fern in your dorm will surely grab the attention of anyone who visits your room, who will likely be impressed by the plant’s super cool foliage.

If you’re interested in investing in a fern for your dorm room, you should probably wait until you can see your room before purchasing the plant. This is because ferns need a specific amount of light — partial light that replicates the scattered sunlight they receive in forests — that not all dorm rooms may be able to provide. Check and see if your window provides this type of light, and if it does, add a fern to your online cart or garden store list to make yourself the proud parent of a truly awesome houseplant! To successfully care for them, keep your ferns moist and in partial lighting and your ferns should be happy.

Pretty Peace Lilies

Considered excellent air purifiers, Peace Lilies also are stunning plants. 

College can be a pretty stressful environment, especially when considering all of the papers, exams, readings, clubs, and work that you have to juggle. And don’t forget about the social aspects of school! It’s an exciting and sometimes overwhelming period of a young person’s life, and you may be looking for any way to get some peace — enter the peace lily.

With their white center spathe and spadix, peace lilies are equally gorgeous and valuable in your space: they are some of nature’s best air purifiers! These plants prefer partial light and shade and are pretty easy to water, just give them a deep watering whenever you notice their leaves starting to slightly droop! For any student living with a support cat or dog, however, peace lilies should be out of reach of these pets since they’re toxic!

Forgiving Pothos Plants

Pothos are widely considered to be one of the easiest to care for plants!

Like peace lilies, pothos plants are considered to be super purifying, removing toxins from the air and creating fresh, clean air. In dorm rooms that are in basements, this may be especially useful, as these dorms can harbor higher amounts of moisture — which means higher amounts of mold! By creating fresher and cleaner air for you to breathe, pothos plants may even contribute to clearing your mind, improving both your overall health and wellbeing — two things vital for overworked college students.

Caring for pothos plants largely revolves around correct placement. It’s important to put them in medium to low light — a great and attractive choice for your desk! You should allow pothos to dry out before watering, opting for spread-out and deep waterings over frequent shallow waterings. A trailing and green pothos to your dorm room will surely bring a pop of liveliness into your studying!

Striking Snake Plants

Tall and rigid, snake plants can add some vertical beauty into a dorm room.

Snake plants are some of the coolest houseplants that you can add to your dorm room. They grow vertically and rigidly, not taking up too much surface area because of this. The elegant and almost modern appearance of the snake plant will complement all dorm decors with their interesting shape and growth pattern. Consider picking a pot with personality to house your snake plant to take its look to the next level.

To care for snake plants, you should start by placing them in an area that gets indirect sunlight — a desk may be a great place for these plants to grow! Once you’ve settled on a spot, simply let the plant dry out in between waterings, taking care to remember that less is more when it comes to watering snake plants. With just a little bit of work, your snake plant will be reaching new heights before you know it!

Lucky Money Tree

A tiny tree that you can grow right in your dorm room!

Despite their name, money trees do not actually grow cash. (A bummer for any college student looking for an extra avenue of cash!) However, these small trees are said to bring good luck, something that any student with paper deadlines and exams coming up could use a little bit of. The plant is even said to carry energy that is beneficial to feng shui and als- eliminate stress, a common inhabitant of the college dorm room.

Money trees do their best in direct and bright lighting, so a spot near a bright, south facing window will be perfect for this houseplant. As far as watering goes, money trees are one of the few plants where overwatering is better than underwatering. Keep the soil moist, and your money tree will stay satisfied and well! If you notice your plant is drying out, you can create a more moist environment by placing more plants near the tree or adding a humidifier — something that may also be helpful during super dry winter months.

(Not So Scary) Spider Plants

With foliage that spreads out wide, you might have to make some space for these awesome plants. (But they’re worth it!)

We promise that these plants are not as scary as their name may imply. Spider plants are best known for their magnificent appearance, featuring foliage that seems to shoot out of the soil and spread itself out as wide as it possibly can. They are truly a sight to be seen and would make for a fine display in any dorm room. Spider plants are nothing close to being boring, so if you’re trying to add some interesting elements into your dorm room, these may be the plants for you!

A really nice thing about spider plants is that they are a pretty adaptable species — in other words, they will do well in a variety of light, humidity, and temperature conditions. Although bright light is their favorite, they will survive in any condition, from partial shade to direct light. With so much greenery in one plant, they require a decent amount of water, just try to make sure their soil never veers towards soggy instead of moist. One common problem with spider plants is their browning leaves, which is often cosmetic and requires only a pair of scissors and a little bit of pruning. Adding these beautiful and cool plants into your dorm room will definitely draw heads and make your space feel instantly elevated!

With all of the responsibilities that come with college, adding one more in the form of a plant may not seem like the best option. However, caring for plants provides a layer of duties that can help you clear your mind and practice the self-care of removing yourself from current struggles and giving your energy towards another living and breathing specimen. Not only will plants spruce up a dull dorm room, but their presence comes with benefits ranging from stress relief to cleaner air. Adding a plant or two to your dorm room is a great decorative and life choice, and there are options for every level of indoor gardener!