When you're shopping for college, don't forget about plants! We found the best dorm room plants that are fun-to-grow, carefree, and even purify the air!
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Even if you’ve never grown indoor plants before, succulents are a great way to start. Small, colorful succulents are popular for a reason. These dorm room plants will keep on growing even if you get busy hitting the books and forget to water them.
Snake plants grow tall, not wide, so they’re a good choice for small spaces. They’re also known for their air-purifying qualities—a must have quality for dorm room plants! And they’re nearly impossible to kill. Drought, low-light, neglect—this tough plant can handle it.
The pretty variegated leaves will brighten up even the dimmest dorm room corner. Carefree pothos plants are a cinch to grow, and they remove toxins from the air. This plant looks especially lovely trailing out of a hanging basket.
This waxy plant stores water in rhizomes under the soil, so you only need to water it every few weeks. So your can devote your brain power to the classroom (or remembering to do laundry before you run out of socks).
Want to prevent home sickness? Send your college student to school with an adorable heart-shaped doom room plant as a reminder of their loved ones back home.
Flower lovers will adore anthurium, also known as flamingo flower. It’s almost always filled with brightly colored pink or red “blooms,” which are actually waxy leaves that look gorgeous for weeks.
Aloe vera is a long-living type of succulent. It should last all four (five?) years of college, and even into grad school. Plus, it’s a good dorm room plant to have on hand if you accidentally burn your arm while cooking a frozen pizza.
No soil, no problem! Your fellow students will be fascinated by these unique plants absorb moisture out of the air. Just mist the air plants with water occasionally and keep them out of direct sunlight so they don’t dry out.
Lori has 20 years of experience writing and editing home, garden, birding and lifestyle content for several publishers. As Birds & Blooms senior digital editor, she leads a team of writers and editors sharing birding tips and expert gardening advice. Since joining Trusted Media Brands 13 years ago, she has held roles in digital and print, editing magazines and books, curating special interest publications, managing social media accounts, creating digital content and newsletters, and working with the Field Editors—Birds & Blooms network of more than 50 backyard birders.
Passionate about animals and nature, Lori has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural and Environmental Communications from the University of Illinois. In 2023, she became certified as a Wisconsin Extension Master Gardener, and she is a member of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology and sits on the organization's Publications Advisory Committee.
She frequently checks on her bird feeders while working from home and tests new varieties of perennials, herbs and vegetable plants in her ever-growing backyard gardens.
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Updated: Jul. 23, 2021
