“Misting” is a fancy word for “spraying”, basically! You can buy a specialist mister, or you can just grab a normal spray bottle, to give your plants that extra bit of moisture.
Misting your plants mimics the natural conditions of rain and humidity that your plants like – and some like it more than others! Which houseplants like to be misted? Let’s go through them and find out!
What You'll Learn Today
10 Houseplants That Like To Be Misted
Orchid
The Orchidaceae is well known for being a little tricky keep alive, but with the right care it can do really well.
Being a tropical plant, Orchids like to be kept warm and humid, and they need very little water. Misting is a great way to give this plant the humid conditions it loves.
An orchid should have bright light but not direct sunlight, and will only grow in bark based orchid compost rather than normal soil.
Boston Fern
Nephrolepis exaltata is a beautiful fern, with distinctive leaves, that will look wonderful in your home wherever you decide to place it.
This being said, it will thrive best in a spot where it will receive bright, indirect light and filtered sunlight.
It won’t like to be without light, and neither will it do well if it gets too dry! Keep it well watered, and be sure to give those pretty fronds a good misting fairly often.
Begonia
The lovely Begonia, with its dark leaves and pretty flowers, is a fairly easy customer and one that doesn’t need too much specialist care.
It is happy as a house plant, and will like a semi shaded position with bright indirect sunlight (too much direct light can scorch the leaves).
Begonia are pretty thirsty, so keep an eye on the soil, especially if it is growing in direct sunlight positions. Keep it well watered, and mist the leaves regularly to keep it as moist as it likes to be.
Zebra Plant
This plant makes a great house plant – but bear in mind that Aphelandra squarrosa can grow up to 6’ tall in its native habitat!
The zebra plant will thrive in bright but indirect light, and it should never be placed in direct light for long periods as this can scorch the leaves.
This beauty likes humidity and plenty of water, but it does not like to sit in water. Misting the plant regularly will help it grow well, and provide enough water without getting the roots soggy.
Chinese Evergreen
The Aglaonema is a very popular house plant; it’s very attractive as well as being excellent for your indoor air quality.
It doesn’t need need direct sunlight, and will be quite happy in a shady position. Make sure the soil is well draining and keep it moist, especially when the weather is warm.
Misting the plant will not only allow it to absorb water through its leaves, but it will give it a chance to keep its oxygen-giving leaves clean, so it can continue to filter the air you breathe.
Arrowhead Plant
The arrowhead plant, which also goes by Sygonium podophyllum, is an attractive addition to your indoor jungle.
Similarly to its cousins Pothos and Philodendron, the Arrowhead likes to be kept warm and humid.
Plant it in well draining soil, and make sure you mist it regularly to keep it growing at its best. Misting this plant will give it the water it needs, without allowing the roots to get wet and possibly rot.
Majesty Palm
This spiky beauty, known as Ravenea rivularis, is endangered in the wild, so you can tell yourself you’re helping the ecosystem by growing one!
It will do best near a sunny window, as it likes 6 to 8 hours of bright light every day. It also likes to be kept warm, so pick a toasty spot in your house.
This plant is one of a few that doesn’t thrive if its soil dries out and doesn’t mind being too soggy, so make sure you keep it well watered. A bit of misting every now and then will help it immensely too!
Philodendron
The heart shaped leaves of Philodendron bipinnatifidum are a really attractive addition to your houseplants.
Philodendron doesn’t like to be over watered, meaning that misting is a great option as it will not get too wet.
Give it well draining soil, and spray it regularly to mimic its favorite humid conditions. Misting means that the leaves can absorb moisture, while the roots stay dry enough so they don’t rot.
Pothos
Epipremnum aureum is a striking house plant, and one that should definitely be on your list if you’re looking for a lovely plant to have around.
It likes to be kept warm, not necessarily in direct sunlight but it will not cope well if the temperatures drop too low.
Misting this plant regularly will make it happier – it will not thrive in conditions that are too dry and dusty for too long a time. Misting, rather than directly watering, is good for Pothos, which is used to tropical conditions.
Aloe Vera
The undemanding aloe vera is a must for any indoor garden – it is attractive, useful and very easy to take care of.
It will cope well in almost any light conditions, but it prefers bright indirect light – or even artificial light. They like to be on the warm side, so bear this in mind in winter!
Aloes can survive almost anything, but they do need to be kept moist – misting those long leaves will help it to thrive.
Final Words
So there you have it. Some plants like the extra humidity, particularly the more tropical plants and those that like jungle conditions. Misting your plants not only helps keep the leaves clean and dust free, but it provides enough water to help many of them thrive.
We’re not saying you have to turn your home into a tropical hot house, but if you have some of the above plants then you’d be well advised to get your sprayer out!
What sort of water is best for misting?
As with watering your plants, the cleaner the water the better. Try to find rain water or spring water for the best results – plants don’t really like the chlorine in tap water.
I’ve always heard do not mist the aloe plant?? If you must mist only twice a year if absolutely needed.. So the question is to mist or not to mist…
You really don’t need to mist your Aloe Vera plants if you don’t want to -they are a succulent so they don’t need much water. In fact, overwatering can make them rot. You can wipe the leaves down with a damp cloth if they get dusty or dirty, but you really don’t need to mist them.