Bring Balance Home: The Power of Plants in Feng Shui
If you’re looking to create a peaceful atmosphere, balance your energy, and invite abundance into your space, combining Feng Shui principles with the natural energy of plants is a powerful and accessible way to begin. Plants not only enhance your home’s aesthetic appeal but also activate positive chi (energy) in your living environment.
In this guide, you’ll discover which plants go where according to Feng Shui, what each direction represents, and how to align your space for harmony and growth.
You can consider adding a wind chime to your room to get an amazing feel of Feng Shui.
What Is Feng Shui?
Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese practice that literally means “wind” and “water.” It focuses on optimizing the flow of chi (life force energy) in a space to encourage health, happiness, and success. One of the most natural ways to balance this energy is by strategically placing live green plants throughout your home.
Feng Shui Bagua Map and Directions
In Feng Shui, each part of your living space corresponds to a specific life area based on the Bagua map. Each direction is associated with a symbolic theme and natural element:
How to Use the Bagua Map
The Bagua map is a key tool in Feng Shui that divides your home into nine life areas, each associated with a direction, an element, and a theme (like wealth, love, or career).
How to Use the Bagua Map
The Bagua map is a key tool in Feng Shui that divides your home into nine life areas, each associated with a direction, an element, and a theme (like wealth, love, or career).
Here’s how to use it:
• Draw a floor plan of your home from a top-down view.
• Divide it into 9 equal squares (like a tic-tac-toe grid).
• Align the bottom row of the grid with your front door wall.
• Each section now corresponds to a Feng Shui area.
Tip: You can apply the Bagua map to your entire home or to a single room — even to your desk or garden!
Once you know which zone corresponds to which area of life, you can place the right plant in the right spot to enhance the energy in that part of your life.
To visually anchor your space with intention, you might hang a Feng Shui Bagua Map art poster to support mental clarity and positive energy flow.
Which Plant Belongs Where?
A Feng Shui Placement Quick Guide
| Life Area | Direction | Element | Recommended Plants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career | North | Water | Lucky Bamboo, Snake Plant, Peace Lily |
| Wealth & Prosperity | Southeast | Wood | Money Tree (Pachira), Jade Plant, Rubber Plant |
| Love & Relationships | Southwest | Earth | Orchid, Peony, Anthurium |
| Health & Balance | Center | Earth | Aloe Vera, Areca Palm, Spider Plant |
| Family | East | Wood | Philodendron, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Areca Palm |
| Fame & Reputation | South | Fire | Jade Plant, Red Anthurium, Croton |
| Creativity & Children | West | Metal | Succulents, White Pothos, Echeveria |
| Helpful People & Travel | Northwest | Metal | Lavender, ZZ Plant, White Orchid |
Best Feng Shui Plants by Life Area
Career — Direction: North | Element: Water
Recommended Plants:
• Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
• Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Why these plants?
In Feng Shui, the North sector represents your career path and life journey. Its element is water, which symbolizes flow, movement, and new opportunities. Therefore, plants that grow vertically (like bamboo), have a clean, upright structure, or thrive in humid environments are ideal here.
• Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) resembles water’s upward energy and is one of the most popular Feng Shui cures for boosting career prospects.
• Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) is hardy and stable, representing resilience and upward growth.
• Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii), with its smooth leaves and air-purifying qualities, helps clear stagnant energy and fosters clarity.
Consider placing an amethyst crystal tree on your desk or in your home to invite luck, wisdom, and calming energy into your space.
Wealth & Prosperity — Direction: Southeast | Element: Wood
Recommended Plants:
• Money Tree (Pachira aquatica)
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
• Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica)
Why these plants?
The Southeast area relates to financial abundance and prosperity. Its element is wood, which means growth, expansion, and stability. This area benefits from lush, healthy, rounded-leaf plants that grow steadily.
• Money Tree (Pachira aquatica) is a classic wealth-attracting plant in Feng Shui and often braided to “trap” good fortune.
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata), with its coin-shaped leaves, symbolizes financial luck and savings.
• Rubber Plant (Ficus elastica) is large, low-maintenance, and brings grounding energy to long-term wealth.
Love & Relationships — Direction: Southwest | Element: Earth
Recommended Plants:
• Orchid (Orchidaceae)
• Peony (Paeonia lactiflora) – cut flowers or potted
• Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum)
Why these plants?
The Southwest corner governs your romantic relationships and partnerships. Earth energy here craves beauty, softness, and emotional connection. Plants with delicate flowers, sensual shapes, or a pair-like symbolism work best.
• Orchids (Orchidaceae) symbolize love, elegance, and fertility — especially effective in attracting or deepening romantic connection.
• Peonies (Paeonia lactiflora), though often used as flowers, are Feng Shui love magnets.
• Anthuriums (Anthurium andraeanum) have heart-shaped blooms, symbolizing affection and warmth.
You can also place a beautifully handcrafted chakra crystal tree in your space to help energy flow freely and attract positive vibes.
Health & Balance — Direction: Center | Element: Earth
Recommended Plants:
• Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller)
• Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Why these plants?
The center of your home is the anchor of the entire Bagua map — it influences overall well-being and harmony. Earth element thrives with stabilizing, cleansing, and grounding plants.
• Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis miller) offers healing energy and is known for its purifying properties.
• Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
adds vitality and is associated with peaceful, oxygen-rich energy.
• Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum) detoxifies and multiplies — symbolizing health regeneration.
Family — Direction: East | Element: Wood
Recommended Plants:
• Philodendron (Philodendron spp.)
• Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata)
• Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Why these plants?
The East relates to family bonds and ancestral roots. Since it’s ruled by the wood element, go for leafy, growing plants that evoke connection and continuity.
• Philodendron (Philodendron spp.) vines represent close, nurturing relationships.
• Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus lyrata) brings strong vertical energy and presence, representing generational strength.
• Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens), again, reinforces unity and healthy emotional environments.
Fame & Reputation — Direction: South | Element: Fire
Recommended Plants:
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)
• Red Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum)
• Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
Why these plants?
The South sector governs your public image, recognition, and confidence. Its ruling element is fire, which thrives on vibrant, dynamic energy. You’ll want plants that either have red or orange tones, pointed leaves, or a fiery presence.
• Jade Plant (Crassula ovata), while known for wealth, also symbolizes persistence and reputation through its strong, fleshy leaves.
• Red Anthurium (Anthurium andraeanum) aligns beautifully with the fire element due to its bright red, heart-shaped flowers.
• Croton (Codiaeum variegatum) adds drama and flame-like color with its variegated red, orange, and yellow leaves — perfect for activating fame energy.
Creativity & Children — Direction: West | Element: Metal
Recommended Plants:
• Succulents (Various genera)
• White Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’)
• Echeveria (Echeveria spp.)
Why these plants?
The West sector is connected to creative expression, artistic pursuits, and children. Its element is metal, which is refined, structured, and elegant. Opt for compact, clean-shaped, and light-colored plants to support mental clarity and imagination.
• Succulents (Various genera), with their symmetrical, minimalist look, resonate with creative energy while being low maintenance.
• White Pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Marble Queen’) adds a graceful touch while symbolizing growth in artistic endeavors.
• Echeveria (Echeveria spp.) rosettes resemble open flowers — symbolizing blossoming creativity and innocence.
Helpful People & Travel — Direction: Northwest | Element: Metal
Recommended Plants:
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
• ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
• White Orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.)
Why these plants?
The Northwest governs mentorship, networking, and travel opportunities. As a metal zone, it benefits from cool-toned, structured plants that promote clarity, support, and forward motion.
• Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), with its calming scent and soft purple hue, creates peace and clarity — ideal for connecting with supportive people.
• ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) thrives in tough conditions, representing strong allies and travel resilience.
• White Orchid (Phalaenopsis spp.) combines elegance with discipline, symbolizing high-quality relationships and graceful progress.
Feng Shui Plant Rules to Keep in Mind
• Dead or dying plants block energy — remove them as soon as possible.
• Choose round-leafed or soft-leafed plants instead of sharp, spiky ones.
• Avoid plastic or fake plants; they do not support energy flow.
• Keep plants clean and dust-free for optimal chi circulation.
Practical Feng Shui Tips with Plants
• Placing bamboo near your entryway attracts positive energy into your home.
• Limit plants in the bedroom; choose soft, calming species like orchids or lavender.
• Positioning a plant in front of a mirror doubles its energy effect.
Transform Your Home with Living Energy
Using plants with Feng Shui isn’t just about decor — it’s about creating harmony between your environment and your inner world. With a few thoughtful placements, you can turn your home into a source of peace, abundance, and vitality.
