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Where you place your flowers, what you pair them with, and the colours you choose all have a specific meaning in Feng Shui – so it’s important to get it right.
From the power of Feng Shui to flower do's and don'ts, we’ll guide you on the art of floral Feng Shui and show you how to maximise the chi (energy) in your home.
Our artificial flower expert, Sarah Dowsett, is here to guide you. With over a decade of experience in the world of faux plants and flowers, Sarah helps bring positive energy to your space!
Alongside Sarah, our interior design expert, Annabel Thain, shares tips on incorporating plants into your home, including advice on using a Bagua map and balancing the Feng Shui elements.
Without further ado, let's get started!
Feng shui is an ancient Chinese system of rules, originating back to the Han era, which outlines how furniture should be arranged in relation to the room's flow of energy.
Translating literally as 'wind water', Feng shui is the practice of restoring a space's balance by reconnecting it with the five elements; water, earth, wood, fire and metal.
In Feng shui, the water element represents adaptability, flow and calm, whereas fire represents energy. Wood and earth are similar, with wood symbolising growth and earth stability. Meanwhile, the metal element embodies precision, focus and clarity.
Both plants and flowers are very symbolic, and can be used to promote good energies ranging from luck to love. Although each plant and flower has its own unique symbolism, plants are generally considered as a symbol of life and continuous growth, whereas flowers symbolise impermanence.
Plants, such as the golden pothos, pilea and pachira, are believed to bring wealth and prosperity to your home. While flowers have various meanings and symbolism depending on their type and colour.
The term 'chi' is often used to mean 'energy', translating literally as "breath" or "air".
Chi, in traditional Chinese philosophy, is believed to be the vital life force that flows through both living and non-living things. An imbalance in a space or person's chi is believed to have a negative effect on both mental and physical health, causing increased anxiety, fatigue and muscle weakness or muscle pain.
The concept of yin and yang originates back to ancient Chinese philosophy, and describes two opposing but interconnected forces that are within all aspects of life.
Yin is associated more with passivity, femininity and receptiveness; whereas Yang, the lighter segment, represents activity, masculinity and assertiveness. Together yin-yang represent opposing forces working together to create balance, not conflict.
In Feng shui, the direction you choose to place your plants can channel unique benefits...
Bagua maps are the go-to guide for all things Feng shui, showing you where to place your furniture (or plants) depending on the tone you'd like to convey or the element you want to represent.
The traditional Bagua map is made up of nine segments, with each representing a tone and one of the five Feng shui elements.
The outer eight segments of the map are given compass points to help indicate the direction of how the Bagua map should be used in accordance with your home or office space. Alternatively, an easier way is to simply place the front of your home at 'North'.
The inner segment with the yin-yang symbol is governed by the earth element and is symbolic of good health and balance.
The water and fire elements make up the north and south points. Wood and metal elements take the east, southeast, west and northwest segments, while the earth element runs in a straight line from southwest to northeast.
The Western Bagua map is much easier to visualise and interpret and can be easily placed over your floorplan.
Check out our quick guide to plant positioning below...
| Direction | Benefit |
|---|---|
| North | Symbolises a positive life path & successful career |
| East | Promotes good health and vitality |
| South | Brings wealth, prosperity and success |
| West | Promotes creativity and innovation. It is also beneficial to children's wellbeing |
When following the Western Bagua map, communal spaces and high-traffic rooms like living rooms should be on the eastern side of the home, whereas spaces of relaxation and creativity, such as bedrooms or a study, should be on the western side of the home.
Feng shui styling doesn't just stop at Bagua maps. In fact, there are many Feng shui interior design rules to encourage positive energy.
To keep things simple, we've got a few tips below to help you style your interior for Feng shui.
The short answer is yes, artificial flowers are good for Feng shui and can be a more convenient alternative to the real thing.
Although real plants are typically preferred in traditional Feng shui, artificial plants have been proven to be a less stressful alternative and still feature the same positive effects as living plants.
Real plants can be difficult to keep, from the endless watering and pruning to awkward lighting requirements and soil specifics - maintaining live plants can sometimes feel overwhelming!
Opting for artificial plants means you can spend more time doing the things you love. Better yet, you can say goodbye to sneezing, as artificial plants are both allergy-free and pet-friendly!
Artificial plants are also more cost-efficient than their real alternatives because they won't need replacing or repotting!
Learn more about the benefits of artificial plants and flowers.
Artificial bamboo is a popular plant in Feng shui, and is believed to bring good luck and positive chi to your home or office space. Our go-to faux bamboo features real wood bamboo stems and lots of leafy foliage, meaning it's easily mistakeable for the real thing!
Monsteras are another great option. Not only do they like to grow up moss poles (symbolising growth and prosperity), but they also feature full, heart-shaped leaves which represent love and promote positive chi. You can avoid their tendency to outgrow their space by exploring faux monstera plants instead!
Alternatively, the ficus elastica (also known as the rubber tree) is also good for Feng shui and is meant to attract wealth, success and good fortune.
Although most plants and flowers are good for Feng shui, certain plant characteristics are luckier or better than others...
Plants that grow upwards are believed to promote good energy flow and symbolise personal growth and prosperity. Although not all plants that grow downwards are seen as bad in Feng shui, most trailing or hanging plants are believed to disrupt the flow of chi.
Leaf shape and style can also help to determine whether a plant will be good for Feng shui or not. Plants with heart-shaped leaves, for example, bring positive Feng shui into your home and are symbolic of love, affection and family, whereas plants that are sharp or spiky are seen as negative and bad for Feng shui.
There are some plants which are seen as bad luck plants in Feng shui, these should be avoided in order to not disrupt the flow of chi in your home!
Cacti are seen as bad luck in Feng shui because of their pointy spikes, which are believed to disturb the tranquillity of your space and release bad energy.
Known as 'The King of Flowers', peonies have long been associated with Chinese aristocracy. In Chinese Feng shui, peonies have a multitude of positive symbolism, including wealth & prosperity, romance, luck, honour, love and peace.
A peony's meaning can be defined further based on its colour...
Red peonies - Symbolise romance, desire, passion and wealth.
White peonies - symbolic of purity, innocence and hope.
Pink peonies - traditionally a symbol of love and romance. Represents hope, love, innocence and passion.
Yellow peonies - symbolise new beginnings, happiness and excitement.
The lotus flower is highly regarded for being the most spiritual flower across many cultures.
In Chinese Feng shui, the lotus flower represents purity, enlightenment and peace, as well as having connotations to wealth, love and wisdom.
Red lotus - commonly associated with passion and romance.
Yellow lotus - represents wisdom and mental clarity, and is regarded in Feng shui to promote positive chi!
Blue lotus - embodies the water element, symbolising serenity, purity and tranquillity.
Viewed as a symbol of beauty, prosperity and perfection, orchids are popular flowers for Feng shui due to their unique symmetry.
Similar to peonies, orchids have also been associated with attracting a partner, love and positive energy.
Pink orchids - associated with love and fertility and are said to bring passion and creativity to your home.
Purple orchids - associated with wealth and royalty
White orchids - have a fresh, clean feel, providing peaceful Feng shui energy.
Yellow orchids - seen as symbols of harmony.
Green orchids - symbolise life, longevity, growth and balance.
The colour green is commonly associated with nature and renewal, so a green orchid can also be a nice gift to give to someone who is opening a new chapter of their life.
The lovable hoya heart is a popular succulent within Feng shui. With its heart-like shape, the hoya plant is believed to be symbolic of love, affection and good relationships.
This fun pop of green is the perfect addition to any relaxing space, promoting intimacy when placed in a bedroom and encouraging balance and harmony in a living room.
Hoya hearts can also make a great gift too, although they can be difficult to keep alive! Instead, opt for an unkillable faux hoya heart instead!
Chrysanthemums are November's birth flower and symbols of endurance, vitality and joy in Feng shui. With their large, extravagant flower heads and rich colour variety, chrysanthemums are a great choice if you want a Feng shui flower that will inject some colour into your space.
Chrysanthemums are best placed in your front entrance to welcome and bless your guests with good fortune.
In Japanese Feng shui, the cherry blossom is regarded as the symbol of life and creates balance within the ying-yang energies. The cherry blossom is also believed to bring harmony and success.
Japanese Feng shui, also known as 'Fusui', is very similar to the ways of Feng shui. Fusui's only notable difference from Feng shui, is seeing beauty in the imperfect - aka Wabi Sabi.
The pilea, aka the Chinese money plant, is viewed as one of the luckiest plants according to Feng shui, bringing prosperity, wealth and positive chi to your space.
Using a combination of Feng shui plant and flower symbolism, it's possible to create spaces which focus on a particular mood, tone or feeling:
The peace lily, as hinted in the name, represents peace and tranquillity, and is thought to be able to purify a space of negative energy by transforming it into positive energy! It's said to represent the water element, which is a symbol of harmony and balance, promoting peace and stability.
It's for this reason that we recommend keeping your peace lily near your front door, so it can ward off any negativity from entering your home and allow the positive chi (energy) to flow freely for a calm atmosphere.
In Feng shui, the North represents the water element, so if the front door isn't an option, you could keep your peace lily in a spot where it will face north to restore balance to your home.
It's often said that the peace lily thrives on water, but overwatering is often their downfall. This picky plant is a bit of a snob and prefers purified water over tap water, which can be harmful to them. They also enjoy a good misting every few days to keep them hydrated.
If this sounds like a little too much maintenance for you, our faux calla lily is a similar alternative without any watering faff!
Known as the scent of serenity, the lavender plant is another flowering plant associated with restfulness and calm. In Feng shui, lavender is also believed to be lucky, bringing good fortune and protection against negative energy.
Lavender is associated with the wood element in Feng shui, promoting wealth and prosperity while representing health and family. For this reason, we'd recommend keeping it in a southeast-facing direction, which is associated with growth, wisdom and wealth in Feng shui.
You can grow lavender indoors, but it'll need as much sunlight as possible, otherwise it'll grow weak and spindly. If that isn't possible in your home, consider a faux lavender plant, which will look fresh and vibrant all year round!
Chamomile has been used for centuries as a medicine to calm anxiety and in Feng shui, it's said to balance chi energy, restoring harmony and balance to your home.
Its white petals and round shape channel the metal element which promotes mental clarity and concentration as well as the children and creativity sectors.
The Bagua map suggests placing metal elements in a western space of your home. Ideally, this would be a home office or creative space where your chamomile can boost your concentration and creativity.
Known for their sword or dagger-like leaves, the sansevieria is believed to fight off all negative energies and prevent evil from entering the home. In addition to its protective qualities, the sansevieria plant also helps to attract good luck, prosperity and positive energy!
Due to their vast qualities, sansevierias will suit most spaces within your home in accordance to Bagua mapping. To utilise its Feng shui properties, place your sansevieria close to the front entrance to prevent negative energy entering your home, or in the southeast corner of your home to promote wealth and good luck.
Sansevierias need relatively little care, but like to be kept in humid and bright spaces. Because of this, sometimes living sansevierias struggle to grow and eventually will wither. If you're worried about keeping a real one alive, you could always opt for an artificial snake plant instead.
Similar to the sansevieria, the aloe vera is believed to offer protection from unlucky energy, as well as promote tranquillity and harmony. Because of their healing and protective nature, aloe veras are commonly associated with the water element, representing emotional healing.
Their thick, upward-pointing leaves are great for creating good Feng shui, symbolising growth and promoting a continuous flow of chi.
To create a flowing and calm environment in your home, try popping an aloe vera in the northern point or centre of your home to promote good health and vitality.
Pothos plants are believed to protect against negative energy by purifying the environment and attracting positive energy which helps to restore balance.
The heart or spade-shaped leaves embody the wood element which is symbolic of growth, prosperity and wealth.
To maximise chi, we would suggest keeping your pothos in an eastern point of your home to channel the wood element and promote familial harmony as well as prosperity and wealth.
Pothos is also a great option for those who are new to keeping houseplants, as they need very little maintenance.
If you did wish to go for an artificial option, it's important to get the right pothos for your space! Here are our top picks...
Throughout history, areca palms have been the favourite indoor palm of choice, but did you know they also have deep roots in Feng shui interiors!?
Areca palms are symbolic of positive energy and happiness. Their grand palm fronds represent growth and renewal, which are believed to radiate positive change and prosperity.
To encourage positive chi to flow within your space, place your areca palm in the southeastern or eastern area of your home to channel the wood element. In doing this, the wood element maximises the benefits of the areca palm and helps to encourage good health.
Annoyingly, living areca palms can be difficult to keep alive, needing plenty of water and a warmer climate. So if you'd rather avoid the fuss that comes along with a living palm, our best-selling faux areca palm is easy, suitable for outdoor use and sure to bring some Feng shui fun to your home or office space!
In Feng shui, the jade plant is truly the go-to plant for enhancing chi in your space. From its coin-like leaves, which are believed to bring wealth and good fortune, to its thick wooden trunk, displaying stability and growth, the jade plant is rich in Feng shui symbolism.
As jade plants are strongly linked with prosperity and wealth, many place their jade plant in the wealth corner (southeast) to help encourage further financial success.
Although this isn't bad Feng shui, the jade plant is actually linked to the earth element, meaning it's more beneficial to your home's chi to place your jade plant in spaces which encourage the earth element - these are the centre, northeast or southwest spaces of your home.
Where you choose to place your jade plant will depend on the tone you'd like to channel, but we'd suggest styling your jade plant in the northeastern corner of your home to encourage wealth of knowledge, self-growth and discovery.
Not only is basil another aromatic plant that's great for Feng shui, but it's also a plant which helps to bring positive energy, love and harmony into your space.
Ideal for kitchen spaces, this fun, leafy friend belongs to the wood element, embodying nourishment, prosperity and family connections.
To maximise the benefits of basil and channel the wood element, we suggest keeping this herb in an eastern point of your home.
Alternatively, you could also place a basil plant in your wealth corner or a southeastern point of your home to encourage positivity, happiness and good fortune.
In addition to its Feng shui benefits, basil is also an edible plant that has been known to aid digestion and decrease inflammation!
The orchid is believed to be the symbol of beauty and perfection, promoting strong relationships, fertility and good health. Orchids can also mean different things depending on the colour you choose.
White orchids, for example, are symbolic of clarity, calm, and peace, making them great for wellness spaces, whereas purple orchids are seen in Feng shui as auspicious and are better suited to working spaces, like an at-home office or study.
For more detail on how the impact of orchid colours can affect its symbolism or tone, jump to 'orchid colour meanings'.
Orchids are commonly linked to the earth element because of their nourishing nature, and so should be placed in the relationship corner, or southwest area of your home.
Despite their symbolism, orchids can be difficult to grow and keep alive, having very specific and often unusual requirements! If you want to bypass the hassle, try opting for an artificial one instead. Faux orchids, like our phalaenopsis blume orchid, are floor-standing and help to encourage the flow of chi through upward growth.
Boston ferns have been a popular indoor houseplant since the 19th century and are great for Feng shui encouraging personal growth, emotional stability and enhancing overall health. Their large feather-like leaves symbolise growth and the flow of chi, while promoting a calm and secure environment.
In addition to this, Boston ferns are also believed to protect against negative energies!
To maximise the benefits of a Boston fern, pop it between the centre and northern point of your home to channel the water element, while utilising the health area of your home.
Although Boston ferns are easy to care for, they're also known to quickly outgrow their space! If the rainforest look isn't for you, we suggest opting for an artificial Boston fern instead - which is sure to have all of the looks, but none of the pruning woes!
The string of hearts trailing plant is rich in Feng shui symbolism and is a great option for adding a touch of greenery to those more out-of-reach spaces.
Its heart-shaped leaves are believed to encourage love, affection and good choices, while its trailing foliage evokes a sense of calm.
To amplify the benefits of this, pop this plant in the northern point of your home where it can channel the water element.
| Plant | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Peace lily | Creates peace and tranquility, wards off negative energy. |
| Lavender | Creates tranquillity, brings good luck and provides protection. |
| Chamomile | Balances chi, reduces anxiety and offers protection from evil energy. |
| Sansevieria | Wards off bad energies. |
| Aloe vera | Creates positive, calm energy, wards off bad luck & protects your space. |
| Pothos | Radiates positive energy, creates peacefulness and wards off negative energy. |
| Areca palm | Invites positive energy, promotes prosperity and good health. |
| Jade plant | Creates positive energy, brings good fortune and good luck. |
| Basil | Invites positive energy, spiritually heals the home, and wards off negative energy. |
| Orchid | Promotes fertility, good health and love, strengthens relationships. |
| Boston fern | Promotes personal growth, emotional stability and good health. |
| String of hearts | Creates tranquillity, brings balance and good mental health. |
As well as the placement of your plants, it's important to consider the space you're placing them in, and whether your chosen plant is appropriate for the space.
For example, flowers, such as pink orchids, white peace lilies and jasmine, are believed to promote positive relationships, love and tranquillity, making them the perfect plants for bedrooms, but less appropriate for other spaces.
When choosing flowers or plants for a bedroom space, it's important to make sure they have a calming or relaxing tone to promote good sleep and restfulness.
Get the most out of your bedroom space by transforming it into a meditative wellness room or even your own at home zen!
Not only are plants and flowers a beautiful way to bring colour to your space, but they're also an excellent tool for boosting your chi, with a boat-load of benefits from improved mental well-being to encouraging success, wealth and love.
Opting for faux houseplants can be a faster and stress-free way to achieve the same results. Unlike real plants, they don't take up your time with watering, pruning and worry, and if you need any help, we're always happy to lend a hand, just give us a shout with any questions!
Now that you're a Feng shui styling pro, you can get stuck into transforming your home. Check out our other design blogs, or take a browse through our inspiration gallery for more ideas.
