Alright, everybody! It’s time to talk about houseplants.

Although they’re not directly related to creating your next big musical hit—I’m taking the time to write this article because indoor houseplants can be a great way to decorate your home recording studio and inspire you. 

Plants that are attractive, without being unobtrusive, can really help bring ambiance to a studio by changing up the visuals. 

Here at the JA headquarters in the Pacific NW, we love to add a little outdoor flavor to our studio. 

As you read through this article, definitely think about how you might take the time to decorate your home studio with some good-old-fashioned nature.

The basics of indoor houseplants for home studios

You probably already know the basics of owning an indoor houseplant: 

Water them when the dirt is dry. Do not put them in front of the ac unit or warming units. Know exactly how much sun all the little green guys in your with-roof garden wants. 

There, you might just say that’s pretty much everything you gotta know. 

The good news is that this is almost true. A lot of houseplants are exceptionally easy to maintain and keep healthy.

The many plants in our list aren’t running the spectrum of ‘hard-to-keep’ to ‘invincible’ – in fact, we picked these plants specifically because they’re easy to take care of. 

They’ll make your home studio look better, and they do so without a great deal of work from you. 

Zanzibar Gem, the pleasant workhorse 

These little guys are known to thrive in reduced-light areas as well, and only occasionally require a run-in with a watering can.

The Zanzibar Gem (also called ZZ plant for short) is an aroid that managed to survive in much drier biomes than some of its genetic cousins and extended family. 

This allows it to not give a damn about your watering habits for months at a time. That said, if you want to be nice (and play it safe) stick to watering this guy every couple of weeks or so.

Calatheas, your multicolored fern-end

Calatheas (singular “Calathea”) and their red-green fallen leaves can be found in medallion (like the one linked right here) and also dry areas, the likes of which you’d find rattlesnakes. 

They aren’t awfully fussy concerning sunlight or water. They additionally take place to move around a great deal. Here’s a basic rundown of them:

• Water: Weekly 
• Brightness required: Medium, indirect sunlight is really all it needs. 
• For the Little Apartment or condo: these guys, like the ZZ plants, are close to invincibility.
• Put a little pot with one of these guys in it on your mixing desk. You’ll truly start to feel like your studio is where you live!

Red Aglaonema, a fiery fiend for your external rack

With brilliant pink stems, not to mention red or deep pink-tipped leaves, this easy-to-care-for houseplant certainly makes a statement. 

Keep it in calm to brilliant indirect light and its color will extra flashy and fun, but it can grow (as well as remain somewhat-colorful) in a low light situation, too.

Coral Cactus takes you under the sea

Looking more like a vivid undersea coral reefs reef than any type of cactus you’ve seen before, this guy can give your studio an out-there look that can really drive home an ambiance akin to “you’re leaving earth.” 

Technically named “euphorbia lactea”, this plant is of a spectacular variety that will prosper in an intense atmosphere with minimal water.

It’s perfect for epic jam sessions or recording deep into the night.

This plant combined with a very cool colored light would be very cool for a home studio. We don’t have one of these here at Jam Addict but I really should think about getting one. 

Donkey’s Tail – honestly this one looks cool

Frequently referred to as Donkey’s Tail, Sedum morganianum is a distinct, delicious type of succulent that generates far-stretching stems that can expand up to 24 inches long with round, blue-green leaves.

As far as I’m concerned, these guys look freakin’ awesome. 

One of the great things about these plants (and many others for that matter) is that you can hang them from your ceiling.

They have the nickname of “Burro’s” tail as well. Burro means ‘donkey’ in Spanish. 

I just love a good cross-cultural exchange, and this brilliant plant deserves an equally cute Spanish counterpart. 

So go get a plant already

Honestly, just go get one of the plants on these lists already and put it right there in your home studio. 

You’ll really get a kick out of having green little foliage around your gear and studio. It will make your space feel cleaner and more feng shui.

Remember, the goal of the feng shui for all home recording studios should be to emit real feelings of professionalism while also showing the musicians and artists you have in there that you really mean business. 

Inspiration and creativity go hand in hand, and a clean and beautiful studio is the little known secret to creating great tracks.

In other words – don’t let that little Donkey’s Tail think I’m not going to negotiate my splits hard and fight for as good a royalty as I can get. Don’t let his fluffy fat tail fool you.