The Underrated IKEA Section I Make a Beeline for at the Start of Each Spring
Going to IKEA is always an adventure. A leisurely stroll through the entire store takes me at least an hour, and I sometimes lose steam as I get to the end of the well-designed maze. There is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, however, and it’s a section you don’t want to miss just because you’ve run out of shopping steam. As you pass through the showroom and into the marketplace past lighting, rugs and decor, you end up in the plant section.
IKEA has a wide variety of live plants to choose from, all at reasonable prices. I hadn’t historically equated IKEA with plant shopping until I couldn’t find any snake plants at my nearby hardware stores and nurseries. I like snake plants because they are incredibly low maintenance, they look great, and they’re very forgiving if you forget to water them.
After a quick Google search, I learned that IKEA had them in stock in all sizes. Perfect! Since I was only going there for one thing, I bypassed the traditional weaving route and headed straight to the plants. Ever since then, I always have to stop and browse through the plant section whenever I go to IKEA, and more often than not, I end up taking one home.
Indoor plants are just as important to my home as the furniture. They make each room come alive and add a pop of color — not to mention they improve the quality of the air. I have two IKEA snake plants that I’ve had for five years now. They’ve survived two moves and have hung on even as I’ve forgotten to water them. You can score 6-inch ones for $15 and 8-inch snake plants for $20.
I used to have an IKEA palm, but I learned the hard way that they don’t love direct sunlight. It’s always a good idea to know the kind of care a plant needs before you bring it home, and also know where you’d like to put it so you can account for how much light that spot gets. IKEA has everything from mini plants like this set of three cacti, to hanging plants and even Monstera plants.
When choosing your houseplant, you want to be on the lookout for strong and healthy leaves (no withering or brown spots), and no sign of pests. The plants at my local IKEA have always looked well taken care of, but I always check for these signs before putting one in my bag. And pro tip: You don’t need to walk through the entire showroom and marketplace to get to the plants — work your way backwards instead to skip the overwhelm!
If you’re looking to give your home a little spring refresh, a new plant is a great way to brighten up your space. The next time you head to IKEA for furniture and Swedish meatballs, this is your sign to not sleep on the plant section!