From Parlor Palms to Fiddle Leaf Figs, These Plants Are Royal Family-Approved

Excessive Zoom calls have spared no one during the course of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic — not even the British royals. The era of telecommunications, however, has given us common folks an unprecedented glimpse into the homes of public figures, resulting in peeks of personal design and plant preferences of the influential. The British royal family is no exception. SaveOnEnergy, a UK-based energy comparison website, recently analyzed the most popular houseplants featured in British royals’ homes.

To determine the findings, SaveOnEnergy examined plants that emerged in the background of posts and video calls from three royal Instagrams: The Royal Family, Sussex Royal, and Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. With data gathered from the official accounts of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, the team identified four houseplants.

Check out the royals-approved greenery below.

Featured on both the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex Royal accounts and video calls, parlor palms are tall, elegant, and relatively easy to grow and maintain. With the ability to sprout 6 ft. tall, parlor palms thrive in medium to bright indirect light, requiring watering every one to two weeks. 

Spotted on the Sussex Royal account, rubber plants have thick statement leaves and the ability to absorb airborne chemicals and CO2, making it an ideal plant for offsetting emissions. They require bright light — but not direct sunlight. Watering and fertilizing varies by season. 

Spotted in the background of a video call from the Royal Family account, dragon trees have long stems with striking thin leaves with red tips. A natural air purifier for the home, dragon trees require bright indirect light and watering about once a week, but also varies by season. 

A Meghan Markle favorite, fiddle leaf figs have been featured in many video calls from Meghan and Harry’s home in Santa Barbara, Calif. With the ability to grow 6 ft. tall or higher, fiddle leaf figs require bright filtered sunlight and water no more than once a week.

Who knew the royals doubled as houseplant influencers?