The Best Houseplants for South Facing Windows

Although Aloe Vera plants are commonly loved for their gel, they are much more than just their health and beauty benefits, as they make for a super minimalist and forgiving houseplant! Like most other succulents, Aloe Vera plants don’t need much tending to as they thrive in dry coarse potting mix. But it is important that they get a good amount of bright light or will become quite straggly which is why they are perfect for south-facing windows. 

As they mature a little, you’ll see lots of little Aloe pups popping up which can be very easily removed from the mother plant and propagated! Aloe plants are super affordable and you can pick them up basically anywhere that sells plants, even supermarkets will often sell them in the summer months.

Find out more in our Aloe Vera care guide.

Although they may look like a Cactus, the African Milk Tree is actually a succulent, making it drought-tolerant and highly sensitive to overwatering. This plant gets its name from the white sap that is found in the leaves. Be careful though as this sap is highly toxic so make sure you handle this plant with gloves, and keep it away from small children and pets.

These plants thrive in bright direct sunshine and hate cold drafts so whilst they will do really well by a south-facing window, make sure that it’s draftproof! Once the environment is right, they need very little tending to and will reward you with plenty of luscious growth. During the summer months, these plants can grow quite quickly which makes them quite unique for a succulent!

Find out more in our African Milk Tree care guide.

The bold and striking leaves of the Snake Plant make it stand out wherever you put it! Not only are they slow-growing, but they transcend upwards so are great for small spaces and they won’t block out too much light if you put them by the window. They have some of the sturdiest leaves or any houseplant, and their sharp leaf tips have given the plant the nickname of mother-in-laws-tongue!

When it comes to care, Snake Plant are super easy to look after, they can adapt to a range of light levels (are great low light plants), prefer dry soil and don’t need much attention in the way of misting or repotting etc. So if you want a low maintenance, sturdy houseplant, then the Snake Plant is your perfect match!

Find out more in our Snake Plant care guide.

This is a Palm with a personality! The Ponytail Palm is loved for its long curly leaves which instantly bring the tropical beach vibes…

Interestingly, the Ponytail Palm is neither a palm nor a tree, it’s actually a succulent which is why they are super low maintenance. All they need is a spot with ample light and warmth and they’ll be happy. They don’t need much water either as they are able to store it in their trunk. The only drawback of the Ponytail Palm is that it’s quite slow-growing so don’t expect it to be constantly growing new leaves.

Find out more in our Ponytail Palm care guide.

Believed to bring luck, Jade Plants are one of the most popular succulent varieties. They are best known for their oval-shaped leaves and strong stems which become quite woody as they mature.

When it comes to caring for your Jade Plants, the top two things to remember is to give it a spot that gets ample sunshine throughout the day (which is why they’re a great plant for south-facing windows) as well as making sure the potting mix has fully dried out before watering again as they are susceptible to root rot if you’re not careful. Jade Plants are quite slow growers though, so even if the environment and care routine are perfect, they may only grow a few inches per year.

Find out more in our Jade Plant care guide.

There are probably more Cactus species than we could possibly count in the world, which makes them one of the most unique and popular houseplants to keep. On top of that, they are normally incredibly easy to maintain, make great gifts and can be good starter plant.

Bright lighting conditions, minimal watering and low humidity requirements make them one of the best windowsill plants you can have (especially good for south-facing windows). Plus you only have to repot them every few years due to their slower than average growth. However, as I’m sure you can imagine, they’re not the best houseplants to have around pets or children as some species can have quite nasty spines.

Find out more in our Cactus care guide.

It’s not difficult to fall instantly in love with the String of Pearls plant as their incredible small spherical leaves cascade dramatically out of every pot and hanging basket. The String of Pearls is a succulent plant meaning they love a lot of sunshine but don’t need much too water as they are quite sensitive to root rot.

It’s important that you continuously propagate your String of Pearls plant as the vines don’t survive that long. Without any propagation, your plant might only last about 5-6 years but luckily you can just take stem cuttings to regenerate growth.

The thing we love most about the String of Pearls is how quickly it grows during spring and summer. It really makes up for the lack of growth during the darker colder months that’s for sure!

Find out more in our String of Pearls care guide.