Houseplants Take Centre Stage at RHS Chelsea 2025
Three years after Happy Houseplants Gold Medal-winning display at RHS Chelsea 2022, it’s clear the houseplant movement has matured. What was once seen as a lifestyle accessory is now recognised as central to how we design and inhabit our homes. At RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2025, houseplants didn’t just soften the corners — they set the tone.
This year’s show explored plants not as static ornaments, but as living, evolving parts of interior architecture. And as a brand that’s always championed slow-grown, purposeful indoor gardening, we were delighted to see the conversation deepen.
Here’s a look at the most significant houseplant trends shaping 2025 — and how they connect to the work we’ve been quietly building towards.
Ferns Reimagined: Layered, Lush, and Full of Movement
Ferns have long been seen as background greenery — familiar, gentle, and often overlooked. But at Chelsea this year, they emerged as feature plants. Designers moved beyond the usual Nephrolepis and embraced expressive species like Phlebodium aureum (Blue Star Fern), Pteris cretica, and subtropical Asplenium cultivars.
Arranged in dense, textured layers, they evoked the atmosphere of cloud forests — soft, shadowy, and immersive. This wasn’t just about greenery; it was about creating mood, movement, and a quiet sense of place.
The TerrariROOM by Hugo & Green
👉 Browse our indoor ferns collection
Giant Kokedama: Botanical Design That Floats
Kokedama — the Japanese art of growing plants in moss-wrapped root balls — has evolved. At Chelsea 2025, we saw oversized kokedama installations with dramatic impact. Monstera, peace lilies, and climbing philodendrons hung like living chandeliers, suspended from steel beams and architectural frames.
These weren’t accessories. They were central design elements — sculptural, slow-moving, and serene. It's a reminder that in the right context, houseplants can offer more than decoration. They can shape space.
The TerrariROOM by Hugo & Green
👉 Discover our kokedama-friendly plants and accessories
Cascading Air Plants: Effortless Drama
Air plants (Tillandsia), especially Spanish moss (T. usneoides), played a strong visual role this year. Their ability to grow without soil gives them a freedom that few plants have — and at Chelsea, designers used them to drape mirrors, soften shelving, and fill vertical space with texture and movement.
They’re low-maintenance, high-impact, and perfect for bright, humid spots like bathrooms and kitchens.
👉 Explore low-care hanging plants and air plant options
Houseplants Used Outdoors: A Seasonal Crossover
A subtle but interesting shift at Chelsea this year was the integration of indoor foliage into outdoor displays. Coleus, Fittonia, and even Hypoestes appeared in shaded summer planters and covered patios.
While these plants won’t survive a UK winter outside, they offer vibrant seasonal interest when the weather allows — blurring the line between indoor and outdoor living and showing just how versatile houseplants can be.
The Roots of Wellbeing by Botanic York
Succulents as Sculpture
Succulents have stepped out of their minimalist boxes and into the realm of design-led sculpture. Chelsea 2025 featured jade trees, echeveria clusters, and stacked crassula as stand-alone showpieces — bold, resilient, and architectural.
These are the kinds of plants that reward patience. They don’t shout for attention — they simply hold it.
👉 Shop our sculptural succulents and slow-growing stars
A Note on the Houseplant Studios
As much as we enjoyed the show, we did notice a slight change this year. The number of dedicated Houseplant Studios felt a little reduced compared to previous editions, and several of the installations came from designers who’ve shown before.
It was lovely to see familiar names return, and many of them delivered beautiful work. But we’d love to see RHS Chelsea continue to open the door to new voices and fresh ideas in the houseplant world. The community is bursting with creativity, and 2026 could be the perfect moment to spotlight some of the emerging talent making waves beyond the showgrounds.
Wellness, Sustainability, and the Future of Indoor Plants
Biophilic design — the idea of improving our health and wellbeing by connecting more closely with nature — continues to shape how we use plants in our homes. At Chelsea 2025, this ethos was everywhere: living walls in work-from-home spaces, bedrooms softened by trailing foliage, and kitchens filled with life and light.
Sustainability was also a core theme, with biodegradable pots, peat-free compost, and pet-safe planting all clearly in focus. These are things we’ve championed at Happy Houseplants from day one — because we believe that good plant care should also be good for the planet.
👉 Read more on our blog about biophilic design and pet-safe planting
The Victorian Arid House by The Plant Rescuer X RHS
Looking Ahead: What Chelsea 2025 Tells Us
Chelsea 2025 confirmed what we’ve long believed: houseplants are no longer an afterthought. They’re essential to how people shape space, express identity, and connect with nature indoors. The show offered beauty, insight, and a sense that something deeper is taking root in how we live with plants.
We’re proud that our Gold Medal-winning display in 2022 helped push this movement forward. And we’re excited to keep sharing what’s next — not through trends, but through thoughtful, lasting plant care for real living spaces.
Explore More
For more inspiration and expert advice, visit our houseplant blog or explore our full collection of indoor plants for sale.
Leave a comment