If you want to make a statement with tall indoor plants, make a Truly Big Statement that sets the tone for your home. These plants reach 7 to 10 feet tall inside. Hop on a video call & we’ll show you our selection—then you can pick your exact plant.
In this article...
Rubber Tree
The Rubber Tree comes first because anyone can keep it alive. Green thumb, brown thumb, black thumb, purple thumb—the Rubber Tree doesn’t discriminate. And it doesn’t die. It just keeps on trucking with these big, dark, glossy leaves with reddish undersides. Pafe’s Rubber Trees reach 8 feet, and they’re not done growing.
Lots of bright indirect light will make your Rubber Tree happy, but it’s fine in lower light too. It doesn’t like to be watered often, but when you do water, water thoroughly.
Ficus Altissima
A cousin of the Rubber Tree, the Ficus Altissima also loves to reach for the sky (or rather, ceiling) and reaches 7 feet tall or taller. If you’re looking for a variegated plant, this is your guy. Variegations means there’s more than one color on the leaves. This big guy’s leaves sport neon green and yellow. The yellow is usually around the edges, but it can take on a lot of different patterns.
Ficus Altissima is another lover of indirect light. But it can handle up to four hours a day of direct light. Pro tip: Rotate your huge Ficus Altissima every few days so that all the leaves have a turn getting sunlight. (Really, that applies to all our tall indoor plants.) Water when the top few inches of soil get dry.
Calamondin Tree
The Calamondin tree bears fruits that taste quite sour, but they look lovely, and she has a few other tricks up her sleeve. Most fruit trees can’t tolerate the cold, but Calamondin is fine down to 20 degrees (although she won’t grow bigger if it's below 55). Plus, Cally self-pollinates, and she can produce fruit year-round.
One thing she keeps in common with other fruit trees: When she blossoms, the flowers smell incredible (similar to orange blossoms). If you want your living room to have a powerful orchard vibe, a 7-foot tall Calamondin is your girl.
We’re not supposed to eat them in the greenhouse, but sometimes we sneak a bite! And try our Calamondin cocktail recipe—mix in a little tequila and suddenly the sour notes are a revelation.
Honestly, you can put just about any house plant in bright indirect light, and that includes Cally. The one thing she’s a bit particular about: She really needs moist soil. She needs good drainage, too, but water thoroughly when the first one or two inches are dry.
The University of Arizona’s Campus Arboretum says you can also preserve or pickle Calamondin fruits or use them as shampoo—just don’t eat the seeds.
Fiddle Leaf Fig
Now here’s somebody who cares deeply about the color of your thumb. If it’s not a vibrant green, it’s going to fall off. Unlike the other tall indoor plants on this list, the 7- to 10-foot Fiddle Leaf Fig is quite fussy and dies easily. But with proper Fiddle Leaf care, it’s absolutely beautiful.
Its very large leaves are striking and glamorous. The New York Times even called it “The ‘It’ Plant of the Design World.” When you succeed with the Fiddle Leaf, you’ll feel like the world’s most accomplished plant parent. Just read the next few paragraphs reaaaally carefully.
Contrary to popular opinion, this plant likes bright light, and plenty of it. I learned this from a friend who runs a different nursery: Most people don’t give Fiddle enough light to survive. Thanks to him, our gigantic, 7- to 10-foot tall Fiddle Leaf Figs are thriving in our sunny greenhouse, directly beneath the sun’s rays. Their leaves are lush and dense.
Doubt us? Buy it and try it—push it away from the window and watch the leaves drop off. (Don’t actually move her pot around just to prove a point, she hates it and might die in protest. To start her off right, place her by an east-facing window.)
For watering, wait till the top 4 inches of soil are quite dry, then water thoroughly. For humidity, she likes a lot—try a humidifier, a pebble tray, or daily misting. Last of all: Gently wipe down her leaves occasionally so that dust doesn’t interfere with her photosynthesis. Plus, she’s a bit of a diva and wants to look her shiny best at all times.
Bird of Paradise
The Bird of Paradise has leaves even bigger than the Fiddle Leaf (don’t tell Fiddle, she’ll throw a fiddle fit). And her flowers—bright orange and blue—look like the head of the crowned crane, an exotic bird. The flowers stay bright and charming for up to two weeks, and you can often find them in fancy flower shops—but they’re a lot more fun to grow yourself.
Even though she’s an extravagant addition to your home, she’s actually pretty easygoing. You get a big bang for your buck. And we do mean big—not a lot of people know she can reach 10 feet, but she absolutely can, even indoors.
BoP, as we affectionately call her, has complicated lighting needs. She likes bright indirect light. But in our experience, if you want her to flower more, you have to put her in more light. But with too much sun, her leaves will start to scorch. So if you want perfect leaves, stick with bright indirect light. If flowering is your priority, give her sunshine—and then when she flowers, gradually pull her back into bright indirect light. (You can’t move her all at once or she’ll die, lovesick and missing the sun.
Wait for the first 3-4 inches of soil to go dry, then (wait for it) water thoroughly.
Audrey Ficus
The Fiddle Leaf’s less fussy cousin, Audrey, also has large leaves, but she isn’t an obsessive diva. Her leaves are also lighter, brighter, and fuzzier, so she’s a little better for cheering up a gloomy room. She can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors.
Audrey Ficus likes bright indirect light and can tolerate small amounts of direct light. She likes consistently moist soil, so only let the top 2-3 inches of soil dry out, then water thoroughly. She grows medium fast and is considered medium difficulty—a pretty good option for a Ficus. Use a damp washcloth to clean her leaves regularly. That dust piling up really works a number on her photosynthesis.
Ficus Danielle
Ficus Danielle’s teardrop-shaped leaves are thickly clustered, so she’s naturally talented at air purification. Her older leaves are deep green, and new leaves are lime green, creating a beautiful contrast or gradient. She grows fast, and if you repot her every year, she can reach 10 feet.
Bright indirect light pleases Danielle, but she’s ok with a few hours of direct light. More than that will burn her leaves, so choose her home spot carefully. Let the top 3-4 inches of soil dry out before you water her thoroughly. Keep her environment moist by running a humidifier, putting her on a pebble tray, misting her daily, keeping her in the bathroom, or moving somewhere humid (try Louisiana).
Ficus Alii
This Ficus was specifically bred and tamed to be a pet Ficus. And unless you’re keeping a giraffe in your backyard, it’s probably going to be your tallest pet, easily growing to 7 or 10 feet. All Ficuses are a bit fussy, but Alii is really doing his best to be an easygoing roommate.
He’s also called a banana leaf fig, thanks to the shape of his leaves, but don’t eat it—it can irritate your skin and stomach (same goes for your pet monkey).
Like his Ficus siblings, Alii needs humidity to thrive. If you live somewhere dry, a pebble tray is your friend. You could also keep him in your kitchen if you boil a lot of pasta and potatoes, or in the bathroom if it’s spacious. At minimum, mist him frequently.
Adonidia Palm
After Adonidia reaches 6 or 7 feet tall, he grows pretty slowly, so it’s a good indoor choice if you have lower ceilings. You won’t have to do a lot of pruning, even for his health—he drops his old fronds rather than waiting for you to remove them. In their place, you’ll find “leaf scars,” and yes, he loves telling all the other tall indoor plants about how he got them.
Another cool perk: At Christmastime, he sports little white blossoms that fall off to reveal little red berries. Happy holidays! He has even earned the nickname Christmas Palm.
Adonidia Palm needs 4 or more hours of direct sun every day. Otherwise, he’ll grow fewer fronds, and the fronds won’t have as many leaves. Water thoroughly when the top 3-4 inches of soil grow dry. He also likes humidity.
Kentia Palm
Kentia grows about 7 or 8 inches a year if you take good care of her, which we know you will. She usually tops out around 9 or 10 feet when grown inside. But she would never look down on your other house plants—she’s very friendly and chill. She can handle neglect, drought, drafts, low light, and more, without getting fussy about it.
She has her preferences, of course, but she’s flexible. She likes bright indirect light when she’s young, but once she’s 5 years old or so, she can handle direct light too. She likes regular watering—it’s time when just the top inch is dry. She also likes moderate humidity.
Kentia can tolerate temps from 25 degrees (if it’s just for a short time) to 100 degrees (if she’s in the shade). Really she just wants you to be happy with her.
Dracaena Reflexa (Song of India)
The Song of India has long, straight stalks that sprout long, slightly curving, bright green leaves. Some varieties have creamy yellow edges. In fact, the ‘Variegata’ cultivar earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit, meaning it thrives in an average garden. She deserves the award, as she’s pretty low maintenance. With proper care, she can reach 7 feet.
Song of India likes bright indirect light, and if she gets less, she might grow leggy or spindly. Like a lot of plants, Reflexa is sensitive to overwatering. She’s prone to root rot. Like other dracaenas, she’s also sensitive to fluoride, so if the water in your area is fluoridated, skip the dentist and spend your money on purified water for your Reflexa instead. (Kidding about the dentist. Dead serious about the water.)
Dracaena Marginata
Marginata’s long, skinny leaves have red borders, making the tree colorful and dramatic. The leaves grow in clumps at the top of the tall stalks, looking like little pom-poms or porcupines. Whether you’re a cheerleader or a spiky rodent collector, Dracaena Marginata would love to grace your living room or even your entryway, if you have a tall ceiling.
She’s resilient, so plop her anywhere that gets bright indirect light. Water when the first 3-4 inches of the soil dry out. Other than that, you’re basically good.
Dracaena Tarzan
A cultivar of the Dracaena Marginata, the Tarzan is a massive beast. It grows up to 10 feet, and it’s not afraid to take up space. Aka the Madagascar Dragon Tree, Tarzan is not a quiet plant. Your guests will notice him.
He might not beat his chest and yell, but he does have leaves that look like long, thick, sharp swords—lots of them. The trunks are twisty, like Tarzan swinging through the jungle.
As a Marginata, Tarzan is resilient. Just give him bright indirect light and water him occasionally.
Dracaena Arborea
Arborea grows slowly, but she just. doesn’t. stop. You can wait patiently for years, or you can buy a Pafe Plants Arborea that is already 7 feet tall. Also known as the African Dragon Tree, the Tall Dragon Tree, or the Slender Dragon Tree, she is not actually a Dragon Tree. (It’s ok, she gets confused too.)
She’s medium thirsty, so water when the soil is dry for two or three inches. Bright indirect light, warm temps, and plenty of humidity will make her day—or rather, they'll make her grow taller and taller.
Dracaena Anita
A rare Dracaena, Anita has seriously long, seriously thin leaves. They gently curve in graceful bunches, and they’re magnificent at air purification because there are just so many of them. Anita has one of our favorite plant nicknames of all time: the Medusa plant. Picture her leaves as snakes, and—wait, stop, look away! If you haven’t been turned into stone, keep reading.
Anita’s needs are pretty average. Water thoroughly when the first 2-3 inches are dry. Give her bright, indirect light. Add warm temps and high humidity, and baby, you’ve got a 10-foot-tall Medusa growing.
Dracaena Dorado Cane
The Dorado Cane, aka Dragon Cane, is one of the newest and rarest of the Dracaena species. Their leaves have ruffled, lime-green edges, giving a bright and curly appearance. Most other Dracaena leaves are pretty smooth-edged.
Dorado can easily grow to be 4 or 5 feet tall—and in good conditions, it can reach 8 or 10 feet tall. It grows straight up, without getting too wide, so if you have a tall but narrow space, buy a Dorado Cane.
Dorado likes medium to low indirect light, so if your house is a bit shadier, this might be the right fit. He likes humidity, and occasional waterings (when the top half of the soil is dry).
Yucca Cane
The Yucca Cane can grow two feet per year and, in the right conditions, can reach 10 feet inside! But watch out—his long, dagger-like leaves are actually sharp. Don’t put him right next to where you walk. (Or, if you’re not very sociable, keep him in your entryway to teach visitors a lesson.)
As for lighting, you guessed it: Yucca likes bright indirect light. But unlike a lot of the other tall indoor plants on this list, it likes lower humidity. He’s from the desert. Super sensitive to overwatering, he’s fine if you let a few inches of soil dry out.
How to “pick your exact plant”
At Pafe Plants, we’ve identified the two biggest problems with ordering plants online (especially big plants):
1. The plant you get never looks like the plant in the pictures.
2. The plant usually arrives damaged.
We solved both problems. For our Big Floor Plants Collection, we’ll let you pick exactly the plant you like. Just schedule a video call and we’ll give you a little greenhouse tour of all our Kentias, all our Calamondins, or whichever huge indoor plant you choose. You can stop us and say, “That one right there,” and that’s literally the plant you’ll receive.
Plus, we’ve developed a proprietary shipping method that keeps even the biggest plants safe during shipping. We’re so confident that we guarantee it, and we back up that guarantee with a promise: If your big plant arrives damaged, we’ll let you handpick another one.
How to keep the tallest indoor plants alive
The nice thing about an established tall indoor plant is that, well, it’s already well established. The taller, the establisheder. But if you really want to pamper your plant and coax it to the highest heights, here’s what to do.
What does “water thoroughly” mean?
“Water thoroughly” means let the water flow, gently, for 2-3 minutes. Slowly spread the water across the surface of the soil. You’re done when you see water flowing out the drainage holes at the bottom of the pot.
Don’t be shy—if you let the soil dry out between waterings, you can’t possibly overwater it.
Speaking of drainage, it’s crucial! Your pot absolutely must have drainage holes. (Many pots don’t, for some unknown but probably terrible reason.) Without drainage holes, your plants will get root rot and die, or they’ll otherwise rebel.
Soil matters, too. Different plants like different soil—for example, you can find a Ficus-specific potting mix. But nearly all these plants like well-draining soil. Even though they like humidity, they still could get root rot.
How often should you water your huge floor plant?
Do not water by a schedule. You can’t calendar it like a haircut. Whatever the internet says (“water weekly!”) doesn’t count. The internet doesn’t know the details of your environment. But there are 3 surefire ways to know it’s time.
Scheduling your waterings overlooks so many factors. Maaaaybe there’s a calculator that can crunch:
Your humidity
All your temperatures variations
Your general climate
The season
The type of soil you use
The amount you water
The type of plant
The age of the plant
The size of the plant
The size of the planter
etc. etc. etc.
But we don’t know of a calculator like that.
Really, how long you wait to water depends on a lot of factors. Fortunately, there are three surefire ways to know that it’s time.
-
Your plant looks wilty. For a lot of plants, this is crisis mode. Try to notice before this point.
- The finger test: You poke your finger into the soil, and it feels dry. Some plants like an inch or 2 of dryness. Some want 4-5 dry inches. Learn your plant’s preferences and check every week (more often if it likes consistently moist soil).
- Use a soil moisture meter. It’s the same as your finger—you stick it into the soil—except it gives numerical feedback instead of tactile feedback. If you want to be precise, the water meter helps, but we find it’s not usually necessary.
Do I need to fertilize my huge house plant?
Yes! The fertilization schedule depends on the plant (and, unlike watering, you can actually schedule it). Usually, plants want to be fertilized once a month during spring through summer. Maybe just once or twice during the fall and winter.
Some plants are hungrier, and some plants are on a diet, so check with your specific tall indoor plant before fertilizing.
Where’s the best place to put my tall indoor plant?
I’ll answer this from a different angle and tell you the worst place to put your plant. Anywhere near a heating or A/C vent, an open window, a door that opens often, or even your fridge or stove.
All these things cause dry air and/or sudden changes in temperature or humidity. That’s hell for plants.
Plants are not fans of change. They can’t exactly run and duck behind the kitchen counter when you grab a beer. They’re stuck where they are, and they adapt slowly. So don’t throw cold or hot air at them randomly. If you have to put them near a vent, point the vent away from your ginormous plant.
Other than that, it’s all about lighting. For bright indirect light, the most popular houseplant lighting, put your plant a couple feet away from a bright window. Or put it right in front of a window that’s covered with a sheer curtain. If a tree outside the window filters the light, that works too.
How can you encourage your tall indoor plant to grow taller?
This seems counterintuitive, but pruning can actually make your plant grow taller. It also makes your plant healthier. A cut triggers a chemical reaction that tells the plant: “Hey, grow more branches and leaves right here!”
Steve Bradley, RHS Master of Horticulture, says pruning is “part art and part science.” His in-depth guide to pruning will steer you right.
It is usually best to prune in the spring or summer months when the plant is in its active growing period.
How can you keep your big plant from getting too big?
Some exuberant plants will grow even bigger than expected. Unless you live in a mansion with a three-story indoor balcony, you might need to tell your plant to cool it with the growth. Pruning is the simple solution.
This is counterintuitive, too. You just have to prune more often. Prune away the parts that go beyond your ideal size.
Should you repot your tall indoor plant?
If you still want it to grow, yes. Most big plants like to be repotted every year or two. Give it a pot that is only 1 or 2 inches bigger—most house plants’ roots like it cozy.
To figure out whether it’s time to repot, just look at the roots: Are they growing down and out of the drainage holes, or up and pushing the plant out of the planter? Time to repot. If it’s falling over a lot, that’s a sign, too (it’s top-heavy).
If you don’t want it to grow any bigger, you can keep the same pot, but it’s still a good idea to refresh the dirt every year or two.
Ready to see some HUGE plants?
Nothing says air purification and decor drama like tall indoor plants. If you’re going to go big, go big—ours are over 7 feet tall. Hop on a video call to get a little tour of these huge plants.
Curious about our video call process? It's a pretty casual chat, and we'll show off the specific plants you're interested in. Buying is totally optional. Jaw-dropping is mandatory.
Calvin Li
Calvin grew up in a plant shop. In the years since, he’s overseen hundreds upon hundreds of plants. He helps customers pick out the perfect plants for their homes and offices. He even helped Saks Off Fifth select plants for their corporate offices.
In college, Calvin studied horticulture (the art, science, and business of growing plants, including ornamental plants). Next, he rejoined the family business and expanded it online. In the nursery, he has seen all sorts of plant pests, diseases, and other problems—and fixed them.
Every day, customers come into Calvin’s shop with all sorts of questions, and he loves helping them select their plants and solve their plant problems.
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