Short answer: The best Vastu plants for home are Tulsi, money plant, bamboo and soft flowering plants, kept in the north, east or north-east. Tall or heavy plants belong in the south and west. Keep thorny plants, bonsai and anything dry or dying out of the house, and never put Tulsi in the south.
A plant is the easiest Vastu change most people can make. It costs little, needs no landlord’s permission and can be moved in a minute. It can also be put in the wrong place. Here is how I place plants in a home, starting with Tulsi, since Tulsi Vivah falls on 21 November this year, the day after Dev Uthani Ekadashi on 20 November.
Tulsi: the one plant with fixed rules
Tulsi is worshipped, not just grown, so treat its spot like a small shrine. The north-east is the first choice, then the east, then the north. Keep it in a raised pot or a Tulsi chaura rather than straight on the floor, and give it morning sun. In a flat, an east or north balcony works well. Avoid the south completely, avoid placing it under a staircase, and do not keep it next to a toilet wall or the shoe rack. If the plant dries out, replace it with a fresh one instead of leaving a dead stalk in the pot. If you live in Australia, New Zealand or South Africa, the sun crosses the north instead, so read Vastu in the southern hemisphere before you choose the spot.
Tulsi Vivah is a good day to set this right. If your Tulsi has been sitting in a corner where it barely gets light, shift it before 21 November and let the puja happen in its new place.
Where each plant goes
The rule behind the table is simple. The north and east are the light, open sides of a home, so small and soft plants go there. The south and west can carry weight, so big pots and tall plants go there.
| Plant | Best place | Keep it away from |
|---|---|---|
| Tulsi | North-east, east or north, raised | South, under stairs, beside a toilet |
| Money plant | South-east, indoors, climbing upward | North-east; vines trailing on the floor |
| Lucky bamboo | East or south-east, in clean water | Bedroom and south-west |
| Flowering plants (jasmine, marigold, hibiscus) | North and east; hibiscus also suits the south | Inside the master bedroom |
| Large pots, areca palm, rubber plant | South, west or south-west | North-east |
| Banana plant (for houses with a garden) | North-east part of the garden | Close against the house walls |
There is one more layer I add when I place plants for a family. Each direction is also tied to a planet, so the same north-east corner can be a help for one person and only a pleasant spot for another, depending on the chart.
If you are unsure which side of the home is which, my north-facing, east-facing, south-facing and west-facing house guides show how the zones fall in those layouts, and the main zone map is in my Vastu for home guide.
Balcony plants in a Bengaluru flat
In most flats the balcony is the only green space, and its direction decides what it should hold.
- North or east balcony: keep it light. Tulsi, herbs, small flowering pots, hanging planters. Leave the floor mostly open.
- North-east balcony: the most valuable one. Low pots only, and no heavy planter boxes along the parapet.
- South or west balcony: this is where the heavy pots, the big palms and the tall rubber plant belong. A dense row of plants here also cuts the harsh afternoon sun.
- South-west balcony: heavy and tall is fine, but keep it neat. Water pooling here is worse than in any other corner.
Whatever the direction, the tray under each pot matters. Standing water and seepage stains on a balcony floor are a Vastu problem and a building problem at the same time.
Plants I ask people to avoid indoors
- Cactus and thorny plants: keep them outside the house. Roses are the exception, and they do best in a garden or on a south-west terrace.
- Bonsai: a tree held small on purpose is not something I suggest keeping in a living space.
- Plants with milky sap, such as some euphorbias, inside the home.
- Dry, dead or diseased plants of any kind. Remove them the same week.
- Artificial plants in the north-east, where real light and growth are what the corner needs.
For independent houses with land, big trees such as peepal, banyan or mango belong well away from the house, on the south or west of the plot, so they never shade the north-east or press their roots towards the foundation.
घर में तुलसी और पौधे: हिंदी में
तुलसी को घर के ईशान कोण, पूर्व या उत्तर में ऊँचे गमले में रखें, दक्षिण दिशा में कभी नहीं। 21 नवंबर को तुलसी विवाह होगा, उससे पहले तुलसी को सही जगह पर रख दें। मनी प्लांट दक्षिण-पूर्व में ऊपर की ओर चढ़ता हुआ अच्छा है। भारी गमले और बड़े पौधे दक्षिण और पश्चिम में रखें। घर के अंदर कांटेदार पौधे, बोनसाई और सूखे पौधे न रखें।
Plants, planets and the corners of your home
A plant reading on its own tells you what goes where by direction. When I also have your birth details, I can see which corners of the home matter most for you in the years you are living through now, and put the plants, and the effort, there first.
Here is how that works in practice. Someone running a Mercury period, which connects to the north, gets more out of keeping that side green, light and uncluttered than out of filling the south-west with heavy pots. If you want to start with the plants, the ₹1,499 home session is the easy first step. If you would like the chart and the layout looked at side by side, that is what my Astro-Vastu consultation is for.
When plants are not enough
Plants help, but they cannot cover a kitchen in the north-east or a toilet in the centre. If you have moved pots around and the home still feels unsettled, the layout itself needs a look. I do that in a 45-minute session for ₹1,499 per flat or per floor, online or at my studio in Begur, with written notes in 48 hours. Book a time here, or see how my Vastu consultation in Bangalore works.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which plant is best for the north-east of the house?
Tulsi is the first choice for the north-east, kept in a raised pot with morning light. If the corner is indoors with little sun, a small potted plant that stays low is fine. Avoid anything tall, thorny or heavy here, because this corner should stay the lightest part of the home.
Can I keep Tulsi on a south-facing balcony?
I would not. Tulsi belongs in the north, east or north-east. If your only balcony faces south, keep Tulsi on an east or north window ledge inside the flat where it gets morning light, and use the south balcony for the larger, heavier pots instead.
Which plants suit a west-facing balcony?
A west balcony gets the hot afternoon sun, so pick plants that like it: bougainvillea, hibiscus, jasmine or a tall areca palm in a heavy pot. Bigger pots suit this side well. Keep the small, delicate plants and the Tulsi for the north or east if you have a window there.
Are artificial plants okay in Vastu?
They are acceptable as decoration in the south or west, as long as they are kept clean. I avoid them in the north-east, where the point is real light and living growth. A dusty plastic plant in a dark corner does more harm to the look of a room than good.
Can I keep plants in the bedroom?
Keep it to one or two small, soft-leaved plants at most, away from the bed. Avoid large pots, thorny plants and bamboo in the master bedroom. Plants are better placed in the living room and on balconies, where they get light and fresh air.