These 9 gorgeous silver houseplants will look amazing in your plant collection. I’m a sucker for silver plants, and you will be too after you see these pics!
9 gorgeous silver houseplants to add to your collection
Hey all! Today I’m doing a roundup of 9 gorgeous silver houseplants. They are all plants I’ve written care and propagation guides for in the past, and one day I started to notice a trend. A lot of my plants are silver. 🙂
I am a real sucker for silver plants. I just love them. They photograph beautifully and look amazing among a sea of green plants. Here are 9 I recommend adding to your collection both for their beauty and ease of care!
1. Philodendron hastatum, aka “silver sword philodendron”
The silver sword philodendron is a truly stunning plant. While it might not be the easiest plant to find, it does occasionally pop up where you’d least expect it. Mine was like $15 from a Weis grocery store in Maryland—though that’s rare!
You can score the best deals for these in local plant trade groups. I often see them up for sale, trade, or auction in the Maryland plant group I’m in. If you can’t find one locally, you can always check Etsy (affiliate link) to see what they’ve got. See my silver sword philodendron care post for more!
2. Tillandsia air plants
You might not traditionally think of tillandsia “air plants” as silver plants, but I’ve found that a lot of them have a stunning sheen. Many tillandsia varieties are light-to-medium green and have a silver coating on the leaves.
These leaves are covered in special cells called trichomes that quickly and efficiently gather moisture and other nutrients needed for survival from the air and things around them. Gorgeous and low-maintenance plants, for sure. Check out my full air plant care guide for more information on this cool plant and caring for different varieties.
3. Peperomia argyreia “watermelon”
Peperomia argyreia, aka “watermelon peperomia,” is the first of two peperomia plants in this roundup! And it’s one of my favorite silver houseplants. Peperomias are cute plants that stay relatively compact. But I would say that, in my experience, watermelon peperomias get a bit larger than some of the other varieties.
The leaves are a deep green with striking silver variegation on them that makes the leaves look a lot like watermelons rinds. The leaves themselves are thick and glossy, which only enhances the drama of the silver. Check out my watermelon peperomia care guide for more—and then learn how to propagate peperomia plants from cuttings!
4. Tradescantia zebrina “wandering dude”
Tradescantia zebrina has long been a houseplant staple because it is easy to care for, looks great in hanging baskets inside or outside, and is gorgeous. The deep purple leaves have gorgeous bright silver markings on them.
These plants are also ridiculously easy to propagate and grow like weeds. I love hanging a basket outline in bright indirect light. The Maryland humidity helps this plant reach its full potential. But beware—too much bright direct light will fade the silver markings. Learn how to care for and propagate the tradnescantia zebrina plant.
5. Scindapsus pictus aka “silver satin pothos”
While you might hear this stunning plant called “silver satin pothos,” it’s not actually a pothos plant. It’s closely related to pothos plants, though, which explains the similar leaf shape. Scindapsus plants are a bit beefier, though. Often with thicker stems and leaves.
Scindapsus pictus has a few gorgeous varieties to choose from, all with similar silver markings. My favorite is the scindapsus pictus exotica, which is pretty easy to find in local nurseries. It trails beautifully.
Other varieties include scindapsus pictus argyraeus, scindapsus pictus silvery anne, sincapdusis pictus silver splash, and scindapsus pictus silver lady. I don’t have all of these. Argyraeus and silvery anne are pretty easy to find, while silver splash and silver lady are much harder! Learn how to care for a propagate different scindapsus pictus varieties!
6. Scindapsus treubii moonlight “sterling silver”
No roundup of silver houseplants would be complete without the recently famous moonlight. Scindapsus treubii moonlight is another variety of scindapsus you definitely want to add to your silver plant collection. This is a really trendy plant right now since Costa Farms included it as one of their 2021 Trending Tropicals.
I have two of these plants—one in a pot and one in a hanging basket. I am obsessed with both. This really has to be my favorite plant right now. Unlike the scindapsus pictus silver varieties that have silver variegation, the scindapsus treubii moonlight plants are a muted green with an all-over silver sheen. Totally stunning.
Check out my scindapsus treubii moonlight care guide, and then check out a separate post I have all about how to root scindapsus treubii moonlight in sphagnum moss (this post included tips on rooting scindapsus treubii dark form as well).
7. Ceropegia woodii, aka “string of hearts”
Ceropegia woodii, aka “string of hearts,” is another fun trailing plant to add to your silver collection. The regular ol’ variety of string of hearts is what I have. When it’s really happy and healthy, the variegation on the leaves is a striking veined silver.
If you’re feeling a little spendy, you can also drop a few more bucks to get a harder-to-find “silver glory” variety of string of hearts. This has more silver than green, and some leaves are almost entirely silver. Whichever you choose, make sure to check out my string of hearts care and propagation guide for more!
8. Peperomia caperata silver “frost”
The second peperomia on the list—and this one is also a stunner. It’s slightly smaller than the watermelon peperomia and stays quite small. Perfect for a desk or shelf with bright indirect light.
The “frost” variety of peperomia caperata has the same corrugated-texture leaves as the other more common “emerald” variety has. However, the “frost” variety has very light green—almost an off-white—shimmery leaves. Absolutely breathtaking little plant! Check out my full peperomia plant care guide for more.
9. Philodendron brandtianum “silver leaf”
Philodendron brandtianum, aka “philodendron brandi” or “silver leaf philodendron,” is a gorgeous philodendron with medium-green leaves covered in bright silver markings. The plant isn’t the easiest to find, though.
Much like the silver sword philodendron, local nurseries, local online plant groups, and Etsy are probably your best bet for this plant. I’ve never seen them pop up in big box or grocery stores, but that’s not to say they won’t one day!
This plant is a lovely climber, too. Give it a nice stake or pole for support, and your philodendron brandi will be a real anchor plant in any display. Check out my full philodendron brandtianum care and propagation guide for more!
Pin my list of 9 gorgeous silver houseplants to add to your collection!
Brittany is a seasoned DIY home and garden expert, running a creative brand since 2014 that inspires others with approachable plant care guides, woodworking tutorials, and decor projects. She is a certified project manager and has completed extensive coursework in the art and science of growing your own plants. Her work has been recognized by major publications, and she routinely collaborates with fellow DIY industry leaders—but her favorite thing to do is inspire you! Learn more about her here.
Leave a comment