Plants are one of the few Vastu remedies where a classical verse actually exists. The Brihat Samhita says certain large trees are troublesome on certain sides of a house, and advises planting good trees when a troublesome one cannot be removed. The rest of popular plant advice, tulsi in the north-east, a money plant in the south-east, no thorny plants indoors, is custom or modern. Choose plants for light, care and safety, and place them where they thrive.
What the Brihat Samhita says
Chapter 53 gives a short list of four large trees: the laksha (Ficus virens), the banyan, the udumbara and the ashvattha, which is the peepal. Each is said to be troublesome on one side of the house and favourable on the opposite side. The laksha is troublesome on the south, the banyan on the west, the udumbara on the north and the ashvattha on the east (53.85). The result in the verse is stated in the text’s own terms of fortune, and this site does not repeat it as a forecast.
A second verse offers an alternative. A person who cannot cut down a tree that stands on the wrong side may plant good trees between it and the house (53.87). Notice the tone. The text offers a gentle correction in the form of another plant, not a demolition or a purchase.
That is nearly all the plant guidance in the verses we read. It concerns large trees on a plot and is not about pots on a balcony.
What a practical reading adds
The four named trees are also the ones whose roots lift paving, crack walls and drains and drop heavy limbs near buildings. The peepal and the banyan in particular are large, aggressive trees. A practical person would not plant them close to a house, whichever direction they sit. That is our own reading and not something the verse says. It may be a reason the tradition keeps them at a distance.
Custom and modern advice, labelled
| Plant or rule | Where it comes from | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Troublesome large trees by side of the house | Brihat Samhita 53.85 | Classical |
| Plant good trees if one cannot be removed | Brihat Samhita 53.87 | Classical |
| Tulsi in the courtyard or at the north-east or east | Devotional household custom | Custom, not a building-text rule |
| Large trees to the south and west, small plants to the north and east | Popular modern advice | Modern |
| Money plant in the south-east | Popular modern advice | Modern |
| No thorny plants or cactus indoors | Popular modern advice | Modern |
| Bonsai and dead plants to be avoided | Popular modern advice | Modern |
| Plants clean the air and bring luck | Mixed; air claim is overstated | Modern |
Tulsi deserves a line of its own. For many households the tulsi plant is part of daily worship, and a raised tulsi platform, the Vrindavan, is a loved feature of courtyards. That is devotion and it needs no Vastu justification. Place it where it gets sun and where it is easy to water and to reach for worship.
What plants do for a home
The honest evidence is modest. Plants soften a room, give a sense of care, and many people find tending them calming. Reviews of the research on indoor plants and air quality conclude that a few pot plants do little to clean the air of a normal room compared with ventilation. So the best reason to keep a plant is that you like it. This site does not claim that a plant brings fortune.
A practical checklist
- Light first. Choose a plant for the light you actually have. A north-facing window in the northern hemisphere suits shade plants.
- Water carefully. Empty saucers so that no water stands, which breeds mosquitoes and damp.
- Distance. Keep large trees well away from walls, drains and underground pipes.
- Safety. Check whether a plant is toxic to children or pets before bringing it in. Some common houseplants and garden shrubs are.
- Allergies. If anyone has hay fever or asthma, test one plant before filling a room.
- Weight. On a balcony, check the load of large planters and make sure they drain away from the neighbour’s wall.
- Leaves. Clear fallen leaves from drains and roofs.
- Keep the centre clear. A plant stand should not block the middle of a room, which the guide to the brahmasthan discusses.
Trees on a plot
If you have a garden or a plot, the classical advice is a short one: be thoughtful about large trees near the house, and plant good trees where you can. The plot shape and surroundings guide covers the sources on neighbours and slopes. Plant trees you will look after, in places where their roots will not harm the building. Fruit and shade trees at a distance, flowering shrubs near the path and a tulsi at the door are all traditional and all fine.
In a flat, on a balcony, in a rented home
A flat has no plot, so the verses on large trees mostly do not apply. Your plants are pots and planters. Choose hardy, low-maintenance plants if you travel, put them where the light is, and do not hang heavy planters over a balcony edge. In a rented flat, keep plants on stands and in trays so that nothing marks the floor.
What cannot be changed, and what helps
You cannot change a neighbour’s tree or the direction your balcony faces. A large tree on your plot that stands on the wrong side is, in the text’s own words, a case for planting more, not for cutting. If a tree is unsafe, an arborist, not a consultant, should decide.
What helps is care. Water, light and a little pruning do more for a plant, and for the mood of a room, than any placement. The remedies guide explains why this site treats plants as an optional pleasure and not as a cure.
On being sold plants
Some consultants recommend particular plants as remedies, at a price. A plant is a living thing and a fair purchase if you want it. It is not a classical Vastu remedy for any named defect, and no verse we read says that a particular plant corrects a layout. If you are told otherwise, ask for the verse.
Frequently asked questions
↳ Which trees are troublesome in Vastu?
The Brihat Samhita names the laksha on the south, the banyan on the west, the udumbara on the north and the ashvattha on the east (53.85). In practice these big trees are best kept well away from walls and drains.
↳ Where should tulsi be planted?
Custom favours the courtyard, the north-east or the east. This is a devotional tradition and not a building-text rule. Choose a spot with sun that is easy to water and reach.
↳ Are cactus and thorny plants bad in Vastu?
Popular advice says to avoid them indoors. No classical verse we read says so. Thorny plants are a practical hazard near children and walkways, which is a good reason to place them with care.
↳ Does a money plant bring wealth?
No text we read says so, and this site makes no such claim. It is a hardy, easy plant that many people enjoy, and that is reason enough.
↳ Do indoor plants purify the air?
Reviews of the research suggest a few pot plants do little to clean the air of a typical room compared with opening a window. Keep them because you like them.