A balcony has the potential to be one of the most peaceful, serene spots in your home. In feng shui, the balcony ties the inside of your home to the outdoors, creating a free flow of energy between the outside and inside spaces. Unfortunately, balconies often get neglected and used as storage space rather than living space. To improve the flow of energy in your home and make the most of your balcony, consider the following tips and plants that can enhance your balcony’s feng shui.
The Best Plants for a Balcony in Feng Shui
The best plants for a balcony in feng shui include plants that can generate and draw positive qi (energy) into the home. Some of the best feng shui plants for balconies include areca palms, fig trees, umbrella plants, citrus trees, geraniums, ferns, ivy, azaleas, herbs, and lucky bamboo.
About the Balcony in Feng Shui
In feng shui, the balcony of a house or apartment is an important part of the home and plays an integral role in the flow of energy throughout the home.
Although the front door is most important, in terms of an entrance for energy into the home, a balcony also serves as an entry point for energy. For this reason, it’s essential to ensure it is designed in a way that will attract positive energy while repelling the negative from your home.
Some tips for good balcony design in feng shui include avoiding sharp corners and edges. Thus, a balcony with rounded corners is better than a balcony with squared-off corners. The balcony also should not directly face the corners of other neighboring structures. The balcony should also not face north (on the compass) because this is said to invite cold winds into the home, diminishing good health and wellbeing.
In terms of the arrangement concerning the rest of the home, the balcony should be considered a part of the home and included in the overall Bagua map layout, almost like an extension of the wall to which it is attached.
For example, if your balcony is attached to the master bedroom and the master bedroom is in the southeast corner of your home, then the balcony would also belong to the love and relationships sections of your feng shui Bagua map. So, the design of the balcony would most strongly affect the energy in this section of your life. The balcony’s design principles would also fall under this section, making it part of the earth element and most compatible with pink, red, and white or beige tones.
Feng Shui and Balcony Plants
As with feng shui and the front door of the home, plants are a perfect way to attract and draw energy to the balcony, inviting this energy to flow into and throughout your home. Since the balcony provides an entry point to the home, you want to focus on selecting plants that generate and attract positive energy.
When selecting and arranging plants on your balcony, it’s important to stick to the general rules of feng shui for plants. In feng shui, you generally want to choose plants that have soft, rounded leaves because these tend to be most strongly associated with positive energy.
Plants that have pointed, sharp, spiny, spiky, or overly rigid leaves (like several species of cacti and succulents) should be avoided because, in feng shui, these sharp edges can emit negative energy. Other plants that can emit negative energy include sick, dead, dying, or otherwise unhealthy plants. So, you should also select plants that can survive the outdoor elements on your balcony and will also be resistant to plant pests common in your area.
Additionally, you’ll need to consider the size of the plant with respect to your balcony and its location on the balcony. If you have limited space, then select smaller plants that will not hinder the flow of energy on the balcony, creating an energy block at an entrance to your home.
In terms of plant placement on the balcony, they are best placed in the east or southeast corner of the balcony itself. These sections of the Bagua map are associated with the wood element, and plants in these corners will help to balance the elements on the balcony.
The Best Plants for a Balcony in Feng Shui
Here you’ll find 10 of the best plant types to consider placing on your balcony according to feng shui best practices. We’ve included essential tips and considerations on where to position and care instructions for each.
1. Lavender (Lavandula)
A lavender plant is a great choice for your balcony, primarily because of its scent. The lovely, floral fragrance that lavender flowers emit is said to promote good health, healing, happiness, and relaxation in feng shui. The color purple also symbolizes wealth and prosperity, which means a lavender plant will pack a powerful punch in the southeast corner of your balcony.
Lavender can be grown in pots or boxes on a balcony. It requires hot, bright, full sun to produce lots of fragrant flowers and also likes soil and containers that are well-draining. This plant will do well on a sunny balcony where it’s sheltered from receiving too much rain and becoming water-logged.
2. Geranium (Pelargonium)
Also called storksbill, geraniums have fuzzy or sometimes waxy, paddle-shaped leaves and globular clusters of beautiful flower blossoms. With their soft foliage, geraniums are good for attracting positive energy.
Pay attention to the color of geraniums that you choose to display on your balcony, being mindful of the balcony’s location on the Bagua map and that section’s element and preferred colors. For example, red geraniums are perfect for a balcony on the southern fame and reputation section of the home. In contrast, pink geraniums are better suited to a southwest balcony in the marriage, love, and relationships section.
To thrive and produce the best blossoms, geraniums need full sun and the opportunity for their soil to dry out between waterings.
3. Azalea (Rhododendron)
In feng shui, azalea shrubs are an auspicious choice thanks to their ovate leaves that flutter softly in the breeze. They also produce beautiful swaths of papery, delicate flowers in a variety of shades of pink, red, purple, and white.
Azaleas are typically associated with creative energy and make a great addition to the home if you are feeling tired or uninspired. White azaleas are perfect for a west-facing balcony, as they will draw positive, invigorating energy into the children and creativity section of the home.
Azaleas thrive in full sun to partial shade and need well-draining and acidic soil that is allowed to dry out between waterings.
4. Citrus Trees (Citrus)
Citrus trees, including orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit trees, offer powerful positive energy that promotes abundance, fruitfulness, prosperity, and wealth. They’re perfect for placing in any area of the Bagua map where you hope to be more fruitful or productive, but they pack an extra powerful punch in the wealth and prosperity (southeast) corner of the Bagua map.
The biggest challenge with growing a citrus tree is having the ability to provide it with enough sunlight. These trees need at least six hours of full sun every single day to thrive. They also need warm weather. On a balcony in the natural elements, citrus trees will fare best in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11.
5. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo is considered to be one of the most auspicious plants in feng shui. Its upward-growing stalks represent upward growth and vitality, while its soft leaves generate positive energy. Plus, lucky bamboo can be displayed in just about any space – no matter how much or how little room you have. This makes it perfect for balconies that are on the smaller side.
Lucky bamboo can survive a variety of light conditions and can be easily grown in a pretty vase of water. Just be sure to change the water frequently to prevent bacterial growth, bad smells, and sickly plants that can generate negative energy in your home.
6. Ficus and Fig Trees (Moraceae)
All species of ficus trees and fig trees of the Moraceae plant family are excellent choices for feng shui inside and outside the home (as long as your outdoor environment is conducive to their survival). With their soft, ovate leaves, they generate positive energy. With their ability to bear fruit, they also represent abundance and can help create prosperity and fruitfulness.
Grown in pots, these trees will remain a manageable size for display on a balcony. These trees prefer to have evenly moist soil that’s never soggy and an environment with moderate to high humidity. These plants thrive when they receive lots of bright, indirect sunlight and a little bit of full sun.
7. Ferns (Tracheophyta)
In feng shui, ferns – especially Boston ferns – are considered to be lucky plants that can neutralize negative energy and attract positive energy with their soft, fluffy foliage.
Ferns need lots of moisture to survive and shelter from direct sunlight. Ferns do well in environments with moderate to high humidity and lots of moisture. While they can tolerate some bright, indirect light, they fare best in the shade to partial sun. On balconies, ferns can be displayed as hanging plants, in boxes along railings, or in regular containers.
8. Umbrella Plant (Schefflera)
Umbrella plants are another plant that is thought to be lucky in feng shui. They have rounded leaves that fan out in a circular, umbrella-like shape. These plants are said to produce positive energy in a home. It is also thought to attract wealth into a home, which makes it a great plant for southeast sections of the Bagua map.
Umbrella plants prefer medium light or bright, filtered sunlight. They are susceptible to root rot, so the soil should be allowed to dry out completely between waterings.
9. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)
Areca palm is one of the most popular plants in feng shui. It is thought to create positive energy, neutralize negative energy, and attract prosperity, peace, and wealth into a home – especially when placed in the north, east, southeast, and south corners of the home. Plus, these plants are usually recommended for placement at the entry points of a home, making areca palm a great choice for a balcony.
Areca palms require full to partial sun to thrive. This plant’s soil should be kept evenly moist but never soggy, as the plants are susceptible to root rot. Water yours frequently, but make sure it is planted in a well-draining potting mix and container and fertilize in spring and summer.
10. Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)
Golden pothos is another highly popular plant in feng shui with a variety of uses. Most commonly, they are used to draw positive energy into blocked places in the home or to neutralize negative energy in dark corners of the home. Suppose your balcony has negative energy (poison arrows) from the sharp corners of neighboring buildings. In that case, you can hang golden pothos to neutralize this energy and prevent it from entering your home.
Golden pothos can thrive in a wide range of environments. They thrive in bright, indirect sunlight but can also tolerate shadier lower light conditions. They should be kept out of bright, direct sunlight because their leaves can scorch in too much heat. Let the soil dry out completely between each watering.
Invite Positive Energy Into Your Home With Good Feng Shui Plants for the Balcony
Adding a living plant or two to your balcony will better anchor this transitional space to nature, inviting positive energy from the outside world into your home. When selecting plants to improve your balcony’s feng shui, remember the basics: healthy plants with soft, rounded leaves that will thrive in your balcony’s environment.
Feng Shui Plants and The Home
For more, see our essential guides to the best Feng Shui plants for living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens, front doors, bedrooms, hallways, offices, desks, and those that attract wealth, prosperity, and luck.
Andrew is the Editorial Director at Petal Republic. He holds a BSc degree in Plant Sciences and has trained professionally at leading floristry schools in London and Paris. In amongst overseeing a global editorial team, Andrew's a passionate content creator around all things flowers, floral design, gardening, and houseplants.
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