In Feng Shui, placing a snake plant is about more than just decoration – it’s a way to harmonize your space and enhance its flow of energy. Rooted in the practice of mindfully caring for your environment, Feng Shui emphasizes the deep connection between nature and all living beings, including plants. This ancient art guides us on how to harness the healing power of nature, such as the energy of the snake plant, and bring its benefits into our spaces.
Learning how to care for a snake plant goes hand in hand with maximizing its benefits in your home. Known for its air-purifying properties and upright, sword-like leaves, snake plant's symbolize purification, strength and resilience. By applying Feng Shui energy mapping, you can strategically place your snake plant to enhance its positive effects, from fostering prosperity to guarding against negative energy.
If you're already familiar with where to place lucky bamboo according to Feng Shui, you'll understand the power of intentional placement. Snake plants offer their own unique benefits to support positive Feng Shui in your home, as I discovered when I spoke to Feng Shui experts.
What makes snake plant an auspicious choice in Feng Shui?
In Feng Shui, snake plants symbolize several powerful qualities that align with their unique physical characteristics and energy.
According to Anjie Cho, holistic interior designer and Feng Shui expert at the Mindful Design Feng Shui School, 'In Feng Shui, snake plants have a protective quality because they resemble a sharp, fierce sword. Therefore, they can be beneficial when placed where one needs a bit of protection.'
She explains that while snake plants are not a traditional choice in Feng Shui, they are used in specific situations for their distinct characteristics. 'In general, Feng Shui advises using plants with soft, rounded leaves to promote gentle, nurturing energy. However, snake plants' tall, sharp leaves resemble swords, which lend them a protective energy.' This makes them particularly suitable for areas of your home that require an added sense of defense or strength.
Additionally, the sharp, linear shape of the leaves symbolizes clarity and determination, aligning with the qualities of focus and precision.
'As a Feng Shui plant, snake plants are quintessential representatives of the wood element in feng shui,' explains Dee Oujiri, Feng Shui strategist and biophilic design practitioner. 'Their strong, upward growth embodies the energy of expansion, vitality, and progress. In Feng Shui, the five elements – wood, fire, earth, metal, and water – are used to create balance and harmony within a space. The wood element’s upward motion can help you focus on achieving goals, fostering personal growth, and attracting abundance into your life.'
With its air-purifying qualities, the snake plant also symbolizes renewal and freshness, contributing to a clean, vibrant atmosphere.
An inexpensive snake plant like this is perfect for a coffee table or a bookshelf.
This medium golden snake plant comes in a stylish self-watering pot, so even the least green-thumbed can easily keep their plant healthy.
A large snake plant like this is perfect for a disused corner of a living room.
Anjie Cho is a creator of holistic spaces, specifically focused on designing architectural interiors, and teaching Feng Shui and meditation. She is the author of Mindful Homes and Holistic Spaces.
Dee Oujiri is the founder of Homes That Heal, a bespoke consulting firm dedicated to crafting luxury spaces aligned with nature and well-being. With a blend of expertise in Feng Shui, Biophilic Design, and energy alignment, Dee transforms homes, properties, and developments into sanctuaries of harmony, prosperity, and timeless elegance. Beyond her professional work, Dee is a passionate advocate for connecting with the earth’s natural rhythms and creating spaces that resonate with positive energy.
Best areas to place a snake plant according to Feng Shui
The Bagua map or Feng Shui energy map divides your home into nine sections, each representing a different aspect of life, such as wealth, health, relationships, and career. By thoughtfully positioning your snake plant in key Guas, you can enhance the energy flow in those areas and invite positive outcomes.
Understanding the Bagua map is a foundational step in applying Feng Shui principles effectively. While resources like a Beginner's Guide to the Ba Gua on Amazon can help you get started, we’ve outlined the key places where Feng Shui and plant experts recommend placing a snake plant.
By positioning it in areas aligned with protection, harmony, growth, or vitality, you can amplify its benefits and make it a versatile addition to your Feng Shui practice.
The entryway
'In Feng Shui, the entry is a portal for qi (life force energy) to enter your home and life from the outside world,' says Anjie Cho. 'A snake plant (or one flanking each side of the door) can be placed strategically following entryway Feng Shui to offer protection from unwanted energies entering the home.' It can serve as a protective barrier, guarding against negative energy and welcoming positive chi into the home.
The southeast corner – Wealth area
The snake plant is often placed in the southeast corner, otherwise known as the Feng Shui wealth corner of your home or room, which is associated with wealth and abundance in the Bagua map. Its tall, vertical growth symbolizes the upward flow of energy, aligning with the intention of supporting and enhancing financial growth and prosperity.
The east corner – Health and Family area
The snake plant is also a good choice for the east side of your home or room, which corresponds to family, health, and vitality. This placement can promote overall well-being for the household.
To find the health and family Gua, use the Bagua map to identify the eastern section of your home or space, ensuring it aligns with your intentions for harmony and vitality.
The workspace
In office Feng Shui, your workspace represents your prosperity, success, and career. Feng Shui expert Anjie Cho explains, 'Your desk and workspace represent your career and directly influence your finances, abundance, and success.'
In a home office, a snake plant can be particularly beneficial if you need protection in your professional life. 'Placed in work areas, it can shield you from challenging energy, such as dealing with a difficult co-worker or client. The sword-like shape of the snake plant's leaves brings a fierce, protective energy to help keep you safe and focused,' Cho adds.
The bedroom
'The bedroom is where you sleep and rest, so a snake plant can be placed here to support a more restful sleep,' explains Anjie Cho.
She elaborates, 'The bedroom is the room that represents you because it's where you spend a third of your life, it's the place you go to for rest and rejuvenation. It's also the most private space in your home. The bedroom represents you, and your inner child. A snake plant in this area can offer a sense of safety so you can sleep peacefully and with some protection, therefore, creating an environment for more restful sleep.'
Additionally, Tammy Sons, horticulturist and CEO of TN Nurseries says: 'The snake plant is a night-time air purifier that releases oxygen at night.' In Feng Shui, clean air and good oxygen flow are essential for maintaining positive Qi (energy) in a space. By improving air quality, the snake plant helps clear stagnant energy, creating an environment that supports vitality, clarity, and renewal.
However, some Feng Shui practitioners caution that this is a plant never to place in a bedroom. Its upright, sharp leaves are thought to symbolize cutting or harsh energy, which could disrupt the calming atmosphere needed for restful sleep. So, if you choose to include a snake plant in your bedroom, consider placing it in a spot that feels balanced and doesn’t direct its energy toward the bed. For example, you could position it in a corner far from the bed or on a low shelf or table near a window where it can still contribute to air purification without introducing overly assertive energy into your sleep space.
Tammy Sons is a horticulture plant expert, garden writer, and educator. Tammy is the CEO and founder of TN Nursery, a thriving online plant nursery based in Altamont, Tennessee. She is also a prolific writer, sharing her knowledge through articles on various gardening topics, including plant care, sustainable landscaping, and the latest trends in horticulture.
The south corner – Fame area
In Feng Shui, the fame area corresponds to the south section of your home or space on the Bagua map. This area, also known as the Li Gua, represents your reputation, recognition, and how you are perceived by others.
'If you’re looking to boost your reputation and cut through the gossip (because who has time for that?), place a snake plant in your home’s Fame and Reputation Gua,' recommends Dee Oujiri. 'This area is the back center of your home when using the Feng Shui Bagua map. The plant’s strong vertical energy supports your aspirations and helps you stand tall in the eyes of others'
Anjie Cho adds: 'If you are highly visible and need a bit of protection from prying eyes, or gossip, or all the fun things that go along with being seen, place a snake plant in your fame area.'
Where to place a snake plant to keep it thriving
In addition to following the Feng Shui energy or Bagua map, it's important to consider placement based on how to care for your snake plant to ensure it thrives. After all, a healthy plant is essential for cultivating good energy.
Light: This low-maintenance indoor plant can tolerate low-light conditions but thrives best in a bright spot with gentle, indirect sunlight. Anjie Cho advises, 'Be sure that they receive the light and care they require because an unhealthy and neglected plant is never good luck.' If you notice issues such as your snake plant turning yellow or drooping, insufficient or excessive light may be the cause.
Humidity: Like other tropical houseplants, snake plants enjoy higher humidity levels. As a result, they will appreciate living in a humid area of your home, such as bathrooms, or near a kitchen sink. If your home is dry, you can increase humidity around your snake plant with tools like a humidity tray from Amazon or by misting it occasionally.
Temperature: Snake plants are hardy but prefer stable, warm temperatures, between 65°F and 75°F. Keep them away from drafty windows, air conditioners, or heating vents, as sudden temperature changes can stress the plant and lead to problems like browning or wilting leaves.
FAQs
Where should a snake plant not be placed in the home according to Feng Shui?
Avoid placing the snake plant in the center of the home (the Tai Chi or Health area) as it's pointed, sharp leaves could create imbalance in the flow of energy. This location is best left clear to allow energy to circulate freely.
How many snake plants should I use in Feng Shui?
If you choose to use multiple snake plants, you should "balance" the number. Odd numbers are typically preferred in Feng Shui as they represent dynamic energy, while even numbers signify balance and calm.
As Anjie Cho advises, good Feng Shui begins with selecting plants mindfully. Choose plants that match your ability to care for them and suit your space’s light conditions. Overloading your home with too many plants or struggling to care for them can create challenges - the opposite of the ease, health, and steady growth Feng Shui aims to promote. She advises, 'If you get plants that overwhelm you, or are sick, or are too hard for you to keep alive – that's not good Feng Shui.
'Also in general (along the lines of ease and smooth qi - life force energy) it's recommended to select plants with soft heart shaped leaves, rather than spiky plants - thought this is a generic guideline - not a rule!'
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