Creating an urban jungle: A green oasis in your own home

What is an Urban Jungle?

An Urban Jungle refers to a current home decor trend where many houseplants are intentionally used in living spaces. The trend originates from big cities, where real nature is often scarce. The goal is to bring nature into one's home and thus create a natural atmosphere and a healthy indoor climate. It involves a consciously designed, lush plant landscape with various shades of green, different leaf shapes, and a mix of large statement plants and small highlights. The result looks lively, a bit wild, and at the same time very cozy.

Setting up an Urban Jungle: 5 Practical Tips

If you're starting an Urban Jungle, you don't need to green up your entire apartment all at once. A few plants are enough to begin with. Plants grow over time anyway and fill the space on their own. It's also worth asking friends and family for cuttings before buying everything new. This way, your collection grows little by little, and your Urban Jungle can be set up easily without straining your wallet.

1. Deliberately Play with Sizes and Leaf Shapes

One of the easiest and most effective ways to create a true Urban Jungle look is by deliberately combining different plant sizes and leaf shapes. If you only place plants of the same size with similar leaves next to each other, you quickly get a monotonous result. The interplay of large and small, round and pointed, dark green and light green creates depth and excitement in the room without making it feel restless. It's important not to just line up the plants but to arrange them as a group. This creates the impression of a naturally grown jungle instead of a neatly arranged collection.

2. Use a Focal Point as the Centerpiece

A great way to start an Urban Jungle is with a large statement plant that serves as a centerpiece. Instead of buying many small plants all at once, it's worth choosing an impressive specimen first and building the rest around it. A large plant in a corner of the room or next to the sofa immediately draws the eye and gives the Urban Jungle a natural structure. Smaller plants can then be grouped around it gradually to complement and fill out the overall picture. This way, your Urban Jungle grows step by step, without having to invest your entire budget all at once.

3. Work with Different Levels

An Urban Jungle thrives on plants not all being at the same height. Combine your houseplants on the floor, on shelves, or even hanging from the ceiling to create a vibrant overall picture that engages the entire room. Large plants on the floor form the base, medium-sized specimens on shelves or stools provide the middle level, and preferably fast-growing climbing plants hanging from the ceiling or a wall hook complete the look upwards.

 4. Use Plant Pots as a Styling Element

The pots your plants sit in are far more than just containers. They are an important part of the overall picture. Ideally, opt for materials like ceramic, terracotta, or concrete, which give the Urban Jungle a natural and high-quality character. Feel free to vary the sizes and shapes of the pots, just as you do with the plants themselves. If you want a more cohesive look, it's best to stick to one color family, such as various earthy tones or simple white and gray shades. If you prefer a more vibrant look, you can also play with contrasts. A striking cachepot can be deliberately used as a highlight to give a particular plant even more prominence.

5. Combine Plants with Natural Materials

Your Urban Jungle will have an even stronger impact if the plants are surrounded by suitable natural materials. Wood, rattan, jute, and linen naturally harmonize with the green of the plants and enhance the organic overall picture. A shelf made of light wood, a basket as a cachepot, or linen curtains – such details blend in subtly yet make a significant difference. Often, small adjustments are enough to make the room appear more coherent and to highlight the green of the plants even better.

Popular Plants for the Urban Jungle

The most enjoyable part of setting up an Urban Jungle is selecting the plants. The variety is enormous: from lush leafy giants to delicate climbers, there's something for every taste and every room. Here are some particularly popular plants that are perfectly suited for an Urban Jungle and together create an impressive display.

Fast-growing Climbing Plants  Plants that trail or hang down quickly create that Urban Jungle feeling. If you choose fast-growing varieties, your indoor jungle will almost create itself. Particularly popular are the Pothos, the Philodendron, and the Spider Plant. All three are easy to care for, grow quickly, and look great both in hanging pots and on shelves. Buy Climbing Plants
The Monstera as a Classic No Urban Jungle is complete without a Monstera. The most well-known and widespread is the Monstera Deliciosa. With its distinctive, deeply cut leaves, it is the epitome of style and works both as a large statement piece and as the centerpiece of a plant group. But there are many other Monstera species that you can add when setting up your Urban Jungle. If you want something special, perhaps the Monstera Thai Constellation with its cream-colored speckles on the leaves would be a good choice. Or the Monstera Adansonii, which can both climb and hang and is therefore particularly well suited for shelves or hanging baskets. Buy Monstera
Special Indoor Trees If you want to add true height and structure to your Urban Jungle, you can't go wrong with indoor trees. The Fiddle Leaf Fig, also known as Ficus Lyrata, is one of the most popular varieties. With its large, violin-shaped leaves and upright growth, it makes an impressive statement even on its own in a corner of the room. But palms like the Yucca palm are also a good choice for an Urban Jungle. With its narrow, pointed leaves, it creates a beautiful contrast to large-leaved plants. Also popular is the Dragon Tree, which with its slender trunk and distinctive leaves adds a special lightness to the room.
Impressive Alocasias  If you're looking for a real statement piece for your Urban Jungle, an Alocasia is a good choice. Its large, arrow-shaped leaves with distinctive veins make it one of the most striking houseplants available. Depending on the species, the leaves vary from deep, glossy dark green to almost black, which can create an impressive contrast to lighter plants.  Buy Alocasias
Cacti & Succulents as a Contrast Cacti and succulents are the perfect complement to lush foliage plants in an Urban Jungle. While large leafy plants provide volume and density, cacti with their compact forms and unusual structures add interesting accents. They look particularly good in groups of various shapes and sizes. Moreover, cacti and succulents are exceptionally easy to care for and can forgive a forgotten watering session.

Common Mistakes When Setting Up an Urban Jungle

Especially as a beginner with plants, mistakes can happen, and that's okay. Just give your Urban Jungle a little time. Plants grow, some thrive better than expected, others take a little longer to settle in. If you know the most common mistakes and pay a little attention to the needs of your plants from the start, you'll quickly realize how easy it can be to create a green oasis in your own home.

• Incorrect light conditions: Especially with an Urban Jungle, often the only consideration is what arrangement looks best. However, it's important to consider the light requirements of each plant and place them in suitable locations.
• Buying all plants at once: If you want to green up your entire apartment immediately, you quickly lose track of care and locations. It's better to start slowly and expand the collection gradually, especially since plants also grow.
  
• Ignoring care needs: Some plants grow quickly and need little attention, while others are significantly more demanding. Be aware of this, especially if you buy many plants at once.
• Choosing pots that are too small: Even if space is sometimes limited, you should not skimp on pot size for your Urban Jungle. Plants need sufficient root space to grow healthily. A pot that is too small not only inhibits growth but also weakens the plant in the long run and makes it more susceptible to pests and diseases.
• Having too little patience: An Urban Jungle doesn't happen overnight. Plants grow, cuttings take time, and the arrangement evolves. Those who accept this will enjoy their green home more in the long run.

Order Your Urban Jungle in the Online Shop

In our Harmony Plants online shop, you will find a large selection of special houseplants – from fast-growing climbing plants to impressive foliage plants, as well as rare species and hybrids. This way, you can have your plants conveniently delivered to your home and start building your own Urban Jungle right away.