Large indoor plants earn their keep by filling the one spot in a room that furniture cannot: the empty metre beside the couch, the blank wall behind a dining table. Our three for that job are the Giant Bird of Paradise, the Monstera Deliciosa and the Ficus Umbellata. All three want a bright position and a permanent one.
How big is a large indoor plant, actually?
Anything that reads as furniture rather than decoration. Below knee height a plant sits on something; above hip height it stands on the floor and changes how the room is arranged.
A Giant Bird of Paradise will pass 2m tall if treated well, the only plant here that can hold a double-height wall on its own. A Monstera spreads sideways as much as up, so the number that matters is width.
Which large plants suit an Australian home?
Three, and they solve different problems. One goes vertical, one goes wide, one takes less light than the other two would accept.
Giant Bird of Paradise, for height
Enormous paddle leaves on upright stems, the closest thing to an outdoor tree that still works indoors. It wants the brightest position in the house and will take some direct sun, which makes it one of the few big plants happy in a north-facing window here.
“They should really re-name me the Giant Peacock of Paradise — I love to show off.” From our Giant Bird of Paradise care card
Light: Bright with some direct sunlight · Water: Water moderately, allow the top 3cm of soil to dry · Feed: Spring and summer only, never in winter · Pets: Not pet friendly · Difficulty: Needs a routine · See current sizes and prices on the product page
► Shop the Giant Bird of Paradise
Monstera Deliciosa, for width
The split leaves everyone recognises, on a plant that spreads as it matures. Check the product page for currently available sizes and allow room beside the pot as well as above it.
Give it a moss pole or a coir totem early. Without support in the middle of the pot, the stems sprawl in whatever direction they fancy.
Light: Bright, indirect, filtered sunlight · Water: Water moderately, allow the top 3cm of soil to dry · Pets: Toxic if chewed, keep it out of reach · Difficulty: Needs a routine · See current sizes and prices on the product page
Ficus Umbellata, for a slightly dimmer corner
Big soft heart-shaped leaves on a single upright trunk. This is the Ficus for people who want the Fiddle Leaf Fig look without the demands: its card puts it in medium light and it prefers to dry out between sparing drinks.
Light: Medium light, can tolerate shade · Water: Water sparingly, soil to be almost dry · Pets: Not pet friendly — the ASPCA lists Ficus as toxic to cats and dogs · Difficulty: Easy-going · See current sizes and prices on the product page
Direct sun is not essential for Monstera or Ficus Umbellata, but useful natural light is. If the corner is dim, start with our low-light indoor plants guide. No houseplant thrives in darkness.
Where should a big plant go?
Within a metre of a window, and then left alone. Leaf area needs light in proportion, which is why the species that survives a dim corner in a 14cm pot will drop leaves in the same corner at 1.8m.
North-facing is the bright aspect in Australia, and in Perth or Adelaide a west window in January will scorch leaves through the glass. Sheer curtain, or move the plant a metre back.
Then commit. Our Ficus Benjamina card warns against shuffling it around because it drops leaves when it sulks, and Ficus in general are the same. Decide where a big plant lives before it arrives, not after.
How do you water and feed a plant this size?
More mix in the pot means slower drying, not faster. A big pot can hold water for weeks in winter, so the finger test matters more here than on a small plant. Go in to the depth of your first knuckle, around 3cm, and only water when what you feel matches the note on that plant’s card.
When you do water, water properly. A splash from a mug wets the top and trains the roots to stay shallow. Take the plant to the shower or the balcony, water until it runs from the drainage holes, let it drain, and put it back.
Feeding follows the Southern-Hemisphere calendar. Fertiliser goes on from September through February and comes off from about March, and our Giant Bird card is blunt about winter not being its season. If you are reading this in the weeks before spring, the next feed is a September job, not a today one.
Are large indoor plants safe for cats and dogs?
Not these three. Start with RSPCA Australia for the general picture, then the per-species detail below.
The Monstera is not pet friendly, and it presents a lot of low-hanging leaf to a curious dog. Monstera deliciosa is ASPCA-listed as toxic to cats and dogs, under its older name Cutleaf Philodendron. The Ficus Umbellata is not pet friendly either: the ASPCA lists the genus Ficus as toxic to cats and dogs, and the milky sap is the part that does the damage, so it belongs where a cat cannot strip a leaf.
The Giant Bird of Paradise is not pet friendly. The ASPCA lists the Strelitzia it holds, Bird of Paradise Flower (Strelitzia reginae), as toxic to cats and dogs. Where a plant sits close to that line we take the cautious position rather than the comfortable one, so treat it as one to keep out of reach.
For real size and real pet safety together, the Lady Palm is the one we point people to. Rhapis excelsa is listed non-toxic to cats and dogs by the ASPCA, and it grows into a wide, glossy, multi-stemmed fan.
Large plants at a glance
| Plant | Grows to | Light | Water | Pets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Bird of Paradise | Over 2m | Bright with some direct sun | Top 3cm dry | Not pet friendly |
| Monstera Deliciosa | Wide, needs a totem | Bright, indirect, filtered | Top 3cm dry | Not pet friendly |
| Ficus Umbellata | Upright, single trunk | Medium light, tolerates shade | Almost dry | Not pet friendly |
| Lady Palm | Wide, multi-stemmed | Bright, indirect, filtered | Top 3cm dry | Pet friendly |
The Lady Palm sits on Needs a routine alongside the Giant Bird and the Monstera, for the same reason all three do: they want a bright position and a watering rhythm you keep to. The Difficulty labels are our editorial call from the card’s light and water values, not something printed on the card itself.
Before a big plant arrives
Three practical checks, in the order people wish they had done them.
- Measure the doorway and the lift, not just the corner. A tall plant needs clearance to be carried upright, and tipping one sideways snaps stems.
- Have a saucer or a cover pot ready. Big pots hold a lot of water and floorboards do not forgive it.
- Do not repot it straight away. Repotting within the first 30 days voids our 30-day plant guarantee, and a plant fresh out of a courier van is already adjusting.
We pack and dispatch from our Queensland nursery in low-waste, plastic-free packaging, with a printed care card in the box. Courier transit typically takes 3–5 business days to most metro areas after dispatch, and large plants cannot go to a PO Box or a parcel locker.
Large indoor plant FAQs
How much light does a large indoor plant need?
Match the plant to the light requirements of its species. A large plant needs enough light across its canopy; place it near a suitable window and watch for sparse growth or leaf loss. Move it gradually if it needs a brighter position.
How often should I repot a large indoor plant?
Every second or third spring, or when roots come out of the drainage holes. September to November is the window here, because the plant has a whole growing season ahead to recover. Go up one pot size only, since an oversized pot holds water the roots cannot reach.
Can I put a large indoor plant on a balcony?
In Brisbane, often yes, in a spot with afternoon shade. Further south the risk is not the cold so much as the wind, which shreds big soft leaves like a Monstera’s. Watch it for a fortnight, and bring it in if the leaves start tearing at the edges.
The Good Plant Co nursery team · Last updated 12 September 2026