7 Beautiful Spiky Houseplants

Spiky houseplants are great for adding interest to your indoor plant collection.

There are many different spiky indoor plants to choose from and most of them are ideal for beginner gardeners.

Here are 7 attractive houseplants with spiked leaves.

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spiky indoor plant

7 SPIKY HOUSEPLANTS

1. Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis)

Aloe vera is one of the most popular spiky indoor plants.

It’s long spiked leaves contain gel that is useful for treating cuts and burns. You can even add aloe vera gel to smoothies.

Aloe vera plants produce baby plants, also known as pups, around the base of the plant so you’ll be able to propagate lots of new plants from your aloe vera.

spiky aloe vera plant

2. Cacti

Cacti are very low maintenance houseplants that grow best with dry air and lots of sunlight.

The African milk tree is an interesting cactus with tall spiky stems that can reach 4 feet (120 cm) tall.

I also like the pincushion cactus, which is round with lots of prickly spines. In spring they produce beautiful pink or yellow flowers.

pincushion cactus

3. Haworthia (Haworthia attenuata)

Haworthias are small succulents with tightly packed spiky leaves.

They only grow 3 to 5 inches (7 to 12 cm) tall, so they’re perfect for desks or windowsills and they can tolerate direct sunlight or indirect light.

Haworthias are very easy to care for and like other succulents they only need watering every week or two.

haworthia succulent plant

4. Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

Snake plant, also called Mother-In-Law’s Tongue, is another type of succulent with upright spiky leaves.

They can tolerate bright light and low light conditions, so they’ll do well in just about any room in the home.

Snake plants are susceptible to root rot so it’s a good idea to check the soil with your finger to make sure the top layer of soil is dry before watering.

snake plant

5. Agave

There are many different varieties of agave including some that are suited to growing indoors.

The leaves can be green or gray and they’re covered in tiny spikes around the edges.

After agaves have flowered they begin to die but they produce baby plants from the base of the plant that you can use to propagate more plants.

6. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)

Dragon trees are attractive indoor plants with spiky leaves that are green with red edges.

They can tolerate a wide range of temperatures but grow best in bright indirect light.

Dragon trees are easy to care for so they’re ideal for beginner gardeners.

spiky houseplant

7. Yucca

Another spiky indoor tree is the yucca, which looks similar to the dragon tree.

They love direct sunlight and only need minimal watering.

Yucca leaves can cause vomiting if they’re eaten by cats or dogs so they’re not a good choice if you have pets indoors. [1]

spiky yucca plant

Caring for spiky indoor plants

Keep any plants with sharp spikes out of reach of small children and pets.

Placing them on a high shelf or windowsill will help to prevent any nasty injuries and always wear thick gloves when repotting any of these plants.

So there are 7 beautiful houseplants with spiky leaves.

These plants are great for adding some interest to your houseplant collection.

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Which of these spiky indoor plants do you like best? Let me know in the comments below.

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Kelly Martin

Hi, I'm Kelly Martin, a landscape gardener and designer with over 10 years experience. I have a passion for small space gardening and I love designing and creating beautiful outdoor spaces that maximize the potential of small urban gardens. Read more

This Post Has 7 Comments

  1. Melanie williams

    How fab are all these spiked plants! It is always nice to have a bit of greenery in the home for sure x

  2. Erica (The Prepping Wife)

    I had to giggle at the title of this because I just watched a tv show where they were making weapons and one contestant called his a “spiky ball”. I wondered if any of these plants would resemble that. I think the haworthia would be a good one for me because I could put it on my desk and it would be perfect. I also like the look of the dragon tree, and being a very beginner-friendly plant, I can definitely see that one in my house too.

  3. Steven Morrissette

    I love house plants personally. I have some aloe vera and it’s great for the skin, love it.

  4. Aryanne Padilha

    I absolutely love the Haworthia, it’s so beautiful! I gotta get some!

  5. Britt K

    These are some fun options! I’ve always loved the look of a Dragon Tree, however, the one time that I tried to grow one, my cat knocked the pot off the shelf lol It didn’t survive… I have been seriously considering growing aloe vera so that I can use it any time that we’re dealing with sunburns from our outdoor travels.

  6. Doris Jean

    These spiky plants are gorgeous. I love reading your articles because I love plants but know so little about them.

  7. Eva Max

    Nice post about spiky plants, thanks for sharing it

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