Recently a few of my friends started growing Bird Nest Ferns at in their houses when someone spread the word that this plant is good for fengshui, is this true? If so, what sort of good fengshui does it bring and where to put it please.

In general, plants can be divided into two categories:-

1. Plants that are considered `yang' e.g. the characteristic is that their leaves are `pointed' shape or have thorns eg. cactus and chrysanthenum.

2. Plants that are `yin' eg. leaves that are rounded.

In a recent US NASA study on the effects of plants (natural plants) on the environment, it was found that plants (infact most plants but they ranked the plants) are found to be good to be placed indoors and good on the internal environment.

It is also considered particularly good if the pot is made of clay.

The caution under feng shui is to avoid having too many plants concentrated particularly at the West side of the house. This includes the South-West (Devil's backdoor) and North-East (the Devil's main gate).

I mentioned earlier, that plants are `favourite' cures or enhancers of Taiwanese Feng Shui Masters/Practioners. They consider it auspicous to place a plant at the `elusive' "wealth" corner some of us are so eager to `believe'.

`Moderate' use of plants are thus good in the home not just Bird Nest Ferns (provided ideally the leaves are of `rounded shape). Therefore, natural plants like what you mentioned are acceptable. Do avoid having plants with thorns in the house especially if it is at an auspicous location. (Ideally, this should coincide with the areas done after using the Flying Star theory if one has done it). It is still an acceptable practise to place e.g. a cactus at an `inauspicous' location provided it is not a bedroom.

Cecil Lee
Center for Feng Shui Research
February 1999