What better time to educate yourself on getting yacht-appropriate plants and flowers than now, as we sail into spring and welcome a brand new superyacht season. Just like yacht toys, plants are an integral aspect of any yacht setup and to get the full superyacht experience. However, their care can become a daily chore for the crew, especially stews. In this blog, we’ll be looking into some of the best yacht friendly plants to have onboard, as well as some plant care tips and other related topics.
Best Easy-To-Care for Plants for Onboard Superyachts
Flowers play a huge role in creating an ambiance onboard a superyacht but choosing the right plants can sometimes seem overwhelming, especially for those without much floristry experience. There’s a lot to consider when choosing plants and flowers to decorate a superyacht; the size of the space, the environment, temperature, amount of sunlight, and most importantly, the owner’s tastes and preferences.
We’ve picked out some of the best plants to have onboard that should last at least the entire season. Our Plant picks are easy to care for, strong, and long-lasting.
Succulents
Succulents are an excellent option for superyachts. They are readily available in a range of beautiful forms and colours and are easy to care for. Always check the care instructions for the different plants you purchase, but as a general rule, most can be watered sparingly and should be placed in well-lit positions. Because of their small size, succulents can make a great addition to crew cabins. Like all houseplants, they help purify the air, improve the humidity of a room, produce fresh oxygen, and help improve focus and overall mood.
Bamboo
Bamboo is super easy to maintain. It can be grown in slightly damp soil or placed in a vase with enough water to cover the roots. Place them in indirect sunlight at temperatures ranging from 18–35°C and give your bamboo freshwater once a week.
Ficus Trees
Ficus trees come in a range of sizes, so they are great for any space you’re looking to fill. Most enjoy bright indirect or filtered light and need to be kept in temperatures above 16°C. Cold drafts can be harmful. Ficus trees like humidity, so they enjoy regular misting, but wet roots should be avoided so only water when the soil begins to dry out. Fertilise once per month to keep healthy.
Anthuriums
Anthuriums have large, glossy leaves and beautiful waxy flowers. They come in a range of colours but most commonly red, pink, and white. Anthuriums do very well when placed in bathrooms as they like humidity, but regular misting and a warm, well-lit room will keep them happy.
Yucca Plant
If you have the space for a larger plant, then Yucca’s are a great option. Yucca’s are slow growers and need hardly any maintenance. They like a lot of light and well-draining soil to avoid rot.
Orchids
Orchids, the classic superyacht plant, look beautiful when healthy but can be intimidating to stews new to caring for them. You’ll hear many different tips and tricks for caring for orchids, but the fundamentals include watering with 2-5 ice cubes weekly, depending on their size and environment. Don’t place directly underneath air conditioning, near fans, or in direct sunlight. Wipe dusty leaves with cotton wool soaked in milk. The milk feeds the leaves, leaving them glossy. Orchids generally like temperatures of around 22 to 25 degrees.
Tips for Caring for Cut Flowers for Yacht Crew
Choosing cut flowers for decoration and tablescapes can be a creative and fun task. Choosing the best flowers is mainly down to a mix of personal preference, owner preference, yacht aesthetics, and themes. You should also take into consideration guest and crew allergies, so choosing allergen-free flowers may be a good idea.
Roses, Orchids, Anthuriums, Oriental Lilies, Heliconia, and Green Trick Dianthus are popular choices because of their long-lasting qualities. When you receive freshly cut flowers, cut 2-3cm off the ends of the stems underwater using sharp plant scissors and remove any leaves that sit below the waterline. Change the water every 2-3 days and feed with a pinch of sugar to extend their life. You can also add a cap full of vodka to help kill bacteria.
Luxury Faux Plants for Luxury Superyachts
If your yacht spends a lot of time in remote locations or doesn’t have the budget for fresh flowers, then faux plants can be a great alternative to fresh flowers. They are also a great option if your guests have allergies. Be sure to source high-quality replicas that look identical to the real thing. Otherwise, you risk your decorations looking cheap and out of place.
Palm Bungalow, based in Palm Beach, Florida, supplies superyachts and high-end hotels with beautiful faux flowers, arrangements, trees, grasses, and decorative vases and accessories. Their flowers look and feel just like the real thing. All orders are made by hand and can be customised to suit your needs. Other high-end faux flower suppliers include Demmerys, Floriture, and SilkSense.
Flowers for Yachts Travelling to Remote Locations
Preserved flowers are another great option for those who require long-lasting plants and flowers without needing to worry about them dying or looking tired. Preserved flowers are 100 percent natural and have been treated to preserve their beauty and freshness, with no need for water or sunlight. With the right care, preserved flowers can last months, maybe even years. To keep them looking beautiful, avoid placing them in direct sunlight and be sure to remove any build-up of dust.
Growing Plants in Your Superyacht Galley
A superyacht galley can be a busy and stressful environment, but there are more benefits to having plants in a room than simply looking beautiful. Houseplants have been proven to help improve mood, reduce fatigue, lower stress, improve focus, and improve air quality. Bring some life into the galley by adding some greenery. Even the smallest of galleys could benefit from plants. Hanging plants are great space savers, and if there’s a window in the galley, then you’re pretty much set. Impress your guests and grow your own herbs. Basil, rosemary, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, chives, and mint are all easy to grow and care for, and they are used in a wide variety of dishes.
Superyacht Gardens to Inspire
More and more superyachts are installing gardens and incorporating plants into their interior and deck space. Whether it’s for decoration purposes, air quality or fresh galley herbs going green seems to be the current trend.
Explorer yacht Scout features an enclosed teak shade greenhouse where keen gardeners care for orchids, hanging plants and a vertical garden.
Sea Owl’s sundeck has its own herb garden where the chef has access to a range of fresh herbs to spice up guest meals.
Flying Fox’s many green spaces are connected via a full irrigation system that controls individual watering schedules and nutrition requirements. A specialised lighting system also provides the perfect amount of UV for each plant.
Stella Maris has a glass-enclosed vertical garden featuring a beautiful jungle of tropical plants that rises the entirety of the main deck.
Boadicea’s upper deck features its very own real-life garden on the aft. With real grass and plants. The garden was designed to be a calming area for guests to relax and enjoy afternoon tea.
We hope this post has helped to inspire you to add some greenery to your yacht. We’d love to see photos of the plants that you care for onboard and if you have any tips or tricks to share with the superyacht crew community. Get in touch or tag us on socials @FunAirFun. You can also check out the FunAir product pages to see our full range of inflatable yacht toys and beach furniture.
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