We love the idea of having a plant in every room of the house. But what about the bathroom with a small north facing window? Or a home office receiving hardly any light? Here’s a list of our favorite indoor plants for low light conditions:
- Snake Plant
- ZZ Plant
- Peace Lily
- Pothos
- Parlor Palm
- Calathea
What is Low Light?
Let’s start with what “low light” really means. While all plants need SOME light, low light implies a plant can survive without direct sun and prefers a north or east facing window. Any houseplant that requires more than four hours of light is considered a medium/high light requirement. If you’d like a plant to live in a room with no windows or light, consider a grow light.
Snake Plant
Sansevieria, or snake plant, come in a variety of shapes and variegation, can survive extremely low light conditions and are some of the easiest indoor plants to care for.
The soil should dry out completely before watering. Stick your finger a couple inches into the soil to be sure it’s dry and dump out any excess water sitting in the saucer. Sansevieria like to be crowded, so allow the roots to become crammed in the container before repotting.
ZZ Plant
Zamioculcas zamiifolia, or ZZ plant, also likes to dry out between watering and stay snug in its pot; similar to Sansevieria.
Use the finger test method to check soil and avoid repotting too often. Snake and ZZ are both durable, easy-care plants and have air-cleaning properties.
Peace Lily
The Peace Lily is a flowering, low-light option that will tell you when it’s thirsty by drooping its leaves. The tall white flower can last for a few months and reblooms quickly, which is a rare feature compared to other low light plants.
To increase bloom production, use a flowering fertilizer once a month during spring, summer, and fall.
Pothos
Trailing plants are a great option for smaller spaces such as a home office. They add dimension to a room by bringing color up a wall and save space on important surface areas such as a desk. With a large variety of color options, there’s a Pothos for everyone.
If you are a self-proclaimed bad plant parent, Pothos is a great place to start. They don’t mind irregular watering and prefer to dry out between sprinklings.
Parlor Palm
The Parlor Palm is a pet-friendly houseplant and enjoys some humidity. They do well in a bathroom and benefit from an occasional misting.
This easy-care palm likes a little more frequent watering in the summer, as soon as the top of the soil is dry. It’s okay to let the soil dry out more in the winter so use your finger to check for an inch of dry soil before you water again.
For more information on pet-friendly plants, check ASPCA.
Calathea
Calathea come in a variety of exciting colors and patterns. They love humidity and can benefit from a pebble tray or occasional misting like the Parlor Palm.
The wide oval leaves of Calathea are so striking and unique they have become very popular with plant collectors.
Come into our Woodinville store for a wide selection of indoor plants with low light to bright light requirements. You can also shop online and pick up curbside or have your order delivered locally.
