Indoor Plants for Dark Rooms
A shortage of bright, sunny windows in your home or office doesn't mean that you can't grow lush, green houseplants that will add color and charm to your indoor environment. Although most indoor plants do best with at least a few hours of daily sunshine, there are several adaptable plants that can thrive in a shady corner or near a north-facing window. As an added benefit, most low-light plants are durable and require minimal care.
Snake Plant
Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) is hard to beat when it comes to low-light plants.The adaptable plant, also known as mother-in-law's tongue, is tough enough to tolerate neglect and can survive anything except overwatering and freezing. The stiff, upright leaves can grow as tall as 36 inches, depending on the variety.
ZZ Plant
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia), with its lush, shiny foliage, is the perfect plant for forgetful gardeners, as the plant rarely requires water and seems to do best with no fuss. Although it is a slow-growing plant, give it plenty of room to grow, as it will eventually reach heights as tall as 3 feet, and sometimes more.
- A shortage of bright, sunny windows in your home or office doesn't mean that you can't grow lush, green houseplants that will add color and charm to your indoor environment.
- The adaptable plant, also known as mother-in-law's tongue, is tough enough to tolerate neglect and can survive anything except overwatering and freezing.
Parlor Palm
Parlor palm (Neanthe bella) is a low-light palm that can adapt to nearly any indoor environment, but is intolerant of overwatering. In response to excessive moisture, parlor palm will turn yellow and drop leaves. At maturity, parlor palm usually reaches heights of 3 to 4 feet, although the plant can occasionally grow as tall as 6 to 8 feet.
Corn Plant
Corn plant (Dracaena) is favored for its distinctive, arching, sword-shaped leaves with dramatic stripes that run the length of the plant. Dracaena can be as small as 2 feet or as tall as 10 feet at maturity, depending on the variety. In addition to its ability to withstand low light, corn plant has low water requirements
Apidistria
Apidistra (Aspidistra elatior) is also known as the cast iron plant, an indication of the plant's ability to withstand neglect, including low light, drought and temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. In spite of its durability, apidistra is a slow-growing plant with shiny, dark green foliage that will reach heights of 1 to 2 feet at maturity.
- Parlor palm (Neanthe bella) is a low-light palm that can adapt to nearly any indoor environment, but is intolerant of overwatering.
- In addition to its ability to withstand low light, corn plant has low water requirements Apidistra (Aspidistra elatior) is also known as the cast iron plant, an indication of the plant's ability to withstand neglect, including low light, drought and temperatures as low as 28 degrees F. In spite of its durability, apidistra is a slow-growing plant with shiny, dark green foliage that will reach heights of 1 to 2 feet at maturity.
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Writer Bio
M.H. Dyer began her writing career as a staff writer at a community newspaper and is now a full-time commercial writer. She writes about a variety of topics, with a focus on sustainable, pesticide- and herbicide-free gardening. She is an Oregon State University Master Gardener and Master Naturalist and holds a Master of Fine Arts in creative nonfiction writing.
