Indoor plants make great room additions to make any room in the house livelier and homier. It’s easy to assume that most house plants need to be put in areas near windows, but that’s not the case! Plenty of homes struggle with getting much life-giving sun indoors, but that’s not a reason to avoid putting plants inside your home.
There are a number of house plants that thrive in low light and are pretty low-maintenance as well. Adding plants to these kinds of rooms will help you improve air quality.
What are the best plants for dark rooms? Here are some of the great plants to keep in those areas of your homes:
1. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema spp.)
Aglaonema makes a great tabletop or desktop plant due to its size and speed of growth. Chinese evergreens are perfect for those new to houseplants or those who consider themselves “black thumb” gardeners because it thrives in low-light areas and is drought-tolerant.
Both its toughness and handsome foliage account for its longtime popularity. It has graceful, oblong leaves that grow from a central stem. Depending on the species, the leaves may be solid medium green or splotched with different shades of green and gray. When choosing a Chinese evergreen plant, pay close attention to the color. The older hybrids that are primarily green in color can take low light conditions, but the newer, more colorful hybrids need medium light so they won’t lose their bright coloration.
2. Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Parlor palms are dense, low-growing houseplants that are ideal for adding a modern and elegant feel to a room. It tolerates low light and crowded roots. Parlor palms are better if planted in close clumps of three or more. Eventually, it can reach a height of three to four feet.
This plant needs to be repotted every two to three years using a larger container and fresh potting soil, but you need to be careful because its roots are fragile. During the cold winter months, allow the top inch or so of soil to dry between watering.
3. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ plant is a tropical perennial plant well-loved for its upright, glossy foliage that looks like cycad fronds. Also known as the Zanzibar gem, this plant is incredibly slow-growing, making it a good choice for spaces that needs a plant with a regular size.
Not only does this houseplant grow well in low-light areas of the home, but it’s also very low maintenance. It can be left alone with no attention for long periods of time, so you can go on vacation and not worry about it. This plant thrives in standard indoor potting soil as long as you let it dry out slightly in between waterings.
4. Peace lily (Spathiphyllum)
If you want some blooming flowers in your low-light space, then consider taking a peace lily plant home. It blooms beautiful white cup-shaped flowers that look great against its dark green foliage. It needs a little light through, so rooms that are entirely dark won’t work out.
This plant also needs to be watered about once a week to keep the flowers blooming. If you forget to water it, leaves will droop, and flowers will wilt dramatically.
5. Snake plant (Sansevieria)
Famous for its sharp, hard, and erect leaves, this slow-growing plant is known for being hard to kill. These plants are perfect for a small, windowless bathroom, stairway, or any corner of the house. it can compliment great window treatments so check out this site as well! It’s succulent, which explains its hardiness, and it can be easy to overwater. Only water it when the soil feels completely dry.
Snake plant is one of the best plants to add if you want to clear your indoor air from benzene, formaldehyde, and other toxins.
6. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
Spider plants can survive in many conditions, including lack of sunlight and low humidity. It can thrive in low light and indirect light, making it a perfect addition to dark rooms. This tropical plant is also potent enough to remove formaldehyde, making it one of the most suitable houseplants for a windowless bathroom.
Though it tolerates a lack of humidity, it does benefit from frequent misting. Let the soil dry out in between waterings. In this plant, the mother plant sends out long stems with baby plants at the ends. To best protect the baby plants, it’s best to grow spider plants as a hanging plants. Occasionally, they grow small white flowers that cascade down the edge of the container, making it a great decoration of choice to a space.
7. Corn plant (Dracaena fragrans)
Corn plants are low-maintenance houseplants that look like small tropical palms. It has beautiful, dark green to light green stripes on its leaves. They can bring a ray of sunshine to a drab area of your house that you’ve been meaning to spruce up. Place it in an area that doesn’t get any direct sunlight and water it occasionally.
It’s essential to water the whole potting medium evenly to prevent the rotting of the canes. The canes have small root systems that need to be straightened after being traveled as well as while they are settling in.
8. Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)
As the name implies, cast iron plants are sturdy – it’s one of the strongest and most carefree of all houseplants. It has tough, glossy, and dark green leaves that arch elegantly.
Though these plants are tolerant of a wide range of conditions, cast iron plants prefer high humidity, cool temperatures, and porous potting soil. It’s one of the best plants to add for low-light locations and keep it evenly moist. Make sure to keep juggling its position from the windowless bathroom to a spot that receives indirect sunlight every two weeks, and it will be just fine. Replace it with another cast iron plant for the same amount of time. Water only when the soil gets completely dry.
9. Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo is a unique-looking plant popularly used for feng shui because of its symbology and connection to Asia. While real bamboo isn’t meant to be cultivated as an indoor plant, this isn’t actually bamboo – it’s a type of dracaena that looks like small bamboo.
This plant doesn’t need much maintenance to grow and thrive, and it grows well in medium to low light. In case you don’t feel like setting up a planter or a pot, it doesn’t need anything more than water to grow. Water it regularly if you’re growing it in soil, and change the water often if it’s in water.