How to Decorate a Room With No Windows

Some rooms are simply windowless. It could be a guest room in a basement, a hallway, powder room, or even an interior bathroom or kitchen in an apartment or townhouse that lacks a window. The trick to decorating a dark, windowless room is to create the illusion that there’s a window in the space. Then add in plenty of the right lighting along with light and airy furniture and fabrics.

Simulate the Look of a Window

This easy trick can be accomplished in two ways. Hang an oversized mirror on a wall or hang floor to ceiling drapery on a rod. For extra depth on the wall that creates a window-like effect, hang drapery on a rod over a large mirror. Here are a few placement ideas that will give you the feeling that there’s a window in the room.

• In a basement guest room, create the aura of a window behind a headboard by hanging floor-to-ceiling drapery that’s kept closed.
• In a windowless living room or guest room, mount a mirror with divided panes of glass that makes it look like a window. Place it next to your sofa, chair, or bed and then hang curtains as you would on a regular window.
• Mount a large mirror on a wall opposite a sofa or bed, and add wooden shutters or blinds over the mirror for the illusion of a window.
• In a kitchen or bathroom, add a mirror the size of a window across from your sink, then hang a green plant near it so that it’s reflected to give the illusion that there’s a bit of foliage peeking indoors.

If you don’t want to create a faux window, take advantage of the magic of mirrors by hanging a few of varied sizes throughout your windowless space. Drape a string of white lights around them for added sparkle. The mirrors will work together to reflect and bounce light around the room for a dazzling effect.

Use the Right Lighting

It’s especially critical to have enough layered lighting in a windowless room. Overhead fixtures (think crystal chandeliers that reflect light), accent, and task lighting with clear glass or light, sheer shades to hang or place on the table or floor, will work together to create a brilliantly lit room. Add track or recessed lights strategically aimed at dim corners and to highlight artwork around the room. Run light strips underneath upper and lower cabinetry and inside exposed shelving to brighten surfaces with diffused lighting, especially in a windowless kitchen.

Bulbs Matter

Bulbs impact how a windowless room looks and feels. Color temperature (bluish mimics daylight while soft/warm white is more yellow like an incandescent bulb’s glow, for example) is a personal choice. However, as a guide, choose LED bulbs with the brightness of 1,100 lumens (equivalent to 75-watt incandescent bulbs) or 1,600 lumens (equivalent to 100-watt incandescent bulbs) in your preferred color temperature to compensate for the lack of natural light coming into the room.

Keep It Light and Simple

Decorate a windowless room like you would a small space, with lots of light colors and fuss-free furniture. There are a few more tricks to turning a windowless room into a breezy, bright space.

Plants That Grow in the Dark: 5 Great Choices

Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links.

Yes, you CAN grow houseplants with just artificial light and NO window! Ok, well they can’t quite grow in the dark…but read on. I have recommendations below and it is based off of past experience so I know it can be done, and it can be done successfully!

Let’s get to choosing some office plants that don’t need sunlight.

Choosing the RIGHT plant for an area with no window is key. You can’t just plop any plant anywhere you want and expect it to thrive.

Choose the wrong one for the location, and it will languish and die a slow death.

Fortunately there are a few options even if you have an office area or room with no window. I have personally grown the following with no windows and using just fluorescent ceiling lights.

Here are my top 5 desk plants that don’t need sunlight:

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo is probably the easiest plant that you can grow, ever. See the picture below.

They are normally sold growing in containers that are filled with only water and rocks. Of course, you can grow them in soil too, but most of the time you’ll only see them growing in water for some reason. Fine.

Simply keep the pot filled with water and you should be good to go for a very long time. Distilled water is best (room temperature).

You can use tap water and this is really what I do most of the time but eventually you will get hard water deposits and this will start to build up and potentially harm the roots.

You’ll see a white crust start to form on the canes of the bamboo and on the inside of the pot and on the surface of the rocks. You can scrape this off gently when it occurs. If you use distilled water, you will avoid this issue.

Also, did you know that lucky bamboo is not a bamboo at all? It is actually a type of Dracaena.

A lucky bamboo can survive for years with no fertilizer but it will not thrive. It will eventually start to turn yellow and lose its vigor. You’ll see posts everywhere saying they don’t need fertilizer, and this is just plain silly.

If you love lucky bamboo, check out this lucky bamboo fertilizer. You will thank me later.

Change the water completely every week or two to keep it fresh and clean. Your lucky bamboo should thrive for years if you follow these tips.

Parlor Palm

So many different types of indoor palms have been a pain in the read end to grow indoors, except for this one!

Parlor Palm, in my experience, is the absolute easiest palm to grow indoors.

It is fairly slow growing, but it can get to a nice size over several years.

I’ve had this one, pictured above, in my home by a window for a long time. However, I’ve also grown them successfully in window-less areas as well.

As a general rule for most plants, make sure the drainage in the pot is good, and water when the top of the soil starts to feel dry to the touch.

I wish I could tell you to water once a week, but it really depends on how warm or cold your area is, and other environmental conditions.

Don’t let your calendar tell you when to water! Just feel the surface of the soil with your finger, and if it’s dry, water it!

What ever you do, don’t subject your palm to extremes in moisture. Don’t let it dry out completely, ever. It will quickly turn to a mess if you do so.

The lower fronds will turn yellow and then brown if you continually keep keep it dry.

And don’t let it get waterlogged either. Never let palms sit in standing water for extended periods of time. They can quickly suffer root rot.

If you are lucky, Parlor Palms will also bloom for you, but it’s doubtful in a window-less area. I’ve had the one in the picture above bloom regularly but it is next to a window and also is several years old.

Regardless, they will make a beautiful foliage houseplant for window-less areas!

Why not get your own Parlor Palm on Amazon today?

Devil’s Ivy or Pothos

This is a fantastic plant and is pictured below from an old office of mine (with zero window), along with my lucky bamboo. The devil’s ivy, or Pothos, is the vine that you see rambling across my old office bookshelves.

At the point when I took that picture, the plant was still pretty small. I even tied clear fishing string on the walls and trained it up the walls!

Pothos is one of the easiest houseplants that you can grow.

Follow the same watering directions that I described under the parlor palm section and you should be good to go.

Don’t ever let this plant get bone dry, or the bottom leaves will start to yellow and fall off. If you are attentive to proper watering, you’ll have a monster vine in no time.

I had regular random hallway walkers at my workplace comment at how shocked they were that my plants were doing so well with no window.

Remember, it’s about the right plant for the right place. Not the other way around.

Check out the variety of pothos for sale on Amazon.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are everywhere, and for good reason. They make amazing low-light houseplants and few plants can tolerate growing conditions that these plants can grow in.

Mine have even flowered in windowless areas!

Follow similar watering directions as the devil’s ivy. Peace lilies also despise their soil being bone dry.

When they dry out too much, you’ll notice that their leaves will start to droop. If you notice this, water it immediately and they will perk back up! There are smaller leaf varieties of this, and there are also ones with huge leaves.

The one pictured below is in my home several feet away from a window, and is thriving. I’ve grown them successfully under just overhead ceiling lights at work in areas with no windows.

These plants will tend to get dusty because of the broad leaves, so periodically, take a damp paper towel and wipe the leaves off. Your plant will thank you.

Or if you prefer, take your peace lily to the sink, bathtub, or to the shower with you, and rinse off the foliage with tepid water.

In addition, if you take good care of it, you will be rewarded with flowers. Some of them are even lightly fragrant.

Would you like to buy your own peace lily? If you already have one, check out my blog post on how to take care of peace lilies. it also includes a lot of common problems and how to fix them.

Aglaonema or Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreens are also very widespread and you’ll often see them growing in office buildings and malls. There is a reason for this.

They are among the best low-light plants around.

Follow the same watering instructions as Pothos and Peace Lily and you should do just fine.

Want to check out the Aglaonema varieties available on Amazon. The foliage is stunning!

Other Choices

If you don’t particularly jive with any of the plants above, the following should also do well for you in window-less areas:

Heart leaf philodendron (similar in habit to the devil’s ivy, but most of them are just a plain dark green instead of the beautiful mottled leaves of the devil’s ivy).

Cast iron plant As the name suggests, these are tough as nails! I have one at home that my grandmother brought back from Italy decades ago, and she divided her plant up and gave me a piece. They have large broad leaves and require frequent dusting of the leaves to keep them clean.

ZZ plant. Another plant that’s as tough as nails.

Snake Plants or Sansevieria are another great option. These are often labeled as low-light plants, but in fact they do better if you give them a little direct sun. However, they can tolerate lower light conditions, but won’t reach their full potential.

Remember, when a plant is labeled “low light” it doesn’t mean that it NEEDS low light. It simply means that it tolerates it. But if you are to grow plants in spaces with no windows, the ones in the blog post are among the best.

There ARE plants that you should absolutely avoid placing in windowless areas.

Plants to Avoid Placing in Windowless Rooms

The list is huge, but here are some of the most commonly grown plants that should absolutely NOT be grown in dark or windowless areas. All of these plants need very bright light.

They may look OK temporarily, but they will quickly decline and you should avoid these unless you have a bright, sunny window:

So remember, all plants will do better if they have more light, but if you do want to grow plants in a windowless area, it is possible, but you must choose right ones!

Please do me a favor and share this post to social media because it will help me spread the Ohio Tropics houseplant care tips to the masses! Also, check out my shop on Amazon for all your houseplant care needs:

Plants that Grow Without Sunlight | 26 Best Plants To Grow Indoors

There are 26 plants that grow without sunlight, they need indirect exposure. Some even thrive in artificial light and grow best indoors.

The obvious thing that everyone knows is the fact that plants need sunlight to grow. They can’t grow or develop properly without the proper amount of light. Luckily there are plants that grow without sunlight (require bright indirect light), and you can grow them indoors. When you are looking for such plants, choose ones that are known for their ability to grow in indirect sunlight.

They are ideal shade-loving plants, naturally growing in the indirect sun. These plants adapt well to the smaller amount of light and thrive normally. To make your searching easier, we’ve listed the 26 best plants to grow indoors.

Check out our article on how to save dying houseplants here

List of Plants That Grow Without Sunlight

1. Dracaena

Dracaena is a beautiful houseplant that you can grow at home. There are about 50 species of it. It’s one of the easy to grow houseplants.

Occasional pruning and regular watering are important for dracaena. Keep the plant away from direct sun and avoid overwatering.

Check out some of the best indoor Dracaena varieties here

2. Bromeliads

Bromeliad is a perfect plant to grow indoors, most of the varieties of this plant thrive easily in a container in the shade. Indeed, it is a tropical plant, but you can grow it anywhere, indoors. It can even grow in luminescent light.

Here are some of the major problems you need to keep in check that kills houseplants

3. Maidenhair Fern

When it comes to ferns that are popular, maidenhair fern is one you should consider. The dark and glossy leafstalk resembles human hair, and it looks great.

Be sure to water frequently (avoid overwatering) and keep this houseplant in indirect sun.

Here are some of the best hanging ferns you can grow

4. Parlor Palm

Most popular indoor palm variety, it’s an excellent houseplant for almost any situation, it grows even in those dim corners where nothing else will grow. It requires only minimal care and moderate light. It produces clusters of tiny yellow flowers in spring; however, they don’t appear in low light conditions.

Water only when soil is dry otherwise, you’ll kill your plant.

Want to grow indoor palms? Here are some of the best types

5. Umbrella Papyrus (Palm)

Umbrella palm is an evergreen ornamental plant, best grown indoors or in shady and a boggy spot in the garden. Many houseplant enthusiasts find this plant easy enough to grow and maintain.

It requires a constantly moist substrate. You can place the umbrella palm pot over the tray filled with water.

6. Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Snake Plant)

Mother-in-law’s tongue is a low maintenance plant also known as a snake plant. It’s a very durable and popular houseplant. Its ability to tolerate darkness is amazing. One more interesting fact about this houseplant is–It’s a succulent!

Check our out our article on growing snake plant here

7. Creeping Fig

It’s a slow-growing creeper with small, leathery dark green foliage. Vigorous-growing, clinging, dense branches adhere to any surface and look enchanting.

Be careful not to overwater creeping fig. Let the soil dry out before watering spells .

8. Philodendron

Philodendron easily adapts to low-light conditions, and growing them is similar to pothos. They come in both vine and shrub form .

The soil must be constantly moist but not wet. It’s best if the soil dries out slightly between watering spells.

Here is everything you need to know about Philodendron care

9. Calathea (Peacock Plant)

One of the most beautiful foliage plants you should grow in your home. It grows well in light shade, but the plant is demanding, it has a specific minimum temperature of 55 F (13 C) requirement that should be maintained.

It prefers frequent watering (watering should be done according to the light condition and temperature) and slightly moist soil.

10. Maranta leuconeura (Prayer Plant)

Calatheas are tropical plants and a bit difficult to grow in cooler climates, and so the prayer plant, but it is one alternative you can go for, it is comparatively easy to grow plant than calathea. It grows well in moderate light without direct access to the sun. If the plant is kept in too much light, the leaves begin to curl and wither.

Watch out for pests, especially spider mites.

11. Boston Fern

Boston fern can become a beautiful evergreen houseplant. Like other houseplants, don’t place this in direct sunlight but provide it all day long, bright indirect sunlight.

It grows well in acidic soil. Keep the soil lightly moist but well-draining. It loves humid surroundings, so do regular misting to maintain the humidity levels.

12. Peperomia

Peperomia is a small striking adorable houseplant that grows up to only 6 inches tall. Due to its thick foliage, it is often considered succulent, which is not true.

Peperomia likes slightly moist soil and humidity, but watering should be reduced in winter. S praying the plant’s leaves is helpful in maintaining the humidity level.

13. Devil’s Ivy (Golden Pothos/Money Plant)

Commonly known as the money plant in South East Asia, it’s widely grown as a houseplant in Asian countries. This extremely low maintenance vine grows easily without direct sunlight.

Excellent climber, you can grow it even in the bathroom, kitchen, or living room. It is known for its ability to clean the Carbon Monoxide from the air.

To know how to care for a pothos plant, click here

14. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Chinese Evergreen plants are one of the best plants to grow indoors that don’t require constant, direct sunlight. If you are someone who’s new to growing houseplants, this is the plant you should start with.

15. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)

The cast iron plant is very forgiving by nature, a great plant if you are always busy and forget about the maintenance. It is very much happy staying indoors without the sun. Just wipe its leaves clean with a damp cloth once a week or so, and provide it bright indirect light.

16. Orchids (Orchidaceae)

One of the key points in growing orchids the right way is to provide them indirect sunlight. Coming in an astonishing array of colors, varieties, and mesmerizing fragrances, exotic and graceful orchids are your best bet!

17. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)

According to Feng Shui, it attracts positive vibes and good fortune. It’s one of the best office desk and tabletop plants. Compact in nature, you can also grow it in water in corners of your home that receive some bright light in the day. We also added it to our list of best Office Desk Plants.

Here’s all you need to know about growing Lucky Bamboo

18. Staghorn Fern (Platycerium)

If you can maintain this one right, Staghorn Fern is the right choice for you! It’ll save you from the hassles of placing it near a sunlight source every few days.

19. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcasi)

Not only this plant looks really good with its attractive, glossy foliage–It is a plant that you can forget about when it comes to sunlight. ZZ grows well indirect light and absolutely love the shaded areas of the house. The only requirement is the warmer surroundings.

Check out some astonishing benefits of ZZ Plant here

20. Peperomia (Peperomia)

What makes these plants perfect for your tabletop is the fact they are one of the best plants that grow without sunlight. Place them near a window that allows them to absorb indirect light throughout the day.

21. Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)

If you can keep this plant away from your pets and children, it can be a welcoming addition to your home. It’s a toxic houseplant, so be careful about the placement. It does really well in filtered light, making it a perfect houseplant for low light areas!

Here are some of the most amazing benefits Dumb Cane has on offer

22. Japanese Sedge (Carex morrowii)

Japanese sedge is a shade-loving ornamental grass, it grows well indoors. It requires a spot that receives bright indirect sunlight.

23. Spider Plant

Imagine the graceful variegated foliage of a spider plant dangling down with unique spiderettes in hanging baskets. Isn’t it enough to entice you to grow it? Also, it l ikes indirect light and one of the best air-purifying plants.

Direct sun light often causes the burning of leaves.

24. Peace Lily

If you’re looking for a houseplant with health benefits, acquire a peace lily. Also, it is forgiving and requires low care. I ncredibly easy to grow, peace lily flourishes in shady locations.

25. Silver Queen (Aglaonema)

Silver queen is a very beautiful plant. It’s one of the most durable houseplants that thrive in low light, it’s an ideal plant for beginners too. However, the plant is extremely cold sensitive.

26. Aloe Vera

The most popular and number one houseplant of the United States these days, and rightly so. This medicinal plant can grow in direct sunlight, but it tolerates full shade too. Learn everything about growing aloe vera here.

Additional Tips

• Don’t overwater your houseplants. Even if the indoor plant requires moist soil, be careful with watering. Always check out the soil moisture level before watering again.
• Avoid keeping the plant waterlogged all the time and reduce watering in winter. When growing plants indoors, it’s always better to keep the soil on the drier side.
• Fertilize your houseplants with low strength all-purpose liquid fertilizer once a month during the growing season.
• Prune your plants regularly to maintain their desired shape and size.
• Clean the dust and particles adhere to the surface of plant leaves regularly.
• Look out for pests. Spider mites can be a major problem.

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77 COMMENTS

I like every plant u showed.All tis plant I planted at my balcony but few hv burn leaves n turn out not healthy.tq

You’re balcony may have too much sunlight. Most of these plants like shady areas. If you move them to a shadier spot, the leaves should stop burning.

What I researched about calathea, I will tell you. These plants should be watered with distilled water or rain water or water that does not have minerals, or the leaves will curl and burn. To maintain humidity the leaves should be sprayed with same type of water. The soil best for them is the one prepared for African violets. They don’t like direct sunlight and fertilize them very lightly.

so helpful for me..thankyou

Very good list. Love indoor fresh air!

Good classfication of indoor plants.

My office has no windows at all do you know of any plants that can survive without any natural sunlight? Thanks!

The Zamioculcas Zamifolia (ZZ Plant) is perfect for your office, it really requires no natural life to grow.
I had one that grew quite large…it was in a corner of my apartment that had no natural light at all, just a small lamp it could have received light from.

Good Luck!
Kathleen

how big do the Zamioculas Zamifolia plant’s get.

most of these plants get to be about 3 feet in height maybe four.

I bought a bird of paradise at ikea a year ago and it is thriving and beautiful. No windows in my office. Great and inexpensive. 4 – 5 foot tall

Hi Jackie
The Peace Lily also does really well in a room with no windows. Many offices have them in vases with water, no soil, plus you can put a Beta fish in the vase with the plant. If you include a fish, you will have to clean it weekly and feed it every couple of days. They look very pretty. In my home I have 5 Peace Lilies, 3 are potted in soil and 2 are in vases (no fish), both ways they do very well, my potted ones are on a windowsill that gets morning sun and the vases are on top of my tv, about 10 away from the window. I have never seen a potted one in a room with no windows, so I can’t say if they would be ok. Good luck

Sounds beautiful. Just a word from my experience, it’s funny now but sure wasn’t then. My favorite lil niece picked me some wild flowers, so me being so proud of them placed them in a vase on top of the TV so everyone else could see the love she shared with me. When I went outside to do something the two lil angles got to wrestling and yup that vase got knocked over into the TV. At least they shut it off. I came in to an awful smell of a killed television, and two sweet little girls sitting with hands in laps smiling at me. Well they never did own up to it untill they were grown up, even when we got that new TV. So unless you need or want a new TV I highly recommend that you might want to move any plants OFF AND AWAY FROM SAID TVS. Good luck …

Lol. The same thing happened to me!! But I have no one to blame but myself! 🤪

Jackie, I had a Lily in my office, no windows, fluorescent light on about 30 hours a week, and, I would forget to water until wilted. It was a great plant that survived and flourished, without much care, even bloomed. I also had a Philodendron in a hanging pot, also neglected and strived beautifully.

im indoor plants superviser , sir you check the zamio culcas and Kentia palm its good for your office

Hi Jackie
I have a prayer plant which is growing well. Had to move it from my coffee table as it has grown too tall & blocks the view of my TV I moved it to my dining room table, where, as with being on my coffee table, gets indirect sunlight ( perhaps a bit less light then being on my coffee table). There is a ceiling fan directly above where the plant is now sitting on my dining room table. The ceiling runs on low speed in the summer months. Will the air movement from the ceiling fan harm my prayer plant in anyway?

Where would be the best place to purchase these plants?

I have the Bromelaids. I have never bought them before. I left them out all summer, and repotted them a few days ago. New garden soil used. They looked pretty sad. I moved them to the basement, watered them, cleaned each leaf, Next day went to put in some laundry, and OMG, they sprouted overnight! Even my husband raved about them. New plants have already sprouted! I will be buying more, next year.

Loving my Bromelaids,

Are these all perennials, or are some annuals? Thank you!

Hi Maya, thank you for asking. It depends on where you live. You can do more research on a particular plant to find this out.

I have managed to plant the other plants successfully but the Maidenhair Fern appears a bit more sensitive and does not grow thick and bushy like in your photo. Is it because i have overwatered and how do I take care of the plant.

There can be several reasons for it including under fertilization and wrong light conditions. You can read this to learn how to care for it.

The information is very useful. I have a peace lily plant have kept in open in sunlight not at all growing since 4-5 months. Even leaves are becoming small n no flowers it was good earlier. What to do? The temperature here is around 30
f

Direct sunlight is too strong for peace lilies. Place them away from windows so they only get indirect light, and don’t overwater. If it is not already too far gone, your peace lily will start growing again and will soon look great. Good luck. 🙂

the money plant and spider plant definitely need sunlight…the colour of the leaves will be different(better) when grown in the sun

I realise that now after getting them! I placed them in shady corners of the house before I read up more about them and now they are just next to my balcony, not too much sunlight :-).

Are these plants safe for pets?

Hi Lolo, please read our post on plants toxic to dogs for more information.

How about heater vents blowing on these plants??
Kathy

No problem as long as you remember to check water levels more frequently. I set all of my plants on the picture window ledge right in front of a vent every winter. I have a peace lily, 2 christmas cacti and several others that have done very well over the last 10 years.

I have 7 of these plants and LOVE them but I definitely have to get the Bromeliad, Maidenhair Fern, Calathea and Philosendron!! 🙂

If i were to leave a Parlor Palm in a corner where it’ll never get light, It wont be complete darkness but the only light it’d get is from rooms will it survive and also would it not wither or look malmaintained?

You will need to provide some source of light to it, whether direct or indirect.

Are any of these plants harmful to cats

Peace lilies are toxic to cats

Love this post! Have a great day . ☁

Whether these plants found in India..I wanted to implant in my class room.

I love jade plants and have tried to grow many, but have been unsuccessful. My home is dark and they always wither and the leave drop off. Appreciate any tips you can offer.

Mine is doing great in my bathroom, with indirect natural light.

Jade plants are succulents and need some direct or indirect light. They cannot grow without light and as you have experienced they will wither and die. Best place for them, indoors, is near a sunny (east,west, south) facing window that gets at least 6 hours of direct/indirect light per day. They require some warmth also so they don’t do well in cold rooms.
As succulents they do NOT need a lot of water. I have several on my balcony that go the entire summer(temps in 80’s-90’s)) without water. They store water in their trunks and leaves, but when leaves start to crinkle it’s best to give them a good drench and be sure water runs out the bottom of the pots. Don’t let stand in water. I give them a little bit of liquid fertilizer once only in the summer. Also the best potting mix is cactus mix which allows the roots to aerate quickly. When healthy and happy they will bloom heavily in the fall with lovely tiny pink or white flowers that will also make bees happy. Where I live we get a bit of frost in the winter so I either cover them or bring them in. They will freeze and die if left outside in temps that drop into the low 30s or below.
Hope this info helps.

I like this all plants

Hi, I bought Bromeliad plant 1 month ago and kept it inside in living room. But now the colour of plant from top is changing slowly from orange to green again. Why is it happening. Pls reply me as soon as possible. Thanks

Hello Vibhuti
Bromeliads die after giving a flower. They grow pups which will continue to grow. Once the pup is about 1/3 of the size of the mother plant you can remove them. I get 2 to 4 pups from each bromeliad. They do flower for a long time but then move on. Good luck

Hi, my Rhododendron is just growing without blooming. I will be grateful if you can guide how to make it bloom?

I have many Jade plants outside. They are very easy to grow. Very little water is needed. I have them in shade and in direct sun. They are all doing great. Some of mine are 4 ft tall. I think a little shade seems to be better . Love this site. Doris

my fave plant is the china doll, that seems to do really well inside dim light or skylight. i have one sitting under a lamp and its a fairly dark room, still thriving. they seem to adapt to whatever light they have. just keep watered. love the maidenhair fern thats my second fave plant.

To anyone with pets, PLEASE double check whether the plant you are interested in is toxic to cats and dogs. At first glance at this list I immediately noticed several that will not only make your pet sick but can be fatal. The peace lily in particular is extremely dangerous to cats, inducing non-reversible kidney damage that will cause your cat’s kidneys to shut down within days. Dracenea, philodendron, and golden pothos are all toxic as well, and for some reason very enticing to cats. I unfortunately have found in general that many of the most common, low-light houseplants are in fact toxic, and while many of them only tend to cause mild stomach upset or mouth pain (and symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, and pawing at the mouth), some of them can lead to neurologic signs, cardiac disturbances, red blood cell destruction/anemia, liver disease, and kidney damage.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to check to see if a plant or flower is toxic BEFORE you bring it into your home. An excellent reference is the ASPCA Poison Control website, which allows you to search for both toxic and nontoxic plants, alphabetically by common name and scientific name, and features photos of most plants to aid identification. Never assume a plant is not toxic because it is sold in big box stores or garden centers, and do not assume your pet won’t try to eat it–they will. Also keep in mind that sometimes the dried leaves of a plant are even more toxic, with higher concentrations of the toxic substance. Always try to pick up the fallen leaves of your houseplants regularly to prevent a curious cat or dog from trying to munch on them.

It is almost impossible to remember whether a plant is or is not toxic with the vast number of species and varieties out there today. I don’t even recommend trying to; rather, check each one out every time you want to buy a new plant. I am a veterinarian, and even I forget which is which and much prefer to check out the ASPCA site to avoid inadvertently bringing home something that could harm my pets. Of course, please don’t ever forget–NO peace lilies or Easter lilies around your cats! They will kill, and sadly, do kill, too many cats simply because their owner didn’t know.

Thank you so much!! I almost lost my cat due to eating a house plant almost fifty years ago and have tried to be very careful ever since. Despite my vigilance, however, my current cat got sick about a month ago because she jumped up on my kitchen counter when my back was turned and ate some of the herbs I was chopping.

Are there any kinds of Mediterranean palms that can be grown indoors that don’t require a lot of direct sunlight? They really are the most attractive of all palms in my opinion.

I had gotten several plants and all indoors, purple passion two of the Ivy’s you posted and one palm. But, suddenly l have gnats everywhere!! I hate bugs! I was always having a gnat flying around my head. I moved all of them outside to my covered patio. I miss my plants but l really hate bugs.

Put about an inch or two of play sand ( you can buy it at lumber stores or home improvement stores) on top of your soil. It will suffocate the gnats, and it won’t hurt your plants at all. Just water as usual through the layer of sand.

Hi there, I have the plant Mothers tongue inside but the leaves are not striaght and look week. Please advise me what can I do to make the plant healthy. Thank you.

Very good presentation of indoor plants.- I was just needing an article like this.- Excellent photos of each of them.- THANKS

Hi. I have a peace lily which doesn’t get any direct sunlight and it’s not doing very well. The leaves seem to be dying off one by one. I give it a good watering once a week because the last one that I kept the soil “moderately moist” died. Do you have any suggestions? I just started trying to grow plants inside and out last spring and my luck has been about 50/50:)
Thanks so much,
Michele

The plants Ive seen in the picute,
are the plants I cared at home…
Im glad to know that these plants
are useful to mankind….thanks
for the information…more power!

You forgot all of the gesneriads: African violets, lipstick plants, slipper gloxinias, etc.

My back patio has very limited, what would be the best plants for this situation. Wanting something with a little bit of height.
Thanks
Karen

I have seen gnats coming out of the soil where my plants grow. Any suggestions for correction?

Too wet. Reduce watering should help.

where can i buy these plants( without sunlight). I am from TrivANDRUM KERALA

Are all/any of your indoor plants cat friendly? Will they harm my cats if plants are eaten?

Hi, I’m trying to find plant that can live in very specific conditions. We have hollway, which is very dark. It’s
facing north and have eaves in front in doors and have only one glas door till exit. Temperture is in winter low, and in summer is ok, not to hot.
I belive we need outdoor plant witch love deep shade. Do you have any idea whitch one? I would appreciate.

The ZZ plant would do very well for your situation. It adores shade and grows well with a weekly watering. It grows upwards and has beautiful green leaves. My housing situation is in SE Michigan, so very similar to yours. Another bonus they are easily to propagate so knew plant can turn to many, and are often found at your local big box store.

Hi, Found this l list and my son and I went shopping yesterday. We came home with the maiden hair fern and a ficus fiddle head which the man in the greenhouse said will be a good grower in indirect northeastern light. How about fertilizing? Any thoughts?

Hello! I love the Dracaena you have pictured. Do you know which variety that specific one is?

When no one’s there, our little high desert Church has hardly any light, only a bit that comes through some gray mylar shades. Late Spring until Nov., tall East & West windows scoop up heat, shades or no shades. An oven. November through April it can freeze and can also be pretty dry, but sheltered from the wind. Flowers are gone overnight, year-round. Hoping for large plants that could stand permanently in a couple of prominent locations, and smaller plants to move around elsewhere. We promise to keep to whatever watering/feeding schedule is required.

What about air plants? Can they thrive without natural sunlight? As in…,just fluorescent light?

Moving to garden apartment soon. Not much light, one window in the east and 3 on the south side. What plants would you recommend. All 3 are bedroom windows. No bathroom or kitchen windows.

I have had a peace Lily since the year 2000. This plant loves to be ignored. It has flowered a handful of times but it’s dark green, beautiful leaves flourish. I’ve transplanted it two or three times during the 18 years. I forget to water it all the time but she loves the abuse because when I finally give her a drink she comes back better than ever. My cleaning lady washes her leaves periodically. I will occasionally sit her out in the rain during the summer so she can get out and live a little.

Maranta Leuconeura is definitely a light lover. Okay, at least my one was. I placed it near a west facing window which received bright light all day long, really. But it was way too fussy, where it lost half of its leaves a month after I bought it. I even kept it decently watered, but to no avail. The leaves still yellowed and curled. Eventually, the plant was only left with two leaves. It looked very unattractive in my room. So I placed it in a sheltered area in my backyard, which receives bright light, and whaddaya know, new leaves are sprouting almost every week. What I learnt? This plant prefers the outdoors with bright, but indirect sunlight.

In my living room there is no sunlight so which plant will be best ? I would appreciate for your suggestion.

Marvellously concise and clear article.
Thanks for that! You’ve saved my sanity at home.

The sweetheart plant (a nickname given because of the shape of its glossy leaves) can stand dim rooms, but requires pinching to prevent it from growing in long, single stems.

Under the bright lights the plants appear to be embedded in crumpled soggy blankets. The use of growing mediums other than soil is not unique to aeroponics; planting seeds in cotton has been a popular idea for many a school science project. In recent years a related technology called hydroponics, that uses water as a medium to grow plants, has caught on. But Oshima is quick to distinguish aeroponics from hydroponics emphasizing that their technology is superior. And the key to the technology, is what happens under the microfleece membrane. If peeled it would reveal bare roots enveloped by nutrient-rich mist.