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We love houseplants for their countless benefits to both our physical and emotional well-being. A bit of fresh greenery indoors can improve the air quality, make us feel more calm, and may even boost our recuperative powers. An indoor plant can be a welcome addition to nearly any room, even those with very little sunlight.
We know that plants require sunlight to grow and thrive, but many varieties can do quite well with just a few hours of indirect light. These low-light plants are ideal for offices or homes with few windows. With ample water and just a glimpse of the sun each day, there are dozens of indoor plants that can brighten a dark room.
Ferns are a great choice for any low-light situation. They often grow in the deep woods in nature, and receive only dappled sunlight. Ferns that are bred to grow indoors are hardy and easy to care for. The lovely, lacey fronds are a delicate addition to bedrooms and living rooms that don’t have much natural light.
You may find “lucky” bamboo at your local garden center. It is considered luckier if you have an odd number of stalks. You don’t need luck for your bamboo to thrive – it is very easy to grow with little care required. In fact, bamboo is such an enthusiastic grower that it is sometimes considered a nuisance in the wild!
You can tame bamboo’s urge to take over by growing it in a snug-fitting container with ample water. Lucky bamboo has been known to grow in rooms with no windows at all, receiving sufficient light from fluorescent bulbs instead. This makes lucky bamboo ideal for offices and commercial buildings.
If you have a room with indirect light, English ivy is a nice choice. This elegant vine-like plant has been popular for centuries and is one of the more durable varieties of ivy to grow indoors, as long as the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much.
As with most types of ivy, the plants don’t like “wet feet” and should be allowed to dry out between waterings. When your ivy begins to outgrow its container, take some cuttings and plant them in new containers. Ivy is easy to propagate in this way.
The cast iron plant was given its name because it is said to be almost impossible to kill. Cast iron plants do well in rooms with little light and are not fussy about being watered frequently. In fact, the plant does better when the soil is allowed to dry out from time to time. The cast iron plant is so hardy that it can even withstand dramatic temperature changes. This easy-going plant even prefers not to be fertilized.
These low-light plants would make considerate housewarming gifts, as they are also low-maintenance. A hardy indoor plant would also be a thoughtful gift for a co-worker, as a welcome gift or a pick-me-up for a friend. Requiring little care, low-light plants allow the recipient to bring a little cheer indoors, even when the sun is scarce.
