Indoor plants have become an integral part of our houses nowadays.
People who are very enthusiastic about plants want to decorate several places in their house with the plants. But sometimes it is not possible because of the plant’s light needs.
You might like your bedroom dark, but your houseplant might not.
Before giving up on the idea of keeping a plant in the part of the house that receives insufficient sunlight, you need to give up on the idea that all plants need light to survive.
Reading about photosynthesis in the presence of light has left us with the idea that no plant can survive in the dark.
If you wonder which plant to place in that dark corner of your house, this is the right article for you.
Plants that grow in complete darkness
The plants that bear fruits or flowers generally require sunlight to grow. These plants cannot survive without sunlight or artificial growth lights.
However, some plants can grow in the dark without any sun or LED lights. They can grow in the minimum light that peeps through your closed drapes. However, some plants that require direct light to grow will not survive in the dark.
But some plants can thrive in little indirect light also. Some of these plants are listed below:
1. Dracaena:
This is a very low-maintenance plant with the looks of a tropical palm. These plants are available in various colors and can quickly spruce up any dark corner of your house.
You can place this plant in any place that receives medium-low light, and it survives with flying colors.
These plants have an apprehension towards bright sunlight and can only tolerate indirect light, which is present in almost all the parts of your home.
Keeping them away from sunny spots is essential for their proper growth. This plant is famous because, apart from low lighting, it also does not need a rigorous watering schedule.
Instead, water them only when they are dehydrated, once every 8-10 days. The vital thing to keep in mind while watering them is to steer clear of overwatering.
Overwatering can lead to the rotting of the roots of the Dracaena plant. As a result, this plant survives longer with minimal watering requirements than several other houseplants.
The Dracaena plant is poisonous to cats and dogs. So this plant is a no-go if you have a pet that likes to get playful with your plants.
2. Snake plant:
Sansevieria is the scientific name for the snake plant. However, the more exciting and popular name is Mother-in-law’s tongue (Three guesses why!). Snake plants are perfect for any place with limited lighting.
They can grow nicely in your closet, windowless bathroom, stairway, or in the corner of a room. These plants grow tall and wide and become dense if given even a little attention.
This plant is succulent; that is, it retains water in its leaves. So, overwatering this plant is easy. You should only water this plant when the soil is dry to the touch, like every three weeks or so.
This plant is known to produce more oxygen at night. So, keeping it in your bedroom is a good idea as you get fresh oxygen at night right by your bed.
In addition, it helps you get calmer and better sleep (which is a blessing after all those cups of coffee!)
3. Peace Lily:
The scientific name of peace lily is Spathiphyllum. It is a gorgeous plant that can brighten up any dark room. These plants require to be away from direct light, so they are perfect as indoor plants. These plants have lush dark green foliage, and the delicate white flowers are just the feather in the cap.
These plants provide fresh and clean air throughout the day. Unlike other houseplants, peace lilies need a lot more watering to keep themselves healthy.
It would be best if you watered them at least once a week. If you notice the leaves turning brown, it may be because they receive too much direct light.
Move it to a spot with medium to low lighting. If the leaves start drooping, it is because your watering is infrequent.
Watering it again in the proper schedule will bring the leaves right back up and keep your plant satisfied and blooming.
4. Philodendron:
This family of plants covers many houseplants that are all very different in the ways they look.
Some of them are bushy; some are long and trail-like, while others are wide. Some examples of these Philodendrons are Sellom, heartleaf, brasil, monstera, etc. The natural habitat of these plants is the rainforest.
These plants are low maintenance and do not require frequent watering as well. Instead, you can water them once every ten days to keep them healthy and to grow. Another good thing about these plants is that they can survive in a lot of humidity as well.
So, you can keep this plant in the dark and windowless room, and it will still not give up on providing you fresh air.
5. Pothos:
The botanical name for pothos or Devil’s Ivy is Epipremnum aureum.
This plant is supposedly impossible to kill. However, if you have a black thumb or are just a beginner in the plant world, you should go for pothos.
It is a trailing vine that will act as a great addition to your interior with little effort. If you forget to water plants for a long time, this is just the plant for you.
This plant is slow-growing and needs regular cutting to make it look bushy and healthy. It has bright, oval, waxy green leaves with variegations of yellow color.
The leaves will start to droop to let you know it’s time to water the plant. You can place these plants in any low-light area.
However, you can generally plant them in hanging baskets so that their trails can fall from above, making them an exquisite addition to your room.
You can water it once a week, and if you are out of town, once every ten days will do. The leaves droop when you underwater the plant but rise back up again once you water it again.
6. Chinese Evergreen:
The scientific name of this plant is Aglaonema.
It belongs in the arum family Araceae and is native to subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea. It has beautiful big leaves with varieties of red, pink, yellow and green.
This plant can survive in indirect light to partial shade but needs to be away from direct light. You can place it in any room that needs a bit of sprucing up, and this plant does the job.
One common variety of Chinese evergreen is the plant with silver and green accentuated leaves. All of its varieties are beautiful and can survive in the shade.
Chinese Evergreen can be cultivated easily and also has very minimal growing requirements.
It is very tolerant towards low light or no light conditions. It is also a drought-tolerant plant, so if you are someone who frequently forgets to water plants, this is a perfect fit for you.
This plant comes in shades of green and several other colorful varieties as well. So if you have a green one, it can easily survive in low light conditions and grow appropriately in them.
However, if you buy more colorful-looking newer varieties, you need to place them in a spot that receives medium light; otherwise, their bright colors will start to fade away.
Check out Chinese Evergreen here
7. Prayer plant:
The scientific name for the Prayer plant is Maranta leuconeura, and it is native to the Brazilian tropical forest.
It has rich foliage, which sometimes consists of flowers, although they are not very prominent. Its leaves tend to fold together at night, looking like a couple of praying hands and hence the name.
This plant can brighten up a dull spot in your house with its beautiful color combination of green, yellow, purple, and red colors.
You have to water the Prayer plant only when the soil feels dry to the touch. The good thing about this plant is it needs to be away from direct light to keep the colors bright.
So, it is considered an ideal indoor plant. Plant this plant in well-draining soil and mist the leaves to maintain the vibrant variegations of the plant.
8. ZZ plant:
ZZ plant is the popular name for Zamioculcas zamiifolia (Thank God!). Unlike its name, this plant is pretty easy-going.
If you are known to have a black thumb, this is just the plant for you. It can easily survive in indirect light and is drought tolerant.
You can go on a vacation and come back to a healthy and green plant waiting for you. It has gloss, bright green leaves that can brighten up any place.
However, if you have overactive furry pets, this is not the right fit for you. It is not precisely fatal but can cause severe damage to your pets and you if you accidentally intake it.
This plant is a known air-purifier so that you can keep it in your room for fresh air throughout the day. It is healthy for your mind and body.
9. Goldfish Plant:
The scientific name of the goldfish plant is Columnea Nematanthus. This plant is native to Southern Mexico, Brazil, and Costa Rica and has about 25 varieties.
This plant has hundreds of small, shiny, and bright green-colored leaves and tiny mouth-like flowers that resemble goldfish. The flowers on this plant can be red, orange, or yellow.
It is a drought-tolerant plant that can bloom all year long if given proper care. However, it needs well-draining soil and a little more light than the other plants on our list, especially if you need it to bloom.
They require shaded sunlight and minimal watering to bloom properly. Make sure the above 25-30% of the soil is dry before watering.
If the soil is too dry or too wet, the leaves will start to fall off. These plants prefer high humidity but quickly adapt to normal home humidity levels.
10. Rubber plant:
The scientific name for the rubber plants is Ficus elastica. It is more commonly known as rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, or Indian rubber.
It is native to the Eastern part of South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is a gorgeous single-stemmed plant that has big and glossy dark green leaves.
They are common indoor plants as they increase the aesthetic value of any room they are in and provide clean and fresh air.
You can easily take care of a Rubber plant. These plants can survive in a calm and shady spot with limited indirect sunlight.
However, they do not prosper in direct sunlight or high temperature (above 29 degrees Celsius). Therefore, keep it near curtains to filter direct bright light.
The rubber plant must be kept moist during the growing season. You can mist the leaves or wipe them with a damp cloth to maintain moisture level. However, overwatering will result in those beautiful leaves turning yellow or brown and falling off.
Check out the rubber plant here
11. Staghorn Fern:
The scientific name for Staghorn fern is Platycerium bifurcatum.
These plants are native to Australia and very popular houseplants because of their easy-to-care-for nature.
The young plants can be kept in pots, but they need to be mounted on a board or hung in a hanging basket once the plant matures.
It is because these plants grow on other plants in their native habitat. The leaves near the plant base are round, complex, and plate-like, and those in the upper part of the plant are large bifurcated leaves originating from the center of the plant.
The latter ones look like antlers coming out of the plants. The Staghorn fern thrives in indirect or diffused light. Therefore, it needs to be away from direct bright light, making it an excellent choice for an indoor plant.
The correct way of watering a staghorn fern is this- Once a week during hot, dry months of the year and once every two or three weeks during cooler months.
It would help if you spritzed the leaves (or fronds) because the staghorn fern absorbs water through its roots and the fronds.
Check out Staghorn Fern plant here
12. Lucky Bamboo:
The scientific name for this plant is Dracaena sanderiana. It is considered a symbol of luck and is an excellent idea for a gift.
It is not bamboo, but it belongs to the genus Dracaena. It has been in use in Feng Shui for over 5000 years.
It is known as bamboo because of its straight stalk and lush green foliage.
The lucky bamboo can be grown in soil as well as in a jar of water. If grown in water, you need to water the plant every week.
However, it has better growth and an overall better life when grown in soil. Make sure the soil is well-draining, and you avoid water clogging at all costs.
The lucky bamboo plant needs low indirect light to grow properly. Therefore, you can place this plant in a bathroom or any place in the house that receives insufficient sunlight.
Direct sunlight will scorch the leaves of this plant, so keep it away from a spot that receives bright sunlight like a window.
Check out Lucky Bamboo plant here
13. Parlor Palm:
The scientific name for Parlor palm is Chamaedorea elegans. This plant is a species of small palm trees native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala.
If provided proper care (which is not that hard for these plants), these plants can grow to be about six feet tall.
You have to repot the plant once every 2 or 3 years when they grow too big for their pot. Be careful while repotting as the roots of this plant are sensitive.
Parlor palm requires medium indirect sunlight but can tolerate low indirect light as well. But it needs to be kept away from direct sunlight as it leads to scorching of the leaves. Instead, allow the soil to dry out between two watering sessions.
You will need to water more if the plant is kept in a bright spot and less if kept in a darker spot. (It is very adaptable that way).
The plant has its way of showing whether its water requirements are adequately met or not. If you do not water the plants properly, the edges of the leaves will become brown and brittle.
If the leaves of a plant start to turn yellow and the stem starts to turn black, that means you have been overwatering the plant. So adjust your watering schedule according to your plant’s needs.
Check out Parlor Palm plant here
14. Moth Orchids:
The moth orchids belong to the genus Phalaenopsis which consists of about 60 species.
These plants are native to southeast Asia and some parts of Australia. It is the perfect plant for you if you want a blooming plant in the part of your room that does not receive enough sunlight.
Moth orchids have short stems and several broad leathery leaves. They produce colorful flowers whose color depends on the hybrid of the orchid. These plants need to be watered every 7 to 10 days for proper growth and blooming.
However, they can easily survive in the medium to low indirect sunlight to be kept in any dark corner of the room to provide it some vibrancy.
These plants can easily thrive without needing much attention. First, however, they need to be potted in a soilless orchid mix, watered regularly, and placed in a humidity tray. Do this, and you will have fresh flowers.
Check out Moth Orchids plant here
15. Dumb cane:
The scientific name of dumb cane is Dieffenbachia. Dumb cane is a genus of tropical flowering plants native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina.
It is a very famous ornamental plant and is generally used as an indoor plant worldwide. It has a straight stem with lush green leaves that have white spots and flecks on them, complimenting the different designs of the plant.
The dumb cane has about 50 species, and most of them are low-light plants.
So, you can choose from a lot of variety, the size, and the shape that suits you best. In addition, it is effortless to care for and thrives in indirect light and partial shade.
So, if you have a corner you have meant to decorate, this plant is perfect as you need to keep it away from direct sun.
The ideal conditions for dumb cane are warm temperatures and dry conditions. The soil needs to be kept moderately moist but steers clear of overwatering.
Check out Dumb cane plant here
Conclusion
If you are a plant enthusiast but live in a big city surrounded by significant buildings, do not worry.
You do not have to fit all of your plants on that part of the balcony that receives sunlight.
Some plants can survive in the little light that peeps through the drapes (Or the one that you use for your sun-kissed selfie!).
Not just survive, some plants have a special affection towards the darker parts of your house.
Most of the plants mentioned above are relatively low maintenance and can easily brighten up that dark and lonely spot in your bedroom.
So do not worry about photosynthesis and buy any plant from this list to light up the darkest corners of your house!