Seven plants for a low-light room
A north-facing window does not have to mean plastic plants. These seven cope with shade and still look good a year later.
Most of the plant deaths we hear about are not caused by too little water. They come from putting a sun-lover in a dark corner. Before you buy, look at the window: if you cannot read a book by it at noon without the lamp on, choose from this list.
The ones that truly do not mind
The snake plant and the ZZ plant are the two we recommend most. Both store water in their leaves or roots, both grow slowly in shade, and both forgive you if you forget them for three weeks. Lucky bamboo is a third, as long as its water is refreshed weekly.
The ones that flower or trail
A peace lily will still flower in a shaded room, and it tells you when it needs water by drooping. Golden pothos trails happily from a high shelf, where the light is often better than it looks. A spider plant sends out babies even in a north room.
And one for patience
The calathea is the seventh. It is fussier about humidity than about light, so a bathroom with a small window can be its perfect home. Keep it out of draughts and it will fold its leaves up every evening like a little show.
Use the plant finder on our plant shop page: answer three questions about your window, your time and your pets, and it narrows the list for you.
