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Are you looking for a houseplant that can thrive in low-light conditions as a beginner or an experienced gardener for your home?
An easy-to-care plant that is a bit unusual unlike other plants that you might have come across?
If you are, then you are at the right place
In this article, you will enlighten you on the top 7 true low-light houseplants that can thrive in any condition as well as their respective characteristics.
True Low-Light Houseplants You Must Know
Majority of plants require two things to thrive which are water and sunlight.
Though there are quite a number of houseplants that don’t require much sun to survive while there are some of them that don’t even need sunlight at all, as long as you can provide artificial growing lights.
This is because those plants photosynthesize at a slower rate making them not always needed.
Below are the 7 low-light houseplants:
1. Staghorn Fern
The staghorn fern (Platycerium bifurcatum) is a beautiful and charming house plant.
It is mostly cool when kept in a dark corner of your home to add more life to the side.
Unlike other plants, this plant tends to grow on other plants instead of the soil. It grows around 2-3 feet tall with a temperature of 80-90 F.
These indoor plants don’t require sunlight in order to have the two types of leaves which are the large bisected leaves that usually grow from the center of the plant as well as the green leaves.
Growing this plant, you must ensure that the lights are fully shaded and that the water is moderate moisture.
2. Prayer Plant
The prayer plant(Maranta leuconeura) is a low-growing tropical plant which is the best for its tricolor which includes deep green leaves with a marking with red or yellow.
When growing, it tends to reach a height of 10-12 inches, and a width of around 15 inches, this plant can be a great addition to your low-light interior.
You can see that there isn’t any need for sunlight since it burns its leaves.
The prayer plant also requires a warm and humid environment as well as a moderate high water requirement in order to grow as it should.
As you grow this plant, you should bear in mind that they are very sensitive to cold temperatures, so do well to keep them warm always.
3. Ponytail Palm
Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata) is a recognizable plant due to its bulbous trunk and the long, hair-like leaves that grow in a ponytail shape.
It can be kept outside during the summer and inside during winter.
It also tends to thrive in dry conditions.
It is a slow-growing plant that requires indirect light to grow as well as it prefers drier soil. So, you must ensure that you water the plant every couple of weeks.
4. Dragon Tree
This plant is one of the sturdiest low-light plants that requires maximum care while planting. Though, they are easy to care for.
They require a partial light to full shade.
While growing, they can reach more than 6 feet tall and need repotting at least every 2-3 years.
It usually has only one color variety which is Green leaves.
They also tolerate low-light conditions, though their leaves might grow smaller than usual.
But one important thing you must keep in mind if you have pets or you love keeping pets, keep them away from the plant because it is very toxic.
5. Arrowhead Plant
This plant (Syngonium podophyllum) which is also known as the American evergreen is a type of low-light plant that grows more than 6 ft high and belongs to the group of tall indoor plants that can live in low light conditions.
Its light is usually medium to low light and it comes in different color varieties such as pink, white, and lime leaf colors.
You can keep or plant this in a pot, hang it, or even train it to grow on a trellis or pole for support.
As the fastest growing plant with a temperature of around 60-75% F, you can see that the Arrowhead tends to like Humidity especially during the winter months.
Read Also: How Much Water Do Begonias Need?
6. ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant is not just any kind of popular low-light plant; rather, it is also one of the top plants that doesn’t need sunlight.
It prefers a partial to full shade light. While watering, it requires moderate moisture.
It is also an ideal option for those who don’t have much time to care for their plants
It produces a succulent that has a truck that contains dark green leaves which is able to grow up to 3-4 tall if you want to start as a
7. Rex Begonia
Rex begonia (Begonia rex-cultorum) is a semi-tropical plant that is mostly admired for its colorful leaves.
This plant can grow from 12 inches to 18 inches in height with its leaves that come in different color varieties such as green leaves, with pink, red, purple, cream and burgundy.
In addition, these plants can do well even in a dark room which is filled with humidity.
Do well to also check out the temperature of the spot or place where you are keeping the plant. Its temperature should be a problem but not more than 60-70 oF if it doesn’t, move it away from that pot.
Finally, Rex begonia plants are always grown for their leaves. This is because their flowers are small and not that pretty, which is why many people tend to cut them off in order to maintain the beautiful leaf displays of these shade loving indoor plants.
FAQs
1. What Is A True Low Light Plant?
Low light plants are typically plants that only receive indirect sunlight, but still manage to survive.
They will usually live a good few feet away from a window.
If you have a north-facing window, you can place your plant between 1′ to 3′ away from the window.
2. Is There A Houseplant That Doesn’t Need Light?
A ZZ plant doesn’t need a lot of sun. You can even keep it in a room without any natural light.
If you’re the type who neglects plants, a ZZ plant can survive (and thrive) without water.
3. What Are The 4 Major Types of True Plants?
The four major groups are mosses, ferns, flowering plants, and gymnosperms.
4. Is Jade A Low Light Plants?
No, it isn’t.
This is because Jade needs lots of light for at least 4 hours per day in a south-facing or west-facing window.
Keep soil moist but not wet during the growing season (spring and summer) and let the soil dry out during the dormant season (fall and winter).
5. Are There Any Plants That Can Grow In Complete darkness?
The only plant that will grow in complete darkness is the mushroom, but what people really want to know is which plants will grow where there’s very little light.
Places like an entry hall, a far corner of the living room, a counter top in a bathroom.
6. What Houseplant Can Survive The Darkness?
Philodendron is an iconic houseplant that does very well in medium to low light conditions. They thrive without too much maintenance, making them a perfect beginner’s option.
7. What Makes A True Plant A True Plant?
The true plants are those which are multicellular and eukaryotic in nature.
They have nucleus present in their cells and have membrane bound organelles.
They perform photosynthesis and make their own food. Such plants are called true plants.
8. What Is Not Considered A True Plant?
Seaweeds are not considered “true plants” because they lack a specialized vascular system, roots, stems, or leaves. Seaweed is actually classified as algae.
Conclusion
If you have taken your time to go through these listed 7 low-light houseplants that you should know and can get for your gardener or indoor planting even if you are a beginner in gardening.
Then, we hope that you have selected two or more of them which best suit your taste to start a new journey.
Do well to enhance all the necessary ways to care for each one of them and you will have a good return at the end.
