Totorus

Photo credit by Joel Abroad

Indoor houseplants are great way to beat the winter blues. While it’s snowy and cold outside you can surround yourself with an indoor garden. Unfortunately the days of winter are dark and gloomy so the light coming through the window can be very low. Even in the sunny months it can be hard to grow indoor plants if you live in a north facing apartment with few windows. Many houseplants thrive in low light environments. One of the best things about household plants that do well in low indoor light is that they also tend to be low maintenance plants that require little watering and infrequent fertilization. Below are six of the best indoor plants that grow in low light.

1. English Ivy

English Ivy has a reputation of being hard to kill. It does well in direct sunlight. It’s most recognized climbing over outdoor brick walls but it makes an excellent houseplant. To prevent spider mites from attacking your English Ivy, use a spray bottle to mist it about once a week. This houseplant does better in a consistent temperature. Keep this plant away from drafty windows or doors. English Ivy is also known for its air purifying abilities. In a recent study English Ivy was shown to significantly reduce air borne molds and allergens.

2. Dracaena

This houseplant is also known as the dragon plant. The plant can grow anywhere from two to twenty feet tall. The dragon plant is very popular and can be found in most nurseries and big box hardware stores. The Dracaena doesn’t need to be fertilized and has very little trouble with plant pests. Dracaena do not need to be watered regularly. It is better if the soil dries out between watering. The dragon plant is known for cleaning toxins from the air such as formaldehyde and benzene.

3. The Chinese Evergreen

The Chinese evergreen is a great low maintenance low light plant. The plant needs to be watered infrequently so it’s a great plant for those who are a little forgetful. This houseplant needs to be kept at temperatures above 55 degrees Fahrenheit. The Chinese evergreen is known for its long life span. Many plants can be grown indoors for up to twenty years.

4. Silver Lace Fern

Most ferns do well in low light but the sliver lace firm can thrive in very low light. Ferns like more humid environments so it’s best to mist a fern everyday with a spray bottle. It’s a good idea to water this plant everyday or every other day as it likes moist, well drained soil.

5. Peace Lily

The peace lily is one of the few indoor plants that flowers and blooms. This houseplant needs frequent watering. The great thing about the peace lily is that it let’s you know when it needs to be watered. The leaves of the plant will drop slightly. Once watered, the plant will perk back up with gratitude. The peace lily also likes a quick misting with a spray bottle once or twice a week.

6. Spider Plant

Spider plants are best known for the babies they produce. A well rooted plant will produce many offshoots that can be trimmed and placed in water. These offshoots will soon produce roots of their own. These new root sprouted plants can be placed a small pot and will soon grow into a large baby producing plant. This is one of the hardiest indoor plants. It grows in low light and needs to be watered infrequently. In fact if the plant is doing poorly it is most likely because it is being watered too much.