The best plants for dark rooms

Plants need light to carry out photosynthesis. But some can also cope with less solar radiation. You can find out which plants are suitable for dark rooms here.

Almost every apartment has dark corners. However, it doesn't have to look dark! With a few indoor plants that require little light, you can brighten up your premises. Since even dark rooms vary in brightness, we present a large selection of plants below that thrive in partially shaded to shaded rooms without direct sunlight.

Small indoor plants for dark rooms

1. Bobbed

Bubi's head (Soleirolia soleirolii), native to Sardinia and Corsica, is a perennial herbaceous plant that can be grown as a creeping ground cover or hanging in pots. The filamentous stems grow up to 50 cm long and can grow bushy to 25 cm high.

Location: Hallway, Bedroom, Staircase

• Light to partially shaded
• Airy
• Room temperature and cooler, in winter at least 5 °C, in summer optimally a maximum of 15 °C
• High-quality potting soil with organic nutrients such as our
  Plantura organic universal soil

Maintenance:

• Keep moist by watering regularly, do not wet leaves
• From March to August supply with organic liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks
• Repot in spring into wide, flat containers or traffic light pots with good drainage

Damage:

• Long shoots due to locations that are too dark or too warm
• Dying tips due to dry soil
• Plants bare in the middle are overaged and can be cut in spring

Propagation: Divide in spring or pot the cuttings together in loose, slightly acidic soil

Tip: Avoid dryness and waterlogging! In order to keep the spherical shape, you can cut the bob if necessary.

2.Efeutute

Efeutute (Epipremnum aureum) is an evergreen climber that forms aerial roots. It belongs to the Araceae family and rarely blooms. Epipremnum aureum makes a wonderful trailing plant for low light locations.

Location: Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom, Living Room

• Light to shady, room temperature and warmer, never below 16 °C
• Increased humidity
• Normal potting soil

Maintenance:

• Keep moist
• Repot every 2 to 3 years
• Easy pruning possible

Damage:

• Slight yellowing of leaves normal
• Turns green and takes care of too much light

Propagation: Plant several cuttings together in spring or put them in water, they root very easily

Tip: The decorative spotted ivy (Scindapsus pictus) is also suitable for shady rooms.

3. spider plant

The spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). It is a so-called clump-forming plant. This means that many shoots grow close together. The African green lily grows up to 60 cm high and has also grown wild in Australia and the USA. It is said to be able to purify the air of formaldehyde, xylenes and toluene, but this has not yet been confirmed in any test with reliable evaluation.

Location: Everywhere

• Light to partially shaded
• Moderately warm all year round, tolerant of temperature changes (12 to 22 °C)
• Substrate strong humus, rich in nutrients, slightly acidic, a fully pre-fertilized, peat-free soil such as our Plantura organic universal soil is well suited

Maintenance:

• Short dry periods are not a problem, avoid waterlogging, water little in winter
• Fertilize every 8 to 14 days from spring to autumn
• Repot when roots push up

Damage:

• Brown leaf tips from dry soil or air
• Breaked leaves due to increased heat or lack of light

Propagation: Separate well-grown children and plant them or root them in water

Tip: Spider plant is stress tolerant and is said to havean air-purifying effect.

4. Piston Thread

The leaves of the bushy semi-shrub can be quite large, up to 30 cm. They are partially variegated, grey-green or silvery. The cobweed (Aglaonema commutatum) only rarely forms flowers, which is why you rarely see the red berries that develop from them.

Location: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom

• Bright to semi-shady, no blazing sun
• Room temperature or warmer, not below 18°C
• Warm Floor
• Moist air
• Flat, wide planters, since the cob thread is a shallow root
• Substrate rich in humus, loose and permeable, such as a potting soil like our Plantura organic potting soil with expanded clay for a long-term loose structure, hydroponics

Maintenance:

• Evenly moist, avoid waterlogging
• Spray low-lime, temperate water
• Fertilize once a week in summer, water little in winter and only fertilize every 2 to 3 weeks
• Repot in spring if necessary

Damage:

• Brown leaf spots or curled leaf edges due to excessive solar radiation
• Withered leaves due to too much or little water
• Rarely infested with thrips, aphids and spider mites

Propagation: Division and offshoots best when repotting in spring

5. lucky feather

The evergreen Lucky Feather, also known as Zamioculcas, is an easy-care plant with moderate nutritional requirements. The houseplant reached us about twenty years ago from the forests of East Africa. The lucky feather almost never blooms.

Location: Hallway, Living Room

• Partial shade to full shade
• Temperature between 17 °C and 22 °C, not below 16 °C even in winter
• Tolerates dry air, close to heating possible
• Palm soil or mixture of potting soil and clay granules. For example, mix our Plantura organic potting soil with 20% expanded clay pebbles: thanks to the clay granules it already contains, it is light and fluffy and thus ensures he althy roots of the lucky feather
• Set up drainage for good water drainage

Maintenance:

• Rather less than too much water, even a 4-week dry period is survived, avoid waterlogging at all costs
• ModerateFertilize from April to September, a little less than stated on the fertilizer label, for example with our Plantura organic room and green plant fertilizer: This contains a particularly large amount of potassium and less nitrogen, which is beneficial for the he alth of green plants, especially in dark corners of the room
• No cutting necessary

Damage: Yellowing of lower leaves or root rot with excess water

Propagation: division, leaf cuttings

6. Cobbler's Palm

The cobbler's palm (Aspidistra elatior) is a frugal representative of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). It comes from East Asia, is temperature tolerant, does well with little light and, unlike many other house plants, does not require high humidity.

Location: Hallway, Bedroom, Living Room

• Light to shady, no direct sun
• 10 to 20 °C
• No high humidity
• Universal potting soil with 30% added sand
• Set up drainage

Maintenance:

• Water rarely but thoroughly, allow superficial drying, avoid waterlogging
• Repot every 3 to 4 years in spring
• Low nutrient requirements, fertilize once a month during the growing season

Damage:

• In case of drought, scale insects, spider mites and thrips
• Yellow leaves when waterlogged
• Sunburn from direct sunlight

Propagation: Division of the rootstock in spring

Tip: White and variegated varieties always need a little more warmth than their relatives.

Trees, shrubs and palm trees for dark rooms

Various palms, trees and shrubs are suitable as large plants for dark rooms. We will show you three different specimens below.

1. Calathea

Calathea (Calathea spec.) belongs to the arrowroot family (Marantaceae) and is easily confused with the genus Maranta. Both move their leaves in the course of the day according to the incidence of light. Calathea is an easy-care plant for dark rooms and grows bushy up to 50 cm high.

Location: bathroom, kitchen, bedroom

• Bright to semi-shady, no direct sun
• Preferably 20 to 24 °C during theGrowing season, always above 18 °C, avoid cold ground at all costs
• High Humidity
• Loose green plant soil, for example our Plantura organic universal soil: Its organic long-term fertilization makes it perfect for the easy-care Calathea and its peat-free production is also a benefit for the environment
• Be sure to set up a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot

Maintenance:

• Keep evenly moist, preferably spray low-lime, warm water on leaves to keep the humidity high
• Fertilize every 3 to 4 weeks from April to October

Damage: Spider mites in dry air

Propagation: Offshoots or division in spring

2. Kentia Palms

The Kentia Palm (Howea) is an upright palm with pinnate, arching leaves. She hails from an island east of Australia.

Location: Everywhere

• Light to shady, no direct sun
• Young plants at over 18 °C, older ones can be cooler
• Airy
• High Humidity
• Also possible outdoors in summer
• Soil well drained and slightly acidic, mix universal soil 1:1 with sand or hydroponic
• Set up drainage at the bottom of the pot

Maintenance:

• Water once a week when the substrate has dried, water less frequently in winter, but do not let it dry out
• Low amount of fertilizer weekly between April and September
• Repotting necessary at most every 4 years
• Spray with low lime water in rather dry rooms

Damage:

• Scale insects, spider mites, mealybugs, thrips, red spider if the air is too dry

Propagation: seeds, but demanding

Tip: Although the Kentia palm prefers high humidity, it can also tolerate a certain amount of dry air.

3. Ray Aralia

The home of the ray lily (Schefflera arboricola), also called Schefflera, is Taiwan. There it occurs as a tall, sparsely branched tree. Plain and yellowish variegated species are commercially available.

Location: Bathroom, Bedroom

• Bright to semi-shady on an east or west window, a few hoursdirect light suffice the radiance aralie
• Airy, without drafts
• Not below 12 °C, cooler temperatures at night than during the day recommended
• Increased humidity
• Human and permeable soil such as our structurally stable, easily wettable Plantura organic universal soil: it can be used for a long time because it is not peat, it always remains water-absorbent

Maintenance:

• Keep moderately moist, avoid waterlogging at all costs, use cold and temperate water, spray frequently
• Fertilize weekly from March to October, every 4 weeks in winter
• Repot young plants annually, older ones every 2 to 3 years

Damage:

• Spider mites, mealybugs or scale insects, aphids in dry conditions and/or too high temperatures
• Leaf drop at too low temperatures

Propagation: moss removal, sowing

Tip: Even in winter, the aralia needs a few hours of sunlight. It should therefore be set as bright as possible.

4. Room aralie

Fatsia japonica (Fatsia japonica) grows fast and can reach an impressive height of 1.5 m within three years.

Location: hallway, kitchen, stairwell

• Bright to shady, avoid blazing sun
• Airy but draught-free
• Moderately warm, rather a bit cooler, in winter it is essential to keep it cooler at 6 to 10 °C
• Increased humidity
• Human and nutrient-rich soil

Maintenance:

• Keep moderately moist, high water requirement in summer
• Fertilize frequently, for example with our Plantura organic indoor and green plant fertilizer, which is also enriched with microorganisms: These protect the plant from root diseases, which can occur on the aralia when waterlogged
• Repot into a larger container every 2 years, old plants less often

Damage:

• Spider mites, scale insects and thrips in dry air and high temperatures
• Fungal infection of the roots in case of waterlogging
• Loose leaves when the air is too warm and dry

Propagation: cuttings, moss, seeds

Tip: Cutting back young plants encourages them to branch out.

Cacti and succulents for dark rooms

Cacti and succulents are adapted to a lack of water.Dry locations are mostly those where there is a lot of sunlight. Plants of this type that tolerate shady places are therefore not that many. They should definitely get a few hours of light every day. At least some species are moderately shade tolerant and don't need constant irradiation.

1. Bear Claw

The thick-fleshed leaves of the Bear Claw (Cotyledon tomentosa) are hairy and have brownish discoloration at the jagged tips. The plant, which grows up to 50 cm tall, has orange-red to yellow flowers.

Location: Hallway, Living Room

• Sunny to semi-shady
• Temperatures above 15 °C
• Water-permeable soil with drainage - for example a nutrient-poor, loose herbal soil like our Plantura organic herb and seed soil
• Drought tolerant, tolerates too little rather than too much water

Maintenance:

• Low water requirement, let the soil dry well before the next watering
• Fertilize once a month from March to August
• Hibernation at around 15 °C and as bright as possible

Harmful images: Mealybugs and mealybugs, especially in winter

Propagation: leaf cuttings

2. Bow Hemp

The easy-care hemp plant (Sansevieria) belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). Usually it forms larger clumps and no trunk. The leaves are quite long and lanceolate with yellow or white and silvery markings.

Location: bedroom, living room, hallway

• Optimal sun to partial shade, but robust and tolerant of deviations
• Temperature in the sun ideally between 21 and 24 °C, higher is also tolerated, in winter not below 15 °C
• Avoid drafts
• Mix house plant soil with sand in a ratio of 1:1 as substrate or use cactus and succulent soil
• Install drainage

Maintenance:

• Better dry than too wet
• Fertilize lightly in summer

Damage: Rot through wetness

Propagation: Division or leaf cuttings, detailed information can be found in the article Propagating Bow Hemp

Tip: Since sheet hemp works with the so-called CAM metabolism, it gives off mainly during the cool twilight and winter monthsoxygen through its stomata during the night hours, while these are closed during the heat of the day.

3. Zebra Cactus

The genus Haworthia is a close relative of Aloe. It has thick leaves that are often patterned with stripes, hence the name zebra cactus.

Location: living room, kitchen, hallway

• Light to partially shaded
• Substrate poor in nutrients and permeable, such as herbal soil mixed with pumice and lava grit and quartz sand in a ratio of 3:2:1
• Set up drainage
• Use a flat, wide saucepan
• Tolerates dry air

Maintenance:

• Water little, from below, avoid waterlogging, let the soil dry out, no watering from July to August due to the rest period
• Do not fertilize in winter, the rest of the year every 2 to 3 months
• Repotting only necessary when the plant covers the entire pot
• Winter storage at 5 to 15 °C

Damage:

• Root and leaf rot in case of waterlogging or water in rosettes
• Rarely mealybugs, root and scale insects

Propagation: Separation of rooted offshoots, let unrooted offshoots dry for about 3 days and then put them in the ground at the break point, sowing is also possible

Tip: The warmer it is, the brighter the location of the zebra cactus should be.

4. Dwarf Pepper

The genus Peperomia originating from tropical South America has thick fleshy leaves and varies greatly within the Peperomia species. They grow either creeping on the ground or in trees. Peperomia caperata forms long inflorescences. Also known is Peperomia obtusifolia with yellow-greenish leaves, some of which are slightly reddish variegated.

Location: Bedroom, Kitchen, Bathroom

• Light to half shade, no direct sunlight
• Room temperature or warmer, always at least 18 °C, even in winter
• Increased humidity
• Earth humic, slightly acidic
• Set up drainage

Maintenance:

• Keep moderately moist
• Fertilize a little in summer and keep the humidity high by spraying, or place a water container near the plants for evaporation
• Repot as needed

Malfunctions: Spider mites in dry air, increased humidity and low temperatures lead to rotting of the roots, leaves and shoots

Propagation: In spring head or leaf cuttings

If you are also interested in particularly undemanding greenery, we recommend our article on particularly easy-care plants.