Gardening : Hardiest Houseplants That Grow in the Dark : Indoor gardening: Brighten low-lit corners with any of these green-foliage, low-maintenance varieties.
In all my years as Mr. Mother Earth, the question I’ve been most frequently asked is: “What plants will grow in the dark?”
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.
Generally, when selecting a plant for a low-light location, stick to a green foliage plant such as those described below. Plants with bright, colorful leaves such as the croton and polka-dot plant, or flowering plants like African violets, azaleas and gardenias, need lots of sunlight to thrive and should never be used in dark corners.
Another rule of green thumb in dark spots: water only when soil is dry to the touch. Overwatering is always a problem, but plants receiving minimal light take much longer to dry out than those by sunny windows.
However, I recommend that you spray your low-light plants every day with a fine mist of water. Feed them once a month during the spring and summer with a liquid houseplant food according to the directions on the bottle.
The most dependable “night people” in my experience are:
* Cast-Iron Plant--( Aspidistra elatior ) . The cast-iron plant has earned its nickname through hundreds of years of durable indoor growth with minimal light, water and care. Although they grow slowly,
Aspidistras may reach three or four feet. Their erect, slender stems bear long, dark green oblong leaves. There’s also a variegated type painted with creamy stripes that’s very pretty. If you see one of these, grab it. This is the perfect inhabitant of that dark corner that really needs brightening.
* Arrowhead Plant--( Syngonium podophyllum ). Also known as nephthytis, this compact, bushy plant has arrowhead-shaped, light green leaves with creamy white variegations. The arrowhead is virtually impossible to kill, and can be used on tables or as hanging plants.
You’ll have to trim it fairly often to prevent it from becoming long and straggly. Also, yellow leaves will appear frequently. These are natural; merely pinch them off. You can propagate arrowhead plants from stem cuttings, which will grow in a jar of water for as long as a year.
* Chinese Evergreen--( Aglaonema spp .). You’ll find at least two or three varieties in virtually every nursery, flower shop, garden center, or supermarket--in fact, almost everywhere plants are sold. When it comes to combining durability with decorative usefulness, this plant is hard to beat. Care for all the dozens of varieties is the same: Easy.
Not only does this plant thrive in low light, but too much light can do harm. If placed in direct sun the leaves will turn pale yellow. Frequently you’ll get a surprise bonus from your Chinese evergreen. It might just produce white spathes--leaflike structures that enclose a white flower cluster--and colorful red, yellow, and orange berries.
* Dwarf Palm--( Chamaedorea elegans bella ) . This absolutely beautiful plant is a tree palm in miniature with thin stems, small fronds and narrow, dark-green leaves. Although the dwarf palm looks lacy and delicate, it will tolerate low light, dry soil, even drafts. It is slow growing and often used in dish gardens and terrariums, but it may reach three or four feet and become a lovely floor plant for a dark corner.
* Kentia Palm--( Howeia forsteriana ) . A graceful, durable indoor tree. Usually sold with four stalks to the pot, it can grow up to 15 feet indoors. It’s tough, dark-green pinnate leaves on thick, graceful fronds make it a striking addition to any decor.
Keep your kentia palm potbound, as it tends to die back when transplanted into too large a container. Keep the soil slightly damp, and mist frequently. You should be aware that kentia palms are generally expensive. A 4- or 5-foot kentia will run $60 or $70, and a 10-footer will be well over $100. They can last for years and years.
* Devil’s Ivy, or Pothos--( Scindapsus aureus ). This first cousin to the philodendron is a true champion among easy-care plants. With its broad, oval, waxy green leaves, the pothos can withstand low light, dry conditions and semi-neglect, though shade might inhibit its white and yellow variegations. It should be cut back from time to time to encourage full, bushy growth, and the cuttings can be cultivated in water for a year or longer.
Your pothos needs to be watered only when the soil is bone dry, and will droop noticeably when it’s time to water.
* Snake Plant--( Sansevieria laurentii ). Probably the most durable of all houseplants, the snake plant, a succulent, is also known as mother-in-law’s tongue because (I did not make up this “joke”) you can’t kill it. Your snake plant can tolerate very low light and weeks without water or food.
The most common variety has tall, stiff, pointed stalks trimmed with a yellow border, but Sanseviera comes in many other varieties, some of which are low-growing and serve admirably as tabletop plants.
* Spathiphyllum--( Spathiphyllum spp .). Also known as peace lily, this bushy houseplant with dark-green, shiny foliage will not only tolerate low-light conditions, but might even bloom. In bright light the peace lily will produce white, lilylike blooms practically year-round, but even in a shady spot the odds are about 50-50 you’ll get an occasional flower.
Every now and then a leaf or two on your peace lily will turn brown at the tip. And often entire leaves will turn brown or yellow. This is perfectly natural. When it occurs, just cut the leaves off with scissors. New leaves will always take their place.
There are several other plants that will do well in low-light situations, among them the prayer plant ( Maranta leuconeura ), table fern ( Pteris spp .), philodendron, bird’s-nest fern ( Asplenium nidus ) and if you need a tall tree for a darkish corner, you’ll have good luck with the corn plant ( Dracaena massangeana ) or the dragon plant ( D. marginata ).
