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. bob haircut

the bob haircut (Soleirolia soleirolii), native to Sardinia and Corsica, is a perennial herb 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 up to 25 cm high.

Location: hallway, bedroom, stairwell

• Light to half shade
• 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 ours
  Plantura organic universal soil

Care:

• Keep moist by watering regularly, avoiding wetting the leaves
• Supply with organic liquid fertilizer every 4 weeks from March to August
• Repot in spring into wide, flat containers or hanging pots with good drainage

Malicious images:

• Long shoots from locations that are too dark or too warm
• Dying tips due to dry soil
• Plants that are bare in the middle are old and can be cut in the 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 ball shape, you can cut the bob if necessary.

2. ivy

the ivy (Epipremnum aureum) is an evergreen climbing plant that forms aerial roots. It belongs to the Araceae family and rarely blooms. Epipremnum aureum is a wonderful hanging plant for locations with little light.

location: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, living room

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

care:

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

harmful pictures:

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

propagation: Plant several cuttings together in spring or place them in water, they root very easily

tip: Also the decorative Spotted ivy (Scindapsus pictus) is 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 clean the air of formaldehyde, xylene and toluene, but this has not yet been confirmed in any test with a reliable evaluation.

Location: Anywhere

• Light to half shade
• Moderately warm all year round, tolerant of temperature changes (12 to 22 °C)
• Substrate strong humic, nutrient-rich, slightly acidic, a fully pre-fertilized, peat-free soil like ours is well suited Plantura organic universal soil

care:

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

harmful pictures:

• Brown leaf tips from dry soil or air
• Bent leaves with increased heat or lack of light

propagation: Cut off well-grown children and plant them or leave them rooted in water

tip: Spider plant is stress tolerant and reputed to have air purifying effects.

4. cob thread

The leaves of the bushy semi-shrub can be quite large, up to 30 cm. They are partially variegated, grey-green or silvery. flowers forms the cob thread (Aglaonema commutatum) only rarely, so you hardly ever see the red berries that develop from it.

Location: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom

• Light to semi-shady, no blazing sun
• Room temperature or warmer, not below 18°C
• warm floor
• humid air
• Shallow, wide planters, as the cob filament is a shallow root
• Substrate rich in humus, loose and permeable, like potting soil like ours Plantura organic potting soil with expanded clay for long-term loose structure, hydroponics

care:

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

harmful pictures:

• Brown leaf spots or curled leaf edges due to too much sunlight
• Wilted leaves due to too much or little water
• Rarely infested with thrips, aphids and spider mites

propagation: Division and offshoots best when repotted in spring

5. lucky feather

The evergreen lucky feather, also under the name Zamioculcas known, is an easy-care plant with moderate nutrient requirements. The houseplant reached us about twenty years ago from the forests of East Africa. The lucky feather almost never produces flowers.

location: hallway, living room

• Half shade to 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 a mixture of indoor plant soil and clay granules. For example, mix ours Plantura organic potting soil With 20% expanded clay balls: It is loose and light due to the clay granules it already contains and thus ensures healthy roots of the lucky feather
• Set up drainage for good water drainage

care:

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

harmful pictures: Yellowing of lower leaves or root rot in excess water

propagation: division, leaf cuttings

6. cobbler palm

the cobbler 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 indoor 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

care:

• Water seldom 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

harmful pictures:

• In dry conditions scale insects, spider mites and thrips
• Yellow leaves when waterlogged
• Sunburn from direct sunlight

propagation: Division of the rootstock in spring

tip: White-motley varieties always need a little more heat than their relatives.

Trees, shrubs and palms for dark rooms

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

1. calathea

the basket marante (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

• Light to semi-shady, no direct sun
• If possible, 20 to 24 °C during the vegetation period, always above 18 °C, absolutely avoid cold ground
• High humidity
• Loose soil for green plants, for example ours Plantura organic universal soil: Due to its organic long-term fertilization, it is perfect for the easy-care calathea suitable and thanks to its peat-free production it is also a benefit for the environment
• Be sure to set up a drainage layer at the bottom of the pot

care:

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

harmful pictures: Spider mites in dry air

propagation: nucs or division in spring

2. Kentia palms

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

Location: Anywhere

• 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
• Substrate well drained and slightly acidic, mix universal soil 1:1 with sand or hydroponic
• Set up drainage at the bottom of the pot

care:

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

harmful pictures:

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

propagation: seeds, but fastidious

tip: Although the Kentia palm prefers high humidity, it can also tolerate a certain degree of dryness.

3. Radiation Aralia

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

Location: bathroom, bedroom

• Bright to semi-shady on the east or west window, a few hours of direct light are sufficient for the radiant aria
• Airy, without drafts
• Not below 12 °C, cooler temperatures at night than during the day recommended
• Increased humidity
• Humic and permeable soil such as our structurally stable, well wettable Plantura organic universal soil: It can be used for a long time because its peat-free nature means it always remains water-absorbent

care:

• Keep moderately moist, avoid waterlogging at all costs, use cold and warm 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

harmful pictures:

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

propagation: moss removal, sowing

tip: Even in winter, the radiant macaw needs a few hours of sunlight. It should therefore be made as bright as possible.

4. room aralie

The room aralie (Fatsia japonica) grows quickly and can reach an impressive height of 1.5 m within three years.

Location: hallway, kitchen, stairwell

• Light 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
• Humic and nutrient-rich soil

care:

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

harmful pictures:

• Spider mites, scale insects and thrips in dry air and high temperatures
• Fungal infection of the roots when waterlogged
• Hanging leaves in too warm and dry air

propagation: cuttings, moss, seeds

tip: Pruning young plants favors their branching.

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. After all, some species are reasonably shade tolerant and don't need constant light.

1. bear paw

The thick-fleshed leaves of the bear's paw (Cotyledon tomentosa) are hairy and have brownish discoloration on 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 ours Plantura organic herb and seed soil
• Drought tolerant, tolerates too little rather than too much water

care:

• Low water requirement, allow the soil to 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 pictures: Mealybugs and mealybugs, especially in winter

propagation: leaf cuttings

2. bow hemp

The low-maintenance bow hemp (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

• Optimally sunny to partially shaded, 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 indoor plant soil with sand in a ratio of 1:1 or use cactus and succulent soil as a substrate
• Install drainage

care:

• Better dry than too wet
• Fertilize lightly in summer

harmful pictures: Putrefaction through wetness

propagation: division or leaf cuttings, detailed information can be found in the article Propagate bow hemp

tip: Since sheet hemp works with the so-called CAM metabolism, it mainly gives off during the cool Twilight and night hours, oxygen is released via its stomata, while these are hot during the day are closed.

3. zebra cactus

The genus Haworthia is a close relative of aloe. It has thick leaves that are often striped, hence the name zebra cactus.

Location: living room, kitchen, hallway

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

care:

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

harmful pictures:

• Root and leaf rot from 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 stick 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 originating from tropical South America Peperomia has fleshy leaves and varies within the Peperomia species strong. They grow either creeping on the ground or in trees. Peperomia caperata forms long inflorescences. is also known Peperomia obtusifolia with yellow-greenish leaves, some of which are slightly reddish variegated.

Location: bedroom, kitchen, bathroom

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

care:

• Always 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

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

propagation: Head or leaf cuttings in spring

If you are also interested in particularly undemanding green, we put our article on special for you easy-care plants to the heart.