There are a huge number of benefits to incorporating plants into your home. From decreasing stress and anxiety to purifying the air and reducing dust, no home should be without a houseplant or two! However, if you live in a basement apartment or you’re north-facing and get very little sunlight, you might think that you won’t be able to keep a houseplant alive in your home - but that isn’t the case. There are a number of different houseplants that like shade and require very little sunlight, so there’s no excuse not to invest in a houseplant for every room in your home! These are our top 10 houseplants that like shade - all you’ve got to do is decide where to put them!
What are the Benefits of Houseplants?
Not only do houseplants add the finishing touches to a room, but they also boast a number of health and wellbeing benefits too. By adding just a few houseplants to your home you’ll improve the air quality, as they help to get rid of indoor pollutants and increase the oxygen in the air.
But that’s not all - houseplants can also help to improve your mental health and wellbeing too, helping to reduce feelings of stress, depression and anxiety and increase productivity. Additionally, they can also help to promote healing, helping you to recover from illnesses and injuries much more quickly.
So whether you incorporate them into every room in your house, or just have a few dotted around your living room, you’re sure to reap the benefits of houseplants in no time.
Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo, otherwise known as dracaena sanderiana isn’t actually a bamboo plant at all, but gets its name as the stalks resemble bamboo. In Feng Shui it’s also said to bring good fortune, so they make a great housewarming gift (even if it is just for yourself!).
If you’ve got a reputation for killing plants, then the lucky bamboo plant is the ideal choice for you as they’re very easy to maintain. Additionally, they’re one of the top ten houseplants that like shade. They do well in light and dark, however they don’t do well in direct sunlight, so if you’re looking for a plant for a north-facing room, then this is the plant for you.
Spider Plant
The spider plant, also known as chlorophytum comosum is one of the easiest houseplants to keep as it can thrive in a number of different conditions, but prefer indirect light and shade. Spider plants are also fairly similar to succulents and cacti, as they prefer to dry out in between being watered, so don’t require attention every day.
So if you’re just looking for an easy-to-care-for plant to finish off your home, or you need a plant that can still thrive in shade, then the spider plant is certainly worth considering.
Moth Orchid
Another houseplant that likes shade is the moth orchid. Unlike other types of orchids, moth orchids are fairly easy to care for and grow well whatever the weather.
Although they require a little more light in the winter in order to flower, moth orchids can’t be kept in direct sunlight and prefer to be in the shade, so keeping them behind a blind or by an east-facing light will ensure they thrive - just as long as they’re in a nice, warm environment!
Parlor Palm
Also known as chamaedorea elegans, the parlor palm is another houseplant that likes shade and thrives in areas of low light, as when they’re placed in bright areas or direct sunlight they dry out and die.
So if you live in a basement apartment, or you’re looking for the perfect plant for a room with no windows - the parlor palm is the houseplant for you.
Snake Plant
The snake plant is one of the most popular houseplants as it’s low-maintenance and can be kept in light and shade. Although snake plants can survive in direct sunlight, low light and shade, they prefer to be kept out of the sun in a shaded area of your home.
The most important thing to remember when caring for a snake plant is that they’re prone to rotting, so it’s important not to over-water them and allow the soil to dry out in between watering - in fact, they can be left alone for weeks at a time!
This makes the snake plant ideal for people who are away from home a lot, or are just looking for a plant that’s easy to keep alive.
Corn Plant
Unlike the snake plant, corn plants need to be watered regularly in order to keep the soil moist.
When it comes to the best light conditions for corn plants, they can tolerate bright, direct sunlight and shade - but are happiest when placed in an area that has access to a little bit of indirect sunlight throughout the day, but is mostly shady and away from drafts.
Prayer Plant
The prayer plant is a popular bathroom plant, as it needs high levels of humidity and doesn’t require access to light, making it the perfect addition to your bathroom shelf.
Similar to a number of other houseplants, the prayer plant needs to dry out in between waterings, as they take a large amount of their water from the humid air.
If you’ve been searching for a houseplant that likes shade for your bathroom, then you can’t go wrong with the gorgeous prayer plant.
Philodendron
The philodendron is part of the Araceae family and is another houseplant that thrives in shady surroundings. The leaves of the philodendron plant naturally turn yellow with age, which often confuses people and prompts them to place the plant in an area with direct sunlight, however, the philodendron prefers shady areas with a medium amount of light throughout the day.
The philodendron plant is quite temperamental, and it can take a little bit of experimenting to find out how they thrive, so you might find yourself moving the plant around your home and experimenting with watering in order to keep it alive! If you’re a houseplant newbie, then the philodendron probably isn’t for you.
ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant, also known as the Zamioculcas will thrive in areas of low light. This makes them perfect for basements, windowless rooms, bathrooms, home offices and the corner of a room. They’re often mistaken for fake plants, as their high-shine leaves can look a little artificial and they can thrive in almost any condition, meaning they rarely lose their leaves or colour, which is great news for the less green-fingered among us.
Boston Fern
The boston fern is perfect for rooms which get very little light throughout the day, requiring only a few hours of indirect sunlight per day, meaning they can certainly thrive in shady areas of your home.
Although they require very little light to stay alive, the boston fern does require high levels of humidity, making them the perfect plant for your bathroom. However, if that’s not possible, then placing the pot on a tray full of pebbles and water, or spraying them with a mist spray a few times a week will make sure they stay alive!
So whether you’re looking for the perfect houseplant for a room with very little light throughout the day, or a room with no windows - you’re sure to find the perfect houseplants for you from our list. If you’re looking for more ways to improve your home, from garden design ideas to ways to decorate your bathroom, then our blog has got all of the tips and tricks for you.