If you work in an office without a window or have a windowless room at home, you may be wondering whether houseplants are off the table. After all, plants need light to convert carbon dioxide and water into energy through photosynthesis. While no plant can survive without light for an extended period, many can thrive in low-light conditions or in rooms with artificial or grow lights. Ahead, gardening experts share several resilient plants that can survive in a windowless room.
Philodendron
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The Philodendron family includes many plants that can thrive in a windowless room. “Philodendrons are known to do well in low-light conditions,” says gardening author Enid Offolter. “They come in so many shapes and sizes. You can train the climbers up a totem to take up more vertical space, or you can grow varieties that stay short and compact and clump, depending on your space.” Philodendrons are toxic to pets, so use caution.
Size: Varies by species; can grow up to 15 feet tall x 6 feet wideCare requirements: Medium light; well-drained soil
Snake Plant
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Snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata) are undeniably eye-catching, but they also boast another appealing attribute—they can grow well in a windowless room. “A space without any windows does not mean the plants will receive zero light,” says horticulturist Laura Irish-Hanson. “Most offices have overhead lights [on] for at least eight hours a day. Plants do perceive this light, and some plant species will grow just fine with this amount of artificial light.”
Snake plants are a perfect example of a plant that can thrive in rooms with artificial light. “Snake plants are highly adaptable to low light [and] they are also tolerant of infrequent watering,” says Irish-Hanson.
Size: 12 to 36 inches tall x 6 to 36 inches wideCare requirements: Low to bright light; well-drained soil
ZZ Plant
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ZZ plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) are known for being low-maintenance, getting by with minimal light and watering. “ZZ plants really are amazing,” says Offolter. “I know people who grow them in completely dark indoor environments.” While growth will be slower, these plants still flourish in low-light conditions.
Size: 24 to 48 inches tall x 12 to 24 inches wideCare requirements: Indirect light; well-drained soil
Pothos
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The fast-growing pothos (Epipremnum aureum), with its glossy, heart-shaped leaves, is an amazing starter plant, says Irish-Hanson. “They are adaptable to low light, infrequent watering, and can grow with little fertilizer application throughout their life,” she adds.
Beyond being low-maintenance, these trailing plants can assist a room’s décor. “The plants have long stems that can be hung using wall hooks,” says Irish-Hanson. “Try circling the stem around a small photo to add a living frame to your wall decorations.”
Size: 6 to 10 feet long indoors; 3 to 6 feet wideCare requirements: Bright indirect light, though it can handle dim light; well-drained potting soil
Bromeliad
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There are many plants in the bromeliad family (Bromeliaceae), but the species most often grown as houseplants are Vriesea and Guzmania. Both offer stunning, tropical-like flowers with vivid colors and unusual shapes. Because of their natural habitat (growing under the storied canopy of thick vegetation), these plants are used to growing in low-light situations. They’re perfect for growing in a windowless bathroom or office.
Size: Varies; often around 2 feet tall x 2 feet wideCare requirements: Low to bright, indirect light; well-drained soil
Peace Lily
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Peace lilies (Spathiphyllum) thrive in low-light conditions of windowless rooms. “I have seen Spathiphyllum lilies do quite well with only the office lights,” says gardening author Lisa Eldred Steinkopf. “You would be surprised how resilient plants are when they need to be, especially if you start with a younger plant and it grows to maturity in that lower-light situation.” They are toxic to pets.
Size: 12 inches tall by 12 inches wideCare requirements: Shade or partial light; moist, well-drained soil
Monstera
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Monstera (Monstera deliciosa) might not be the first plant that comes to mind for a windowless room, but the beautiful Swiss cheese plant is a viable possibility for low-light conditions. “If you want to open up your options even more, they make a lot of small grow lights these days that can just be mounted or hung over the plant like a lamp, and then you can do monsteras easily,” says Offolter.
Size: 15 feet tall x 6 feet wideCare requirements: Medium light; well-drained soil
Spider Plant
Spider Plant.
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Spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) have attractive, thin, arching leaves, which give way to baby plantlets that dangle from the stems. Native to parts of Africa, spider plants grow quickly and can thrive in the low-light environment of a windowless or dark room.
Size: 1 to 2 feet tall x 1 to 3 feet wideCare requirements: Low to bright indirect light; well-drained soil
Chinese Evergreen
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Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema spp.) are leafy houseplants with stunning variegated foliage. Known for being resilient, Chinese evergreens don’t require a ton of natural light to thrive. They can be slow growers, so grow lights may be beneficial in a windowless room.
Size: 2 to 3 feet tall x 4 feet wideCare requirements: Medium to bright sunlight; well-drained soil
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