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Plant for limited light flat

hammett193hammett193 Posts: 18
in Plants
Hello, I suspect I know the answer to this question, but thought I would ask anyway. Having given up on plants in my windowless bathroom, I'm now wondering if I can keep any in the main room of my studio flat. This does have a large bay window, but the blinds are down most of the time in winter to keep the heat in. The cluttered nature of my home means the only place I might be able to put a small plant is next to my bed; nowhere near the window. Temperature inside ranges from 13 (morning) - 25 (very late evening) degrees in the middle of winter. Unlike my bathroom, I spend a lot of time in the main room with the lights on. In fact, I now have an uplighter with a daylight bulb (well worth investing in, it lights up half the room and the hall!). So the main light source would be from regular lightbulbs. The owner is very forgetful too (can be rectified!).

Would anything survive? I've been eyeing up Snake Plants as apparently they are tough. Thanks.

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Posts

  • steephillsteephill Posts: 2,841
    The Victorian era classic Aspidistra might be just the thing.
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Hi there, try the ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia, it's undemanding and happy in low light levels.  It can also be quite impressive when it sends out new leaves.  Here's some more info:

    How to Grow ZZ Plant - BBC Gardeners' World Magazine (gardenersworld.com)
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Zz plant would be my suggestion as well but you could look at plants that do well under the artificial lights in offices such as dracaena, deiffenbachia or Peace lillies (but they'd need illumination from above to do well).
  • hammett193hammett193 Posts: 18
    Thanks for the suggestions, I like the sound of a ZZ Plant. Impossible to kill, works for me! Also reminds me of ZZ TOP...

    I do use a dehumidifier in my flat, especially for drying washing. Will that affect it? Not planning on placing the plant next to it.
  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Zz's are a semi succulent so can cope with some dry air. The important thing is to make sure they stay moist (you can let the top few inches of soil dry out between waterings) and don't dry out completely. They are very forgiving plants though. 
  • PlantmindedPlantminded Posts: 3,580
    Hi, yes, it will be fine with your dehumidifier - they prefer low humidity.  As @thevictorianzFH0qqPWsays, let the top few inches of soil dry out before watering again, especially over winter when the plant is dormant.  It won't need much feeding either, just once a month during summer, using half-strength liquid fertiliser.  Easy!  Often when purchased young they can appear quite pot-bound with the roots distorting the pot.  This can easily be remedied by repotting to the next pot size up, using houseplant compost, preferably in spring when the plant starts to grow again.  They are reported to be slow growing but mine almost doubled in size when I repotted it after purchasing it in the summer!  Enjoy your plant!
    Wirral. Sandy, free draining soil.


  • thevictorianthevictorian Posts: 1,279
    Mine seems to grow fast as well and if you buy a pot there is often quite a few plants in there that can be easily separated. I split mine up to see if they grew better in different spots and you do get faster growth with a brighter spot but the more shadier ones do ok as well.
  • msqingxiaomsqingxiao Posts: 482
    I think ferns don't mind low light either. In my north-facing bathroom I also have a spider plant and a moth orchid, behind a frosted window (so the light is weak). They seem to be doing fine. The orchid is even happily in bloom there.
  • hammett193hammett193 Posts: 18
    Thought I would provide an update to this. I bought a ZZ plant in 2022 and so far it hasn't died. If anything it has grown a bit.
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    Glad you have found a plant that is happy with the conditions.
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