Cindy,

What kind of light conditions do you have exactly? And how about your humidity? If your pothos is doing well I'd suggest maybe trying some other philodendrons.

Ben

Sansevierias might work for you.

If you do a search on low light plants on this forum you should get lot's of suggestions. Scroll down and you will find search

One tip I could add would be to make sure you are not over watering. Your plants won't grow as fast in lower light so they won't need as much water.

Diane

I agree with Diane. Don't over-water - which, in part, can mean using a fast-draining indoor growing medium. (If you need info on what this is and how to make your own mix at home, people here can provide the info.)

I also agree with Diane about sansevieria as a plant group that does well in low-light. In my experience, so do heartleaf philodendron, peace lily, and Christmas cactus.

I've grown these year-round in low-light, fairly northern-latitude conditions. When I can do it, I sometimes move the plants temporarily for 10-20 minutes of increased light (but I avoid a direct mid-day sun location - too abrupt and severe a change). Not a daily practice, but just now and again. Seems to help the plants to grow new leaves, appear hale & hearty.

Joel

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I will try more philodendrons, sansevieria, peace lily, Christmase catus, and will hold back on the watering. You guys are great!

Cindy : )

Always, you might be surprised to learn you can often increase light on your plant by simply raising it.
Hang it up from the ceiling or window frame, put it on a high table or buy a pedestal and place your plant on it.
Light colored walls that are hit by even medium sunlight can often reflect light back onto a plant sufficient to give it good health.

Also, when you choose a low-light variety of plant, you can help it along by turning it 1/4 turn every day or so to ensure all parts of the plant receives equal light intensity.
Winter is approaching, be sure you only water according to what the plant needs....which will be much less as the daylight dwindles until December 21.

I'm wondering if Boston fern doesn't fit the low-light bill, too. Personally, I've never grown one - but I might like to.

Joel

I don't have much light in my house and these are the plants I grow:
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum)
Prayer Plants (Maranta)
Peperomia
AV's (I turn them often)
Philodendron
Pothos
Hoya (They don't bloom though)
Calathea
Fittonia

Plus more~Hope this helps
Mariann

And Maranta which are so interesting with their stripes, and how they fold up at night.

This is such an appropriate topic, this time of year. The days have been short and cloudy here!

Never did get any comment on the Boston fern idea. I believe they work well in low light, but seems to me somewhere recently I heard that they are "messy" (prone to the continual drying of some of the leaves and dropping them).

But besides that, I'm sure there are more good low-light (or short-day) plants. Hey, anybody have some good pictures?

In a Denver basement with one small west window, I grew: pothos, philodendron,sanseveria,howea(parlor palms; several species will do fine in low light),oxalis,rhipsalis,schefflera,dracaena,begonia(no blooms),hedera and many others that I grew there seasonally (like lettuce,sprouts,wild herbs). You may amp up the light with grow lights; there are bulb ones you can put over plants to grow others that need more. I had a full spectrum light in the main socket in the room.

I'd like to please disagree w/ the suggestions of Xmas Cactus & Hoyas as low light plants, I grow both & neither are.

Both these plants like bright indirect light; as it happens each also likes dappled light, as in nature, both grow in trees & Hoyas tend to climb to the light.

I'd also wonder abt AVs, they might do OK but not well.

Sansevierias (snake plants) should do very well, I heard Cast Iron plants do well also (Aspidistra?) in lower light.

Ah... a couple of things...

First, about the howea (parlor palm). Does it tend to require misting in a region and/or house that is pretty dry? (I'm thinking that palms are derived from tropical regions.)

Second, I've got three Christmas cacti - one is in fairly bright but indirect light (at least many days of the year), the other two are in what I'd think of as true low-light conditions pretty well all year. All three are doing nicely in a fairly fast-draining soil (watered every four to seven days, with weak fertilizer solution in the water about every 14 days).

If you can provide a boston fern with close to the window light, even in a north window, it will do well, that is, after it molts!
This ones in a west window.

Change of light is the worst faze for a boston fern, when it can get messy.
It will drop it's old fronds "over time" and grows new smaller ones to survive the lower light in the house, then it's not so bad.

Have had this one 5-6 yrs or so.

{{gwi:69283}}

Billy Rae

Draceana Marginata does well in low light, as do other Draceanas and Cordylines.

Also, Aspidistra, which is a very difficult plant to kill.

I have mother in law's tongue and zz plant in my living room with no supplemental light. It's a room I rarely use and sometimes forget to water the plants for a month or more...and yet, they survive. Of course, if you give them a little attention they do more than survive. :) Basically fool proof plants!

I can tell you from personal experience that Sansevierias will do well in low light if they are not over-watered. I've also got a Kalanchoe blossfeldiana in low light--it's rather leggy but otherwise is doing fine. I also have a Dracaena deremensis that is doing suprisingly well in a north-facing window.

Here's something a little different, maybe? Stromanthe sanguinea 'Triostar' is one I really love. The leaves are gorgeous, streaked with cream and dark green, with deep pinkish-burgundy undersides. Mine has been a little slow to start, but well worth it.

- The picture in the link below will give you an idea, but doesn't really do it justice. ...Hmmm. I just read thru the info, and it looks like I need to be keeping the baby a little more humid! Live and learn!

Here is a link that might be useful: Triostar info from University of Florida

My boston fern is sitting next to a north window, that's as low a light condition as it will tolerate. They drop lots of leaves and are VERY messy! Epyphyllium will tolerate low light, but doesn't like it. Same thing for hoyas. Not recommended.