Not all plants evolve in the same habitat. If some prefer the sun, others can thrive in the shade. If your home is not very bright, here are the varieties to adopt and the list of plants that do not need light.
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Can any plants live without sunlight?
Yes, there are plenty of them, here is a list of 9 plants that can live without sunlight:
1. Dracaena
The dracaena, or dragon tree, looks like a palm tree with its long green leaves often streaked with yellow or white that grow on a trunk that becomes thinner over time. It is a plant recognized for its depolluting properties. It will grow more slowly in the shade, but will not suffer from it. Turn the pot regularly to encourage a straight growth.
2. Sanseveria
Sanseveria, well known as mother-in-law’s tongue, has beautiful, straight, graphic leaves of a strong green. It is one of the intuables, plants that tolerate almost anything, even a few weeks without watering. It will flourish in the shade, quietly but surely, as long as it is not cold, it prefers warmer places.
3. Philodendron
Philodendron, mainly the climbing variety, can tolerate very dark places. Climb it on a stake or drop it from a hanging basket to fully appreciate its beautiful dark green heart-shaped leaves.
4. Calathea
Calathea impresses with its very graphic, multi-patterned foliage. They are mostly green with a purple reverse. Although it likes warmth and a nice indirect light, this plant can tolerate low light. It is however possible that the drawing of the leaves fades.
5. Chlorophytum
The spider plant is widespread in homes since it is easy to grow and maintain. It tolerates dark places and forgotten watering. In good conditions, it will produce babies at the end of its stolons. It loves humidity, which makes it a great plant for bathrooms.
6. Aglaonema
The aglaonema grows naturally in the shade of tall trees, so it is not afraid of places with little light, on the contrary. It is chosen for its very ornamental foliage variegated with green, silver and cream, sometimes even pink. Its growth is slow.
7. Diffenbachia
Dieffenbachia likes warm, moist environments, but not direct light at all. Therefore, shadier areas of your home are ideal for this plant, which is appreciated for its beautiful spotted leaves mounted on a stem that can reach a meter in height.
8. False zamier
The false zamier or ZZ plant is a succulent with glossy leaves that can tolerate very low light and a lack of water… even for several weeks. It’s foolproof, or almost! If you miss with the fake zamier, we can really say that you don’t have a green thumb!
9. Beaucarnea
The beacarnea or elephant foot, named for the shape of its trunk, looks like a small tree with thin leaves that fall in tendrils on both sides of the trunk. This plant appreciates light, even a little direct sun, but will do well in a shadier spot. If you take it outside in summer, avoid full sun.
Do indoor plants need sunlight?
While they all like to be in bright light, there are some indoor plant varieties that can tolerate and even enjoy darker locations. It is also important to note that many green plants should not receive direct sunlight, which can burn the leaves or dry out the plant.
It is always significant to ask your specialist about the needs of a plant before buying it to ensure that it is placed in the right place: the right plant in the right place!
Do plants require direct sunlight or just daylight?
It all depends on the plant, imagine that a good number of plants live in arid environments, therefore in brightly lit places. BUT on the other hand, there are plants in tropical forests that live permanently in the shade of trees.
Schematically, depending on the rooms of the house, the luminosity of the room will have an impact on the choice and the location of your plant.
We advise you to perform different tests for your plants, we explain just below how to know if your plant receives enough light.
How can I tell if my plant needs more light?
In fact, there are several signals: the leaves are pale and smaller, the plant is waning, it leans sharply in the direction of the light source, or it gradually loses its variegated foliage and takes on a uniform color.
How to take care of it is simply to bring it closer to the light and turn it regularly so that it benefits from the light on all sides. Well, now that you know everything, you don’t have to give up on the idea of having plants in your home!
Do plants still get sun on cloudy days?
It is very important to understand that cloudy weather does not completely block out the sun’s rays, so photosynthesis continues despite good cloud cover.
It is not the “visible” light that counts, but the UV rays.
Is light through a window considered direct sunlight?
Absolutely, as long as you can see through a window, well, the sun’s rays (UV) will always find a way through! The window lets almost all the sunlight through.
