Best apartment plants for low light

While there are many advantages to living in a maintenance-free apartment rental, outdoor space may be limited. As a result, lots of renters choose to create a garden-like atmosphere indoors! Rest-assured however, there’s something big missing from the equation. Sunlight. 

So if you’re looking to add living greenery to your apartment home, here’s a quick list of best apartment plants for low light:

Play to your strengths

Not everyone has a green thumb. If you have a history of over-watering, over-feeding, or over-trimming your plants, here are some “hard to kill” indoor low light breeds:

Spider plant
Chlorophytum Comosum

Also known as spider ivy or the ribbon plant, what’s great about Spider plants is that caring for them is very simple. They love moderate light with a standard room temperature and slightly moist soil. Experts recommend watering your spider plant once a week in spring and summer, and once every ten days in winter.

Snake plant
Sansevieria Trifasciata

What makes snake plants unique is their ability to work very hard at night cleaning air toxins and moisturizing your apartment home air. So if you suffer from airborne allergies or tend to get sick easily, keeping a few growing snake plants in your home is an excellent idea. In addition to being a wellness plant, they’re:

1. Very durable
2. Easy to care for
3. Can be placed both in and outdoors
4. Needs very little watering
5. Takes up a small amount of space

Cast Iron Plant
Aspidistra elatior

Ideal for first time apartment plant caretakers, this durable breed requires no direct sunlight and light watering which makes it perfect for an indoor apartment. Even though these plants are slow growers, each year cast iron’s bloom purplish flowers that are very hard to see. 

Golden Pothos
Epipremnum aureum

Also known as Devil’s Ivy, the Golden Pothos grows quickly with beautiful heart-shaped leaves. Designed for apartment residents who may frequently travel away from home, this adaptable species will tolerate low to medium light and requires very little water. Most Golden Pothos plants can live up to 10 years indoors with good care. 

Lucky Bamboo 
Dracaena Sanderiana

When we think about indoor bamboo plants, chances are we’re thinking about Lucky Bamboo. A popular office or home plant to help with your Feng Shui design, the long thin growing stalks require some indirect light, but lots of water. In fact, the taller the plant, the more water it requires. 

English Ivy
Hedera helix

English Ivy is a very popular fast-growing ground cover for outdoor areas, so as an indoor plant, it’s best shown in a hanging planter or off the floor. This species comes in a variety of shades of green, gray, yellow, pink and purple. What apartment residents love about English Ivy is that it requires very little maintenance. But that comes with a price. Unfortunately, English Ivy is toxic to pets.

Caretaking tips for indoor low light plants

If you’ve made a decision to bring some organic greenery to your apartment home, here are some good rules of thumb on care taking

Position your plants strategically

Each plant has its own needs when it comes to direct or indirect light so depending on the plant, you’ll want to position the pots accordingly. As an example, if you like to keep your curtains or blinds open in your south facing bedroom, to get the best results, choose indoor house plants that can absorb direct or medium sunlight. The same thing is true for your kitchen window sill or dining room table.

Fertilize

Every living thing needs some good nourishment and that includes your thriving house plants! Products such as Miracle Gro indoor plant food are very easy to use and help your plants stay green and healthy all year round. In addition, fertilizer can speed up plant growth, adding nitrogen and phosphorus that will build stronger roots and budding flowers. 

Prune and Repot

While most trees and plants outside shed their leaves and the wind takes care of the cleanup, indoor house plants need some tender loving care. It’s important to carefully trim dead leaves and keep an eye on the plant to pot size ratio. When the time is right, be sure to repot your plants, giving them a little more space to expand and grow. 

Learn more about successful apartment gardening here. 

Update your soil

Not all plants will grow at the same rate or using the same soil. Be sure to check the recommended soil concentration for each of your pots. You may find that some plants can thrive with all-purpose potting mixes but others, like orchids or bamboo, may need specialized blends that have aerating qualities. 

Introducing plants into your overall apartment decor has lots of great benefits for your entire household. From clean air to color, plants can boost your overall mood, reduce air toxins, and enhance the look and feel of your space. 

About Redwood

At Redwood apartment rental homes, our single story spacious floor plans have lots of perfect places for your indoor low light plants. Learn more about why thousands of residents choose to simplify their life with the Redwood Advantage by finding a Redwood neighborhood near you here.