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I used to tell people that I had a black thumb. I would repeatedly bring home plants from the greenhouse, or cuttings from friends and the darn things would die on me practically as soon as I got them home. I didn’t have any success until a friend showed me how to determine what degree of light I was receiving and to select my plants based on the results. Here is the quick test that she showed me. Pick a sunny day, and put a piece of plain white paper where you want to set your houseplant. Hold your hand about a foot over the paper. Do you see a sharp distinct shadow? That indicates high light levels. A softer, indistinct shadow indicates medium light and, if you can just barely make out the outline of your hand, you’ve got a low light situation. Once I knew that I needed low light house plants, I was able to look for species that thrive in low light levels. Here are some of the best low light house plants to get you started.
Low Light House Plants - Ferns
Most varieties of ferns do well in low light. The Silver Lace Fern can tolerate extremely dim light. It is a small fern with leaves ranging from silvery sage to dark green. If you are looking for a larger fern, the Boston Fern comes in a wide variety of sizes. It displays light green foliage and can be used in a planter or hanging basket.
Low Light House Plants - Trailing Plants
If you are looking for trailing plants to use in hanging baskets or to drape over the edge of a planter, there are many varieties of vines that do well in low light. Golden Pothos and English Ivy are two extremely hardy vines that are easy to grow and tough to kill. Golden Pothos has rich, emerald green leaves and will grow in any light except full sun or total darkness. English Ivy has dark, almost hunter green pointy leaves and can be used in a hanging basket or trained up a trellis.
Low Light House Plants - Self-contained Plants
Finally, there are the more compact, self-contained house plants. If you need a plant that will stay in its pot and not expand over the edges or send out trailing vines, consider one of these low light species. Snake Plant, also known as Mother in Laws Tongue, will grow practically anywhere. It has tall, variegated leaves and the thick fronds grow straight up, so it does well in narrow spaces. Aglaonema, commonly known as Chinese Evergreen, is another compact low light, durable plant. The variegated foliage ranges from silvery sage green to light green to dark hunter green. It will grow up to 2’ tall and only 18” wide, making it perfect for smaller spaces.
You don’t need to have a large amount of bright, natural sunlight to enjoy houseplants in your home. The trick is to select those that do well in low light conditions. Many of the plants listed here not only tolerate low light conditions, they are pretty hardy and can survive a little benign neglect. Take it from me, a former black thumb!
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Author Bio Box: Patricia Wainwright
Get all the facts about Indoor Gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!
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