My son has been having sinus issues ever since we moved into our house almost 1 year ago. Since it is a very old house (1912) and has a basement built with sand stone, it's damp quite often, so we keep dehumidifiers going 24/7 in the basement. But I'm thinking possible air quality issues, since allergy meds haven't made a bit of difference for him. Sooo I went and purchased air purifiers for almost every room in the house.

Don'tcha know, since I put an air purifier in the corner of my son's room, his sinuses are getting so much better!

Said all THAT to say, I'm considering putting a shelf on one of his walls and placing a plant on it. Problem with that is, even though both of his windows face north, there's also a very large shade tree out there so his room doesn't get much light.

With that in mind, does anyone have any recommendations as to what kind of plant I could put in his room that doesn't require much light?
(sorry this was so long, ha)

I have a snake plant growing in my basement with very minimal light except for a bit that comes in the window first thing in the morning. It's growing above my laundry room sink right behind the dehumidifier. It's thriving and even flowers for me. It's also been neglected many a time of not getting any water and I can't seem to kill it. The plant is about 20 plus years old.

Fittonia is one I keep in my living room.. very low light

http://www.exoticangel.com/pla...

here is another north window air cleaner

http://garden.org/plants/searc...

Thanks y'all!

I ran across this article while searching too. I know at least a couple of these are air cleaners. The snake plant is on there.

http://paulsplants.blogspot.co...

I have an aloe plant in my north window.. not sure how much air cleaning it does though

Dracaenas are good low light plants..I have them indoors all year long together with pothos, zz plant, spathiphyllum.

I would go with something with tons of surface area, like a gnarly patch of heart-leaf Philodendron. Definitely can survive low light. Can dangle from a hanging basket so it doesn't take up 'toy' space too.

i RECCOMEND Zamioculcas zamiifolia(aka ZZ plant)

I ditto the Sanseveria. I have one in very low light in my dog's room. (yes, they have their own room) I know, huh!?!?! Anyway, It's doing quite well, and the added benefit? It survives on neglect!

ZZ plants do really well even in low light conditions. I have one in my north-facing windowed bedroom that's doing great.

The ZZ plant is so beautiful too! I don't know why I've never bought one.

i've never heard of a ZZ plant.

me either.. looks neat

Genus…Zamioculcas 'zamiifolia'…It is of the aroid family. As teengardener says a good one for low light, and, if I'm not mistaken, a air purifier as well!
Neat looking too!
I think the next time I go to Lowe's or Home Depot…I'll have to buy one!!! I've seen them there quite regularly!

Now that I think of it, I pass them all the time at lowes, In fact I passed it for a moonshine sans, also a very good plant in its own right. I should get a Zamioculcas zamiifolia. I have always wanted the variegated cultivar but it is extremely rare, expensive, and generally hard to find! So i will stick to the store ones

If you have animals that eat your plants, please check this out:

The ZZ plant is poisonous if ingested, according to the University of Connecticut and Gardens.com. For that reason, Gardens.com recommends either wearing gloves to protect yourself when you prune and water a ZZ plant or washing your hands well after those tasks.

I try and keep houseplants that are safe for animals because you never know when a leaf will fall or a cat would decide it wants to take a bite. This is a beautiful plant and is called the Plant of the Future for houseplants but I am afraid to have one because my dog will eat anything.

Spider plants are good cheap and easy to find.

http://www.toptipspot.com/tips...



NASA Study House Plants Clean Air
http://www.zone10.com/nasa-stu...

I have too many spider plants, yet i will always love them, that plant thief case only added more problems to the amount of plants i own

I have a shady yard and even shadier home on the inside. I know a tiiny bit about what will grow in shade and poor light. I also have DD's with severe allergies to the world and deal with high humidity indoors as well as outside .

Plants first: My Peace Lily grows well at a north facing window and is one that cleans the air. It was the only one out of many that I chose to keep indoors after winter. It is now in a huuuuuge pot. But I know you can buy them in small sizes for your son's shelf. ZZplant needs more light than dense shade but on a north facing window sill it would do nicely. Cast Iron plant will be a bit larger but it cant stand almost no light. There are variegated varieties but they need a bit more light. They are drought tolerant, too. Japanese schefflera can take some shade. But will eventually grow into a tree if not a Bonsai.

There is something out there called Damp Rid@Walmart etc... They are crystals that absorb moisture. My DD's are allergic to mold. We use these in obvious humid places, bathrooms laundry room etc. and also in their bedrooms.There are inexpensive electronic mold-killers online as well.

We have air cleaners in all our rooms and two or more in large areas where our pets are. Stay clear of Ozone generating air cleaners that zap the dust. They leave behind soot that your son may also be allergic to which defeats the purpose. When a HEPA air filters says , "Cleans a room 8 x 10'" or whatever size, that means the air will be recirculated and cleaned many times while on the HI setting. If you don't want to hear the hum of the machine on HI, you will have to get a filter that is larger than the room measures to keep it on low or med. The black charcoal pre-filter can be vacuumed monthly despite that the instructions say to replace it. They just want to keep selling them to you. But a good cleaning will keep them clean for many uses. Also, keep the hampers that contain dirty, pollen-filled clothes out of the bedroom. Cover both top and bottom mattresses to keep dust mites from contaminating the room. House books,stuffed animals and other dusty toys in covered plastic bins. Keeps toys organized and keeps the dust from settling on them.

I have many more hints about your home but most of which you can find online. We never got rid of our pets or replaced our brand new carpet like the doctor asked. Our DD's are thriving in the real world without being over protected in a sterile environment.