Okay, friends, it's almost that time of year again where the white stuff comes down, temperatures are practically unbearable, and family visits for the holidays. What plants do you have or recommend for entryways that can experience cold--sometimes frosty--drafts as people enter the house? Enter your lists below!

(This is not necessarily about which plants will survive in the ground in snowy zones, this is which houseplants will tolerate brief zaps of cold weather and still look beautiful in your entryway during the cold months.)

Our cold conditions are milder than yours, but I have tried Clivia and they can take the cool air as long as kept dry. And if lucky, might get it to bloom in Winter to Spring indoors.

I just realized my sentence above made it sound like family visits were part of a list of bad things. It's not. Family visits were the highlight of that sentence, but mentioned because family usually comes through the entryway rather than the garage door entry. Thus, the need for plants that can be cold-zapped for a few moments.

I wonder if Sempervivum (hens and chicks) are good, smaller plants that would tolerate quick cold bursts, I know they are hardy outside. I currently have air plants in my entryway whose root areas are somewhat inside of a glass container, so I'm wondering if they might tolerate brief blasts of cold?

I wonder if @perennialobsessions might know?...

I suggest a Sansevieria. I think purple is even offering some for postage. I like the plant because it is a statement plant. Planted in a beautiful pot it is like an exclamation point to the pot. The plant can take anything. It is stately and will not block the entrance.

Check out the discussion topic here....
The thread "Sansevieria, greatest house plants alive!!" in Houseplants forum

Home Depot has Armayllis on sale for 6.98. They are the common ones but you could even have a pretty flower as a compliment for Thanksgiving. I picked up Appleblossom it already has a bloom stem trying to bloom in the bag. I am going to stick it in front of my White Sansevieria ‘Bantel’s Sensation’

You can also try ZZ plant - Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, as long as you keep it dry when it is cold,maybe it will be okay. Or if you have Jade plants, they can take some cold. Is there a nearby window by this entryway at least so plants can get some bright light?

I would think this would be a hit and miss experiment for you. Typically, most houseplants will not like to be exposed to cold temps. Even beside a cold window will cause some issues with them, so they have to be pulled back a bit.

I'm hoping this thread can be a general thread for everyone to benefit from, but my particular situation is this:

* foyer has bright light (with a very short period of direct sunlight as it passes at an angle through the window)
* window is above and away from the spot where the plants would sit (no continuous cold draft)
* table where the plants would be is directly in front of the door (would get cold swooshes when guests enter in the colder months)

Cinta and tarev - thank you for the suggestions!

@Cinta - I actually have a snake plant from purple and I put it in a pretty red ceramic planter, too, so maybe I'll put that on the ground near the doorway. Good suggestion. I'm sure other people would love to know that sansevieria is a good option for an entryway.

@tarev - good to know about the zz plant! (I won't use it in my own home because of it's dangers to pets/children if ingested, but maybe in the future when the circumstances are a little different and I don't anticipate babies or pets to be an issue, that would work for me, personally.) I think other people might find that a useful suggestion for their entryways, though!

I have have had a ZZ plant for 2 yrs and it has been on life support. It does not like my conditions in doors. I keep a very cool house 68 is the highest temp. I hate a hot house. When I have guest I have to turn up the heat.

I know the Sansevieria. plant can take cold and little to no sun. I have them in the coolest room of the house. But I only water them once the entire winter. I have about 8 different ones now. I keep them in the coldest room of the house.

I keep our house too at 68F during winter..and my ZZ's do well with it, behaves the same as my Sans, less to no water during Winter.

Sans taught me really well what it means keeping dry when cold Glad it bounced back after I made a boo boo first time around.

I do not know why this ZZ plant is so sick looking. It was small when I purchase and two year later it is still small because it grows a leaf or two then one dies.

I always wanted this plant after seeing it in Florida. They had a monster plant in front of a restaurant and I fell in love with the structure nature of the plant. It is why I like the tall Sans. I like pots as much as plants and a beautiful pot looks great with a statement plant. They work well as houseplants.

Maybe you need to change the soil? My main ZZ plant grows a stalk of leaves once a year. It is a slow grower even for me, but I like how shiny the leaves are and not water needy than most houseplants.

You know I do not water.

You are probably right about the soil I do not remember what soil I used. I will be sure to let you know if that helps

Cinta, if it still looks okay and you think it will continue to last this winter, I would delay the repot to Spring. I don't water them too in winter, just at the beginning of the season. I also tried to propagate it using just the leaves, well, as always I fail but I think it is doable, I just forget to keep the media moist. So I stopped, will just wait for the rhizome to send the new growth, saves my sanity.

Cast Iron plant was used by the Victorians in their cool and drafty homes and usually lower light situations so that would be another option for you to consider. It has a more arching form however, so would take up more space than the more upright Sans or ZZ plant.

Is it true that Cast Iron plants are prone to spider mite?

Cast iron plants are evergreen here, I would agree with that suggestion.

I used to live in Columbus OH, Z5, and my parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) was right next to the door 1 winter, and wasn't bothered a bit.

purpleinopp said:
I used to live in Columbus OH, Z5, and my parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans) was right next to the door 1 winter, and wasn't bothered a bit.

That was exactly the type of information I was hoping for. Thank you! And I just saw a parlor palm on clearance yesterday. I wonder if it's still there...or if my Ponytail palm I just bought will be as resilient...

Since I live in Florida, I don't have suggestions for houseplants that can take continuous blasts of frigid air but I just wanted to mention that Snake Plant (Sansevieria) http://garden.org/plants/searc... is toxic to both dogs and cats. http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/...

I will not recommend Ponytail palm nor the Sanseveira either for blasts of frigid air. It is a different thing if Sans are allowed to acclimate and grow cool and stable on a particular temperature level..but blasting them with frigid air and fluctuating temps will take its toll. Better go with the cast iron plant as suggested.

Would it be safe (a Snake plant) if kept completely dry all winter? Or would it suffer cold damage regardless?

I keep my Sans dry during winter. As long as those leaves are remaining turgid, it can sustain being dry.