Hello!

I just moved into a new office with absolutely zero sunlight. No windows, no proximity to a room windows, nothing.

I really need to brighten up the space. Are there any plants that can survive without any sunlight at all?

Thanks!

Laura

I have tried ZZ plant - Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, really loves low light and quite drought tolerant.

Hi Laura! There are quite a few houseplants that will still grow well with just the normal office lighting. You have to have some greenery in there! Try some of these:
Lucky Bamboo
Spider Plants
Golden Pothos Vine
snake plants (mother-in-law tongue)
some ferns
dracaena
Aechmea Bromeliads

Thank you so much guys!

That Zamioculcas Zamiifolia is lovely!

To answer your original question - some mushrooms can grow in the dark but I do not think there are any other plants that can. Office light? You have a fighting chance. Be smart and use some stands to get the plants closer to the lights, reflectors, whatever is allowed and looks OK to you. Gene

Those office lights are better than the no light winters I have in Pa. I saw so many plants on the assistants shelf in their cubical that lived for years.
I will add to the what others have listed.
Euphorbia milii – Crown of Thorns. One lady in our office had one that grew so big we teased her that she was growing a weapon to use against her boss. She finally had to take it home because it got so big it was taking over her area. Plus it bloomed all year.

There were a lot of African Violets on desk. This is one plant I could never keep alive but they seem to be able to grow them beautifully on their desks. Small and flowers and very happy office plant with only office lighting.

Since you said you want to brighten up the office do not over look the pot it can make the plant special and add to brightening up the area.

Office lighting is consistently bright enough to read by for maybe 10 hours a day or more. (in my case, 12 hours weekdays, 9 Fridays, 5 Sundays) That's really more than the average home lighting. I've grown spathiphyllum 'Petite', schefflera (dwarf), Aglaonema, golden pothos, begonia 'Sophie Cecile'. Heartleaf philodendron too was happy (died due to being in the same pot forever, I must have given away all the cuttings.)

If you want to cheat a bit, here's an old trick that many museums, banks employ. Have 2 more or less identical plants. One sitting in your office the other at home in a greenhouse or really bright window. When no one is looking you switch them around. Say every 2 weeks. You can have a really impressive plant on your desk. One that normally could not grow there. Gene

Gene you reminded me of a plant "Bromelaid" that is one I see in hotel lobby, and hallways as you get off the elevators. Anyone know if that would be an option? I know it is one plant that does very well inside for me in the winter. If that is an option it would be a really pretty option.

Yes, hotels, bank, museums, commercial buildings, resorts all use this trick to have magnificent plants growing in their lobbies. Gene

Overhead fluorescent lights that are left on 8 hours per work day provide very good light for many low light species. Incandescent and halogen lights provide light in the wrong part of the color spectrum for plant growth.

Professional interior landscapers often rotate new plants in and out to keep the plants looking fresh. This is particularly true of flowering plants because most flowers have a limited life span. Bromeliads have the longest lasting flowers, which last for up to 3-5 months depending on the light. Even in poor light, the flowers will last for a couple of months. However, Bromeliads rarely re-bloom again outside of a greenhouse, so they are usually discarded after flowering.

oops Sorry Karen @plantmanager did list it as a plant for the office.