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Avatar for Whatsmyplant
Jun 26, 2021 7:09 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Anna
Massachusetts (Zone 6b)
Bookworm Houseplants Orchids Zinnias
I'd like a plant in my room. There is only one window and an air conditioner is in it. There is barely any light. There is some daylight. One could say it would need a shade plant. Can anyone suggest a plant I could have in my room?

Thanks 🙂
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Jun 27, 2021 6:42 AM CST
Name: Omie
New York state (Zone 5b)
Beekeeper Cat Lover
There's a difference between 'shade' and 'darkness'.
Plants growing in the shade of a porch or under a tree still get plenty of bright light but no sun, and shade-loving plants will do well in those cases. However, actual darkness is an environment where a shade loving plant may survive for a time but it will likely slowly dwindle and die.
Plants need a decent amount of light to photosynthesize and survive. You say there is "some daylight" in your room... but without a photo we are left guessing that it's not enough for a shade plant to thrive on.
You can use some type of full spectrum Grow Light to successfully maintain a plant in a dark room.
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Jun 27, 2021 8:28 AM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
If you can hang a pot right by the available window space that is left, there would be quite a few possibilities as long as there is nothing covering the window when the sun is up. If that's possible, please let us know. And how big is the still-glass area of the window?
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
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Last edited by purpleinopp Jun 27, 2021 8:29 AM Icon for preview
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Jun 27, 2021 11:28 AM CST
Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost
Garden Sages Plant Identifier
Some artificial plants look real.
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

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Jun 28, 2021 1:32 PM CST
Name: Will Creed
NYC
Prof. plant consultant & educator
There should be enough light that you could read newsprint in that location throughout the day without eyestrain. If it less than that, nothing is likely to survive for long.

Here are the plants that do well in low light.
Pothos
Dracaena 'Janet Craig'
Dracaena 'Lisa'
Dracaena Massangeana (Corn Plant)
ZZ Plant
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Peace Lily
Philodendron
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Lucky Bamboo
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra)
Will Creed
Horticultural Help, NYC
www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Contact me directly at [email protected]
I now have a book available on indoor plant care
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Jun 28, 2021 2:30 PM CST
Name: Omie
New York state (Zone 5b)
Beekeeper Cat Lover
newsprint? Hilarious!
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Jun 29, 2021 8:08 AM CST
Name: Will Creed
NYC
Prof. plant consultant & educator
@Omie - Am I dating myself?! What is a better way to describe it? Fine print? Does anyone ever read anything on paper anymore? Is reading obsolete?!! Yikes!
Will Creed
Horticultural Help, NYC
www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Contact me directly at [email protected]
I now have a book available on indoor plant care
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Jun 29, 2021 9:27 AM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Will, maybe say, "if you can read the tag on your plant..." LOL!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
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Jun 29, 2021 9:47 AM CST
Name: Zoë
Albuquerque NM, Elev 5310 ft (Zone 7b)
Bee Lover Salvias Region: New Mexico Herbs Container Gardener Composter
Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Birds Enjoys or suffers hot summers
Tiffany, would that be with or without reading glasses? 🤓😂
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Jun 29, 2021 9:54 AM CST
Name: Omie
New York state (Zone 5b)
Beekeeper Cat Lover
WillC said:@Omie - Am I dating myself?! What is a better way to describe it? Fine print? Does anyone ever read anything on paper anymore? Is reading obsolete?!! Yikes!


Hilarious!
You couldn't change it to "phonebook" either.
How about: "if you can read the contact list on your flip phone..."
Hmmm maybe not that either. LOL

My husband and i were reminiscing about how our GRANDPARENTS used to have Reader's Digest issues at home, and how we (as young Boomers) thought it was corny and old fashioned even back then. Smiling
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Jun 29, 2021 10:32 AM CST
Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL @--`--,----- 🌹 (Zone 8b)
Region: United States of America Houseplants Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Garden Sages Plant Identifier Garden Ideas: Level 2
Organic Gardener Composter Miniature Gardening Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Tender Perennials Butterflies
Zoë, LOL!! I have 3 pairs of RX glasses, sunglasses, regular glasses, and computer/reading/close-up glasses. My neck got so sore from wearing bifocals, I decided it would just be easier to change glasses, or at least a lot less painful. My new close-up glasses are great! I may even get back to cross-stitching, and will never get bi-f's again.

Omie, I like most new things as much as anyone, but I still love the older things too. They remind me of my grandparents, great-grandparents. We have a bunch of oil lamps (not with oil), a telegraph, a hat from the civil war, some really old quilts, fossils, my grandfather's log book from when he was a riverboat captain on the OH river, among much newer items in our old house, which was built in 1900. Nothing of much intrinsic value, just historical. Each item holds a tiny story from its' time. I'm a total geek for any kind of museum. Even if you don't like anything about the past, one might wonder what "they" used to do, and how and with what they used to do it.

I loved reading the stack of RD's in the library when I was in middle school. A good story is timeless. I'll choose an interesting old B/W movie over a bunch of pointless special effects CGI almost every time. Hey I'm really rambling off into the rough...
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯
The only way to succeed is to try!
🐣🐦🐔🍯🐾🌺🌻🌸🌼🌹
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧🍁🍂🌽❀☀ ☕👓🐝
Try to be more valuable than a bad example.
Image
Jun 29, 2021 10:56 AM CST
Name: Lin Vosbury
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)

Region: Ukraine Region: United States of America Bird Bath, Fountain and Waterfall Region: Florida Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Birds Butterflies Bee Lover Hummingbirder Container Gardener
WillC said:Am I dating myself? Does anyone ever read anything on paper anymore?

Green Grin! LOL, we still subscribe to the daily newspaper and I read it every day and I still enjoy reading books too. I'm really revealing my age by admitting to the fact that I was one happy camper when we retired and moved to this area of Florida and I found that our local newspaper contains 5 daily crossword puzzles ! Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing Rolling on the floor laughing
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!


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Jun 29, 2021 12:30 PM CST
Name: Will Creed
NYC
Prof. plant consultant & educator
Nice to know I am not the only out-of-date senior here. Come to think of it, those young enough to not know what newsprint is are probably finding their information on FaceBook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and whatever else has emerged in the last 10 minutes and is accessible by thumb!
Will Creed
Horticultural Help, NYC
www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Contact me directly at [email protected]
I now have a book available on indoor plant care
Avatar for Whatsmyplant
Jun 29, 2021 3:34 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Anna
Massachusetts (Zone 6b)
Bookworm Houseplants Orchids Zinnias
purpleinopp said:If you can hang a pot right by the available window space that is left, there would be quite a few possibilities as long as there is nothing covering the window when the sun is up. If that's possible, please let us know. And how big is the still-glass area of the window?


Well it's a universal size window maybe 2.5 feet wide and one meter high. I may try this - just putting one there anyway. I had an English Ivy. It withered and died very quickly. I couldn't revive it. It was a smalls plant. I did not have it in the window. I had it near the window with no ac and in the wintertime.

Thanks for your reply.
Avatar for Whatsmyplant
Jun 29, 2021 3:36 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Anna
Massachusetts (Zone 6b)
Bookworm Houseplants Orchids Zinnias
Omie said:There's a difference between 'shade' and 'darkness'.
Plants growing in the shade of a porch or under a tree still get plenty of bright light but no sun, and shade-loving plants will do well in those cases. However, actual darkness is an environment where a shade loving plant may survive for a time but it will likely slowly dwindle and die.
Plants need a decent amount of light to photosynthesize and survive. You say there is "some daylight" in your room... but without a photo we are left guessing that it's not enough for a shade plant to thrive on.
You can use some type of full spectrum Grow Light to successfully maintain a plant in a dark room.


I like the idea of a grow light. Its in a bedroom. I wonder if there is a small little light I can shine on it when I am not in the room.... I had a tiny English Ivy I had near the window that withered and died very quickly. I couldn't revive it... Thank you for your reply. Smiling
Avatar for Whatsmyplant
Jun 29, 2021 3:38 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Anna
Massachusetts (Zone 6b)
Bookworm Houseplants Orchids Zinnias
WillC said:There should be enough light that you could read newsprint in that location throughout the day without eyestrain. If it less than that, nothing is likely to survive for long.

Here are the plants that do well in low light.
Pothos
Dracaena 'Janet Craig'
Dracaena 'Lisa'
Dracaena Massangeana (Corn Plant)
ZZ Plant
Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Peace Lily
Philodendron
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
Lucky Bamboo
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra)



I can read during the day. Thanks for this list. I rather like Peace Lilies.

I had an English Ivy in the room that withered and quickly died. I have been hesitant to try again. After seeing this gardening forum, I thought to ask as I would love to have a plant in my bedroom. I am a big plant person. Thanks! 🙂

P.S. I call it newsprint, too! I still read the paper! 🙂

Thanks everyone for your help.
Last edited by Whatsmyplant Jun 29, 2021 3:42 PM Icon for preview
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Jun 29, 2021 4:53 PM CST
Name: Lin Vosbury
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)

Region: Ukraine Region: United States of America Bird Bath, Fountain and Waterfall Region: Florida Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Million Pollinator Garden Challenge Birds Butterflies Bee Lover Hummingbirder Container Gardener
There are many plants that grow in lower light situations but I don't know of any plant that will thrive, or survive for very long without some amount of light. Plants that grow in the shade outdoors still receive a good amount of light, the light is just filtered by shrubs and trees. If you only have a single small window, you may not be able to have numerous plants in the room but you can surely have a couple as long as they are placed within a good proximity to the available light coming in the window ... usually close to and right in front of the window will work well for many plants. If you have more plants than will fit directly in front of the window, you can always rotate them on a regular basis and as someone suggested, try hanging a few from the ceiling so that they are inline with the light and then you can use the window sill or a table right at the height of the window for others.

I've always found it impossible to keep English Ivy (Hedera helix) happy indoors; even in the brightest room right in front a window and I think many others have experienced the same situation with that particular plant, so don't feel bad about the ivy not surviving in your room. Smiling

WillC gave you a good list of plants that will do well in lower light situations and as long as you can keep the soil moisture regulated to stay just barely moist (not overly wet and not overly dry), you should find success in growing plants in your room.

Peace Lilies come in different sizes from dwarf to incredibly large plants: The Peace Lilies Database

Chinese Evergreens come in green shades as well as some that have very colorful foliage: The Aglaonemas Database

Snake Plants should do very well in lower light situations and they are quite drought tolerant as well: The Snake Plants Database

Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans) may do okay in lower light situations but will require some light.

Good luck and keep us posted on your endeavors ... living with and tending to a few green plants makes life so much more enjoyable!
~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!


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Jun 30, 2021 8:09 AM CST
Name: Will Creed
NYC
Prof. plant consultant & educator
Hedera Ivies do not fare well in low light, but Pothos with a similar hanging look will be okay.

Keep on reading!
Will Creed
Horticultural Help, NYC
www.HorticulturalHelp.com
Contact me directly at [email protected]
I now have a book available on indoor plant care
Image
Jul 3, 2021 12:20 PM CST
Name: Bob
SE Pennsylvania (Zone 7a)
Cactus and Succulents
WillC said: Is reading obsolete?!! Yikes!


Only to those less informed. Don't worry, we bookworms are alive and well.

To the list, I would add Haworthia.
Avatar for jensjiffy73
Jul 5, 2021 8:14 AM CST
Name: JenniE
Bradford Co., PA (Zone 5b)
God planted a garden.
I was interested in this question and answers also, so thankyou.
Being a reader/writer I knew the word newsprint but I admit its been a few since I seen it in print. Those timey words give me the same kind of lovely thrill my garden does.
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