Plants can improve the aesthetics of any home interior but they often require lots of natural light that some houses just aren't blessed with. If your house isn’t naturally flooded with sunlight, you might think houseplants aren't for you. Luckily, many of our most common, best beloved and sturdiest houseplants also tolerate (and even thrive under) low light conditions.
We’ll take a look at four standouts today. These four plants are beautiful, versatile and easy to care for. As an added bonus, each one looks dramatically different than the others, so you can choose one that best suits your taste, or display them together for a show-stopping arrangement. Plus, any of these plants can thrive in a Respira unit, which allows for diverse plant palettes that express your individual style.
But first, a disclaimer: If you have children and pets at home that might think your new plant looks tasty, do your homework first. Many common houseplants are mildly to severely toxic.
Snake Plant
A.k.a. Mother-in-law’s Tongue
With its stiff, spiky, multicoloured leaves, the snake plant is sleek and eye-catching. It can be a small potted plant fit for your desk, or a six-foot showstopper, depending on the variety and growing conditions. This plant likes to dry out between waterings and doesn’t need a lot of light to be happy.
Pothos
A.k.a. Devil’s Ivy, Golden Pothos, Money Plant
The pothos is a pretty, trailing plant with variegated green and yellow leaves. In my personal experience, this is as close as you can get to a truly indestructible plant. Neglected to the point of appearing dead, it can rise from the ashes with just some water and patience. Propagating this plant is as easy as sticking a piece of it in a jar of water until it forms roots. You can then place it directly into your Respira unit. The nature of the system allows for propagated sprouts to thrive as long as they have some form of root structure.
The Pothos is often confused with a philodendron, however, the philodendron is a darker, solid green with thinner vines and more delicate, heart-shaped leaves. The philodendron is also low-light friendly, so consider it a bonus on our list here.
Spider Plant
A.k.a Airplane Plant
The airplane or spider plant comes in both solid green and striped green and white varieties. It looks like a cheerful clump of grass, but it sends out branches with tiny flowers and dangling mini versions of the mother plant (or plantlets, which can be cut off and potted up to share with a friend). It’s a natural for hanging baskets.
Rubber Tree
A.k.a. Ficus Elastica, Rubber Plant
The rubber tree is named for its milky sap that was historically used to produce a kind of rubber. In the wild, it’s a tree that can reach heights of one hundred feet! But it’s also a beautiful, dramatic and low-maintenance houseplant. Provide it with a big enough pot, and it can reach impressive heights (up to ten feet) even inside your house. There are also many different colour varieties, including the stunning pink-variegated “Ruby.”
Respira: Beautiful and Beneficial
At Respira, we believe everyone deserves to have the benefits of green, growing plants inside their home. Beyond their décor possibilities, plants have remarkable health benefits. Our living wall biofilter is equipped to monitor not only the lighting needs of your plants, but also their watering and nutrient requirements. We work hard to make sure our system will succeed in your home so you can enjoy the benefits worry-free.