I work in an office with no natural light. I've been researching plants that do well without much exposure to natural light, but I'd really like to hear what you all think. Mostly, what kinds of plants have you successfully kept in an office without a window. What kinds of things did you do to help it thrive (lamps, fertilizer, food, etc.) It's one thing to read in a book and another to have someone tell you word of mouth. Thank you so much in advance!
By a flowering plant and keep it on your desk until it fades. Then take it home and buy a new plant. Nothing will thrive without the sun.
You can buy some full spectrum (or even less) bulbs and keep some plants under them. For instance african violets do well with this, they're compact and flower with enough humidity and moist soil. If you do this you might wish to use a timer on the lights. There are plenty of other plants that you can grow this way but african violets are the ones that I would suggest. The only other plant that I think would survive without the lamp nearby would be a chinese evergreen plant perhaps. Good luck, Ryan
The word "compact" above is a good choice of words. There are aquarium lamps made for growing corals called "Compact Lamps". They are available in numerous sizes and lengths. If you can rig one of these in your office with "daylight spectrum" bulbs you can grow several plants. You can find them on eBay. One plant that does really well and is beautiful is an iridescent blue fern known to science as Microsorum thailandicum. Look it up on the web. But there are others that will do nicely in lower light provided you give them the right spectrum of light. Office fluorescent bulbs just won't do it. I did a short writeup on these in this link: http://www.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=31858&highlight=compact+light Orchids would not likely be a good choice, and that was what I was writing about, but you can find other specimens that will do nicely. African violets would work for sure.
You need non-flowering plants native to jungles -- Amazonian plants are probably best. My bedroom and bathroom both receive almost no direct sunlight at all. In my bedroom, I have a Dracaena Marginata (Red-margined Dracaena, or Dragon Tree) which has flourished happily for some seven or eight years and currently stands a good five feet tall. In my bathroom, I have a Calathea, which has lush, velvety leaves. It's now about five years old and is prospering wonderfully and has grown to about two feet high. It seems to appreciate the steamy atmosphere of the bathroom, but I don't think it's necessary. Otherwise, look for the sorts of plants you normally find in offices. And if you like being controversial, you should definitely go for thread-leaf aralia (Dizigotheca Elegantissima). It looks a lot like marijuana! And if even that doesn't work, you could bring in a good, old-fashioned Christmas Cactus. I'm told they appreciate a complete absence of natural light for a couple of months about this time of year, and that it'll thank you with a fabulous flower display when you take it home and place it in a sunny position.
My office, which has no windows and nothing but cruel fluorescent lights, is fairly lousy with huge snake plants.
Sorry, I just thought my idea was worth restating. A couple of bucks every couple of weeks and you always have nice healthy plants. The alternative is shelling out more money to buy a big tropical plant which will, and I assure you that it is inevitable, start it's downward slide into the horrific, sad, lanky, dull, and eventually neglected beyond redemption mess that light deprived office plants become.
Thank you so much everyone! Between you all and the local garden center, I think I'm going to get it done! I love the idea of buying flowering plants, but also am considering a full spectrum lamp with some plants. Try a few things, turn my workspace into a jungle. It's miserable to work without them!
Whatever you buy as plants, do not forget to add a couple of beautifully coloured plastic flowers as insert in the pot. I grow roses in Zone 5 and just when the snow starts melting here I cheer up the neighbours with fresh plastic roses inserted in my rose bushes.
I don't get much light through my window, and I have success with an African Violet. They actually have a few HUGE, old looking African Violets up on the 3rd floor of our hospital's research center check in desk- it is not near any windows. Just lots of fluorescent lights. My pothos survive with barely any light this time of year, they don't really grow but don't require a lot of water. My peace plant I keep in my office- under fluorescent lights as well. I used to have a generic, cheap ivy that I bought at the store once and it liked my office and a darker area in my house.
I believe some peperomias thrive under fluorescent lights. At least, all the ones I've sent to work with my roommate at her cavern of a cubicle have done pretty well.
