Hello, I am new to this forum. I recently became addicted to indoor plants and am looking for a nice looking plant that would love to live downstairs in our basement. I have several nice places for plants down there BUT there isn't a whole lot of light (2 small basement windows and double paned glass doors. Near the doors is good light, but other than that its a low light basement. Since it is a basement, it is more humid (even with a dehumidifier) and cooler than the rest of the house. Any suggestions?? I already have a Dracaena fragans "corn plant." Oh yeah, and I have 2 cats so I need something that is non-toxic. I know the corn plant is listed as toxic, but I have had it for a long time and the cats have never shown any interest in it. Thanks in advance, Tamara
Hi, Another good plant for low light rooms are pothos'. Just about any variety. Will you be leaving any lights on in that room on a regular basis? If not, you might consider that if you really do want to keep them happy! Nancy
Thanks!! I really appreciate the suggestions. I will research them good before I go purchasing anything to make sure they are not toxic to pets. Thanks again! And thanks Nancy for the warm welcome. :) This is a very knowledgeable and useful website! No, I will not be keeping a light on on a regular basis, but there is plenty of light if I place a plant near the glass double doors (not real bright light, but plenty for a plant that prefers less light). And if I place a plant around the corner from the doors the plant will get a small amount of light that comes through the basement windows. More than likely I will be placing a plant or 2 nearby the glass doors to ensure they get enough light. Those small basement windows don't let much light through. Don't get me wrong, its not a gloomy, dark dungeon down there, just much less light than upstairs. For a basement it actually gets a lot of light, only because of the double glass doors (used to be a garage). Thanks, Tamara
My favorite lowlight plant is the very elegant parlour palm, and according to my cat's field tests, they are not toxic.
Can you specify what a "parlour palm" is? I know of not a single true palm species that will endure in low light. There is a group sometimes referred to as "parlour palms" which belong to the genus Chamaedorea. This genus is common to southern Mexico, all of Central America, and much of northern South America. If you check botanical sources you'll find most will tolerate indirect light, but that does not normally meet the conditions this questioner appears to need. A few Chamaedorea sp. are easy to care for, others require high maintenance. If you buy one of these without specific knowledge of the care it requires and are not willing to give it what it wants you are taking a gamble. I've seen far too many palms sold in grocery stores and discount stores die in just a few months. The number one killer of palms is too little light. A "pothos" may be a good choice. But "pothos" is often an incorrectly used scientific name. The plant most often sold as "pothos" is actually Epipremnum aureum. It is also called "Devil's Ivy", "Giant Golden Pothos", "Ivy", "Devil's Claw Ivy" and likely other common names. It is not a Pothos sp. Commonly sold in discount nursery centers, that species is thought to be from the Solomon Islands. Epipremnum aureum will tolerate a great deal of abuse and is quite pretty. Although it will survive in low light situations, the plant actually craves the sun. You can find it on the side of the road climbing tall trees all over South Florida. In my atrium the leaves near the ground are around 4 inches. But as they climb the center post of my atrium they grow to well over 18 inches. The higher they grow, the larger they grow. Almost any place that sells plants sells Epipremnum aureum . Look it up on the web. There are also a few very attractive ferns that will do quite well in very low light. Microsorum thailandicum is quite beautiful with iridescent blue fronds. That species used to be quite expensive but can now be purchased for around $15. If you elect to grow this fern you will need to mist it often and keep the potting medium damp. Do not allow it to dry out. Look that one up on the web as well. I have description of it on my website as do others.
Just thought of two more that may work well under your low light conditions. One is commonly called a "Chinese Evergreen". The majority sold in the US today are hybrid variations of Aglaonema species. These can do well with only occasional water and relatively low light. They are best kept within the vicinity of a window. When you see the leaves begin to droop, it is time to water. There are numerous variations and hybrids so just visit a good nursery and ask to see what they grow. There are quite a few discussions on this board about these plants. Another is any hybrid form of a Spathiphyllum species. Commonly called a "Spath", that common name comes from the inflorescence they produce which is actually a spathe and spadix. It is not a flower, even though people call it a "flower" all the time. The flowers form up and down the spadix but are quite tiny. True species plants are rarely seen in this country because hybridizers love to "create" their own forms. You can find them with very small leaves, very large leaves, and almost any size leaf in between. Those too will tell you when they are "thirsty" by beginning to droop their leaves. This board also has some very good discussions about growing Spathiphyllum hybrids. Just use the search engine at the top of the page. Spaths are best kept relatively near a window but I've seen them survive for long periods in very dark conditions. Both Spathiphyllum and Aglaonema are members of the aroid group of plants. All aroids produce a spathe and spadix.
Thank you all for your suggestions. And thanks for you suggestion Cookie_Mccool. I have read about the Parlour palm and have been looking for you and haven't came across one yet. I read several things about it and everything says it is a low light plant and it is listed on the ASPCA non-toxic plants, so it would be perfect. I like the pothos, but it is listed as toxic to pets, so that one will be a no no for sure. Thank you all again.
This may answer some of your questions about plant toxicity: http://www.exoticrainforest.com/Calcium oxalate crystals.html
