These 5 Houseplants Will Thrive in the Dim Light of Your North-Facing Room – Even When You Forget to Water Them

If you have a north-facing room that doesn't get much direct light and feels cooler in temperature, you might have written off the idea of growing houseplants. But, what if I told you there are several houseplants that thrive in these gentler conditions? In fact, the likes of ferns, peace lilies, and even palms prefer this environment and will grow exceptionally well here.

Of the best indoor plants, it's not just indoor low light plants that can cope with the dimmer conditions of north-facing rooms. This part of the home can provide sufficient bright, indirect light for plants sensitive to direct sun. I previously lived in an apartment surrounded by buildings and my shaded north-facing room windowsill was covered in vibrant greenery.

Of course, to make these houseplants for north-facing rooms a success, you need to provide the optimal care for them – the good news is they're all pretty low-maintenance. Here are my top five picks for north-facing rooms and how to grow them.

5 Perfect Houseplants for North-Facing Rooms

You have to take into account the room temperature of your north-facing room, too.

If you're surrounded by neighboring buildings, it may feel cooler than average (you can monitor this with a room thermometer from Amazon).

Luckily, many of the below are cold-tolerant houseplants that can cope with chillier room temperatures

1. Ivy

First on the list of houseplants for north-facing rooms is ivy, one of the most resilient indoor trailing plants.

Native to many parts of Europe (including the UK), ivy is extremely adaptable to cooler temperatures and shady conditions. It actually often thrives in darker, wetter environments.

Ideally, even in a north-facing room, ivy should receive at least six hours of indirect light daily. If needed, you can boost light levels with a grow light for houseplants (like this grow light from Amazon).

What you will find is that your ivy grows at a much slower rate in a less sunny position, leaving you with a more compact plant.

You can shop for an ivy plant at Walmart, and a white and green variegated ivy plant on Amazon.

2. Boston Fern

Indoor ferns are some of the most shade-tolerant houseplants, thanks to their native tropical forest floor environment.

Boston fern is one of the best houseplants for north-facing rooms for this reason, greening up the space with its luscious foliage.

In fact, it's best to avoid direct sun with these delicate plants, as it can cause leaf scorch and crisp up their foliage.

Something to be aware of, however, is that it thrives best in temperatures between 60-75°F and in paths of draft you may spot your fern droop and discolor.

If needed, use a seedling heat mat (from Walmart) to boost warmth levels for your fern.

You can find a Boston fern at Lowe's.

3. Peace Lily

You may be surprised to find an indoor flowering plant on this list, but peace lilies are a top choice for north-facing rooms.

This is because they have sensitive flowers and foliage, and you may find a peace lily turn yellow if it grows in a too-bright location. The filtered light of a north-facing room is a better fit for this reason, aligning with their shaded forest habitat.

Peace lilies can even flower in this environment, with consistent bright, indirect light in a north-facing room. Though, it is true you're likely to get more blooms when growing it somewhere brighter.

If your peace lily isn't flowering, try encouraging it with peace lily fertilizer (from Amazon) in spring and summer.

You can find a peace lily at Fast Growing Trees.

4. ZZ Plant

If you love houseplants with dark foliage, there's no better choice for your north-facing room than a ZZ plant. Even more striking is the Black Raven ZZ plant (available at The Sill).

These decadent beauties can grow well with just six hours of indirect light daily, though they can adapt well to slightly less than this, too.

To properly care for your ZZ plant in your north-facing room, water less frequently than you think. These plants only need top up when their soil has dried out completely between watering.

I rely on my soil moisture meter (like this from Amazon) to check when my houseplants are ready for watering.

5. Parlor Palm

If you're looking for an indoor tree to place in your north-facing room, turn your attention to the parlor palm.

These charming trees bring texture to interiors and range in height, typically from 2-6ft tall – see this 18" tall parlor palm in a decorative pot on Amazon.

The reason this plant works so well for a north-facing room is because its sensitive to direct light and can turn yellow from leaf scorch.

The dimmer light of a north-facing position is much more gentle on its delicate foliage, mimicking its native habitat in the shaded understory of rainforests.

Something to note is that parlor palms love high humidity (ideally between 50-70%). You can increase humidity for these indoor plants with a pebble humidity tray (from Amazon) or even a humidifier (from Walmart).

This will keep your parlor palm looking vibrant and lush.

What to Shop

No matter what growing conditions you have in your home, there's a houseplant for every room. There are even houseplants for low humidity if you have particularly warm, dry rooms in your home.

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