It's Alright in Low Light

by Veronica Sliva

Brightening up your home with plants not only

enhances your surroundings, but when used

imaginatively serves practical functions as well. With

a little inspiration you can create stunning displays, add

texture and colour to a room, modify straight lines, and

soften the harsh contours of furniture. An attractive planter,

for example, can divide a room as effectively as a partition

made of wood or chrome. A small indoor garden can round

out an awkward living room corner. Strategically placed

plants can camouflage aesthetic or architectural problems

(such as the spot where the cat clawed the wallpaper). In the

summer months, mass foliage transforms an empty fireplace, giving it an elegant and fresh look. Houseplants come in a wide

assortment of sizes, shapes, textures, and colours and they bring

a dimension to your home that can only live plants can offer.

The parts of our homes that are most in need of a lift are

usually the places that at first seem less-than-ideal for living

plants. Typically, they are the spots that we think are too dark

for anything to grow in. But there's a plant for almost every

location-the trick is to choose the right one for all those

so-called wrong places.

Floor plants

We all have a corner that has no hope of getting any direct

light. But not to worry, some plants actually thrive up to 10

feet away from the nearest window. Certain palms work

especially well; two that are very comfortable in indirect light

are the kentia (Howeia) and parlor (Chamaedorea) palms.

Their feathery leaves blend in well with any furnishings.

Other shady characters belong to the Dracaena family

(sometimes called Dragon Tree). They are almost impossible

to kill and are content with artificial or very little natural light.

Dracaena varieties such as fragrans, commonly known as

the corn plant, were popular decades ago and are making a

comeback. Other Dracaena varieties to consider are

warneckii, Janet Craig, godseffiana, sanderiana, borinquensis,

and compacta.

Usually you have to forego flowers in low light, but peace

lilies (Spathiphyllum) are happy in dim situations. And, if

given a warm room with adequate humidity, they will reward

you with lovely white blooms.

And then there's one of the easiest of all plants to grow, the

green-and-white-striped spider plant (Chlorophytum

comosum 'Variegatum') and its green cousin, Chlorophytum

capense. Every home should have a few spider plants because

research has shown that they improve indoor air quality by

removing many of the harmful chemicals from the air. If they

are really happy, they'll sprout new babies from runners that

you can pot to increase your collection.

Windowless wonders

Yes, some plants fare well even in a windowless room or

hallway with only an artificial light source. Chinese evergreen

(Aglaonema) is one of them. It's a handsome plant that has

dark green leaves with white splotches and is one of the most

durable houseplants you'll ever find. It tolerates poor light, dry

air, air conditioning, drought, and a fair bit of neglect.

Heartleaf philodendrons are also good candidates to perk

up a dimly lit spot, and they don't need to be fussed over,

either. Philodendron elongatum is the best-known species.

The large, shiny leaves, as the name suggests, are heart-shaped.

This is the vine that you most often see climbing up a piece

of bark.

Assess your light

Before you adopt any houseplants, take the time to assess the

lighting conditions you have to work with and then choose the

plants whose needs match your environment. That way you

and your plants will be much happier with one another.