Best plants

4759 best houseplants for a cool room

Most houseplants are tropical and sulk below 15°C, but some genuinely tolerate the cool. These species are documented to cope down to about 10°C or lower, making them the right choice for an unheated spare room, a draughty hallway, an enclosed porch, or a home simply kept cool in winter.

How this list is built: houseplants whose documented temperature range extends down to 10°C or below — they cope with a cool, unheated room— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	Pets
3D Spider Mix Osteospermum temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the top 3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Mildly toxic to pets
Abelia 'Edward Goucher' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Water weekly while establishing; mature plants are drought-tolerant and need water only in prolonged dry weather	Mildly toxic to pets
Abelia 'Kaleidoscope' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly during establishment, then only in extended drought	Mildly toxic to pets
Abelia 'Rose Creek' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly while establishing, then occasional deep watering in drought	Mildly toxic to pets
Abelia chinensis temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly through the first season, then mainly during dry spells	Mildly toxic to pets
Abelia x grandiflora temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly deep soak in the first season, then only during prolonged dry spells once established	Mildly toxic to pets
Abiqua Drinking Gourd Hosta temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep the compost evenly moist; typically water every 1-3 days in warm weather as plants wilt quickly in dry conditions	Mildly toxic to pets
Acer capillipes temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Water deeply weekly while establishing; supplement in summer droughts	Pet-safe
Acer griseum temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Water deeply weekly while establishing; supplement in summer droughts	Pet-safe
Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep soil evenly moist; water deeply in dry spells	Pet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep evenly moist; water deeply through dry weather	Pet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Butterfly' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; keep evenly moist, more often in pots and heat	Pet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; keep evenly moist, more often in pots and heat	Pet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Garnet' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; keep evenly moist, more often in pots and heat	Pet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Orangeola' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry; keep evenly moist, more often in containers and heat	Pet-safe
Acer rubrum temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Deep soak weekly for the first two seasons; established trees rely on rainfall	Mildly toxic to pets
Acer rubrum 'Autumn Blaze' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly while establishing; deep watering in droughts thereafter	Pet-safe
Acer rubrum 'October Glory' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	Weekly while establishing; deep watering in dry spells thereafter	Pet-safe
Achillea 'Terracotta' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the top 4-5 cm of soil is dry; roughly every 7-10 days while establishing, rarely once mature	Toxic to pets
Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the top few centimeters of soil are dry, about every 7-14 days	Mildly toxic to pets
Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' temp & humidity · pet safety	Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)	When the top few cm of soil dry out; roughly weekly, more in heat	Toxic to pets
Acorus gramineus temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep soil constantly moist to wet; never allow to dry out	Mildly toxic to pets
Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus' temp & humidity · pet safety	Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)	Keep soil constantly moist to wet at all times	Mildly toxic to pets

Best houseplants for a cool room — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best houseplants for a cool room?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants whose documented temperature range extends down to 10°C or below — they cope with a cool, unheated room, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 4759 plants qualify today.

How many houseplants for a cool room are there?

Growli currently lists 4759 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants whose documented temperature range extends down to 10°C or below — they cope with a cool, unheated room). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.

Are these plants safe for cats and dogs?

Not necessarily — this list is selected by houseplants whose documented temperature range extends down to 10°C or below — they cope with a cool, unheated room, not by pet safety. Each plant is tagged with its pet-safety status below, and links to a full ASPCA-sourced pet-safety guide. If you have pets, see the dedicated best pet-safe houseplants list.

More plant shortlists

Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Best low-light houseplants — Houseplants that need no direct sun and cope with a north-facing room or a spot well back from a window.
Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
Best plants for cold, dark rooms — Houseplants that cope with BOTH low light and a cool, unheated room — the hardest indoor spot to fill. Every pick tolerates a low of about 10°C and shade.
Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
Best succulents for beginners — The easiest succulents and cacti to keep alive — selected by documented growth habit, each with the light and watering it actually wants.
Best pet-safe succulents — Succulents the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — low-water greenery that is also safe around a curious pet.
Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
Best houseplants to propagate in water — Houseplants that root from a cutting in a glass of water — the easiest, cheapest way to turn one plant into many.
Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
Full pet-safe plant library — every plant, ASPCA toxicity status

Care deep-dives gardeners ask for most

Once you have shortlisted a plant, the next questions are watering and soil. These are the guides searched most this season:

Best soil for a peace lily and best soil for a spider plant
Best soil for dracaena (it is fluoride-sensitive) and best soil for hibiscus
How often to water broccoli, how often to water beans, and how often to water okra
Browse every watering guide and soil & potting-mix guide