Best plants

808 best plants for cold, dark rooms

A cold, dark room — an unheated spare bedroom, a north-facing hallway, a chilly porch — is the hardest place to keep a plant, because it asks the plant to skip both warmth and light, and most houseplants want at least one. These are the species in our library documented to tolerate low light and a low of around 10°C or below.

How this list is built: houseplants whose documented light need is low AND whose temperature range bottoms out at about 10°C or cooler— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	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
Adiantum venustum temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 1-2 cm of soil begins to dry, roughly every 4-6 days	Pet-safe
Aesculifolia Rodgersia temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep soil consistently moist; water deeply 1-2 times weekly, more in heat	Mildly toxic to pets
African Chain Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2 cm of soil feels barely moist, roughly every 5-8 days in growing season	Pet-safe
Alabama Lip Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	every 2-3 weeks	Mildly toxic to pets
all gold Japanese forest grass temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep soil evenly moist; water 1-2 times weekly, more in dry or warm spells	Mildly toxic to pets
Alpine Lady Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	2–3 times per week; more frequently in warm weather	Pet-safe
Alpine Squill temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Water during growth; dry during summer dormancy	Toxic to pets
Alpine Water Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 1 cm of soil feels dry, roughly every 4-6 days in summer	Pet-safe
Alpine Woodsia temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	every 1-2 weeks during the growing season	Mildly toxic to pets
American Climbing Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep the soil consistently and evenly moist — never allow it to dry out between waterings	Mildly toxic to pets
American Lady Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	Every 2–3 days during active growth; less frequently in winter	Pet-safe
American Royal Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Twice weekly or more; keep consistently moist	Pet-safe
American Wall Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Every 7–10 days when in growth; every 2–3 weeks in winter	Pet-safe
American Wood Anemone temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Weekly during active spring growth; none during summer dormancy	Toxic to pets
Anderson's Holly Fern 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	Pet-safe
Angel Frost Masdevallia temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Daily in hot weather; every 2–3 days in spring and autumn	Pet-safe
Apennine Windflower temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Rainfall usually sufficient in woodland settings; water once per week only during dry springs	Toxic to pets
Arisaema consanguineum temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist during growth, about every 4-7 days; ease off as it dies back	Toxic to pets
Arisaema elephas temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist during growth, about every 4-7 days; reduce as it dies back	Toxic to pets
Arisaema griffithii temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist through growth, roughly every 4-7 days; reduce sharply once foliage yellows	Toxic to pets
Arisaema ringens temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist during growth, about every 4-7 days; reduce as it dies back	Toxic to pets
Arisaema speciosum temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist through growth, about every 4-7 days; reduce as it dies back	Toxic to pets

Best plants for cold, dark rooms — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best plants for cold, dark rooms?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants whose documented light need is low AND whose temperature range bottoms out at about 10°C or cooler, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 808 plants qualify today.

How many plants for cold, dark rooms are there?

Growli currently lists 808 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants whose documented light need is low AND whose temperature range bottoms out at about 10°C or cooler). 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 light need is low AND whose temperature range bottoms out at about 10°C or cooler, 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 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 for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
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