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Best plants

5614 best plants for a north-facing window

A north-facing window gives soft, steady, indirect light all day and never the harsh direct sun of a south window. That suits plants that want bright light but scorch in direct sun — a different, larger set than true deep-shade plants. These are the species in our library documented to thrive in exactly those bright-but-indirect conditions.

How this list is built: houseplants documented to want bright, indirect light with no direct sun (the bright-indirect and medium-indirect light tiers) — the exact light a north-facing window provides— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

PlantLightWaterPets
Abiqua Drinking Gourd HostaMedium 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 growthToxic to pets
Abyssinian PeperomiaMedium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)Every 10–14 days in the growing season; every 3–4 weeks in winterPet-safe
Açaí PalmBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep soil constantly moist; water whenever the surface starts to dry, often every 2-4 daysMildly toxic to pets
Accent Scarlet Busy LizzieMedium 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 conditionsMildly toxic to pets
Acer capillipesBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Water deeply weekly while establishing; supplement in summer droughtsPet-safe
Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep soil evenly moist; water deeply in dry spellsPet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist; water deeply through dry weatherPet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'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 heatPet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Dissectum'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 heatPet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Garnet'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 heatPet-safe
Acer palmatum 'Orangeola'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 heatPet-safe
AchachairuBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Water abundantly and consistently year-round; do not allow to dry out.Mildly toxic to pets
AchimenesBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, every 4-6 days in summerMildly toxic to pets
Achimenes 'Cascade Violet Night'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist in growth, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Achimenes 'Peach Blossom'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist in growth, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Achimenes 'Tarantella'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist in growth, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Achimenes erectaBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist in growth, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Achimenes grandifloraBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep evenly moist while in growth, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Acorus gramineusBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep soil constantly moist to wet; never allow to dry outMildly toxic to pets
Acorus gramineus 'Variegatus'Bright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Keep soil constantly moist to wet at all timesMildly toxic to pets
Adiantum venustumMedium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)When the top 1-2 cm of soil begins to dry, roughly every 4-6 daysPet-safe
Adolphe Audusson camelliaBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Regular; keep consistently moist, especially during bud setMildly toxic to pets
Adriatic BellflowerBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)Weekly during spring and summer; minimal in winterPet-safe
Adromischus CooperiBright indirect light (just back from a sunny window)When the soil is fully dry, roughly every 2-3 weeks in growthMildly toxic to pets

Best plants for a north-facing window — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best plants for a north-facing window?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants documented to want bright, indirect light with no direct sun (the bright-indirect and medium-indirect light tiers) — the exact light a north-facing window provides, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 5614 plants qualify today.

How many plants for a north-facing window are there?

Growli currently lists 5614 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants documented to want bright, indirect light with no direct sun (the bright-indirect and medium-indirect light tiers) — the exact light a north-facing window provides). 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 documented to want bright, indirect light with no direct sun (the bright-indirect and medium-indirect light tiers) — the exact light a north-facing window provides, 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

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: