Who knows of a house plant that will grow around 4 or more feet high, but requires little light.?

Question

I have a space that needs a high growing plant, but it is in an area of the living room that is at least 4-5 feet from a sliding glass door. But the door is on the east side of the house and doesn't get any direct light ever. And the room has no other windows anywhere nearby. I went to a nursery, where the people have always had good answers, but no one really had a solution to this problem.

I just want to thank all of you who have so far already helped me a lot!!! I will check out all of the possibilities you gave me. Thanks!

Answer 1

Wow! What an array of answers. Many folks are recommending tall plants, without concern for the light requirements.

Tall in a darker area is a tough one. The only thing that leaps to mind is a palm, Rhaphis Palm is the name (I think). It is one that is used in commercial buildings and restaurants, because it is tolerant of low light.

One answerer suggested hanging plants, I counter with what about plant stands? If you add two feet, to a two foot plant, that's close right?
In which case you can extend the list... Chinese Evergreen (Aglonema), Peace Lily (Spathephyllum) or Snake Plant (Sansiveria).

Usually lower light plants grow more slowly, so larger specimens cost more than their higher light counterparts.

I hope that this helps
Good luck

Answer 2

well i would agree with that rubber plant. or monstera.
never cacti, never euphorbias, these are sun loving and will not thrive.

Also have you considered the possibility of letting the plant hang from above? if not and if you dont find any plant that would grow high enough in your dimly lit space, i would personally suggest that you get/build one of those flower epiphytic pillars - where you can plant several clumps of ferns, zygocactus, bromeliads or similar epiphytic flowers attached to the pillar that can be as high as you wish. if this is too complicated for you, just get/DIY some tall support on which you can place several flowerpots in different heights. thats better than just one tall plant - in our store you can buy these for 3-7 flowepots for reasonable price

Answer 3

I have a rubber tree next to my window in a corner and it's doing great. If it starts to get too tall I clip off the top and the sides start to grow out. I heard you should never put a rubber tree in direct sunlight. I have had mine now for 10 years and it only gets indirect light. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Some nice (tall) indoor plants are:

Ficus There are several types of Ficus, also known as figs, well-suited to the role of large, indoor plant: weeping figs can grow from 4 to 18 feet tall; Ficus Alii (with deep green, long, narrow leaves), rubber plants and fiddleleaf figs all range from 4 to 12 feet tall.

Palm Offering a wide variety of sizes and leaf shapes, there are palms that range from just a few feet tall to over 20 feet. Sentry and Bamboo palms reach an average height of 8-10 feet; Areca and Chinese Fan palms average 5 to 6 feet.

Dracaena Striking upright plants with long narrow leaves, Dracaena marginata and corn dracaenas can both exceed 6 feet in height.

Succulent/Cactus There are several types of succulents and cacti that make impressive large, indoor plants. Milk Stripe euphorbias often exceed 4 feet in height and almost as wide. There are a number of tall, upright cacti such as Silver Torch, Snowball and Column cactus.

Norfolk Island Pine Adding a real touch of the tropics indoors, Norfolk Island pines often reach a height of more than 6-8 feet.

Citrus Various lemons, oranges, limes, grapefruits and other citrus are used as indoor plants. Other than the miniature calamondin oranges, they all can exceed 6 feet in height.

Schefflera Regular schefflera and its cousin the arb (Arboricola) are stately plants that often exceed 6 feet.

Philodendron Several members of the philodendron family fill the niche of large indoor plants. For instance, Philodendron 'Selloum' often reaches 5 feet in height and width. 'Emerald Queen' often exceeds 4 feet, but stays narrower than 'Selloum.' A close ally, the Swiss cheese plant, grows to 5 or 6 feet and almost as wide.

Dieffenbachia This plant has such impressive foliage it often seems larger than its average 4-5 feet tall. Its leaves are huge and some varieties are strongly variegated.

Not all need direct light, as long as they get some.

below I have given you a link to help you manufacture a nice lighting situation for your plant if you choose to get one.

Please, after you review, search the second link will help you with the plants and their sun requirements or you can just put the name of the plant in the search window and find out.

Answer 5

Ficus Benjamina

Answer 6

I used to stay in a basement suite in a city the place it rained each and all of the time. talk approximately gloomy living situations, yet I had philadendrons, english ivy, a rubber tree plant and spider vegetation, and that all of them did amazingly properly in low easy. you could desire to constantly Google low easy houseplants, and see what they arise with. good luck!

Answer 7

any of the victorian era popular plants...houses were dark..
aspidistra, mother in laws tongue [snake plant, i think in USA],
swiss cheese plant...[monstera] dragon tree, yucca, some figs, I bought a fake weeping fig for 20 dollars and it looks real in the darkest corner of my living room in amongst my real plants.

Answer 8

Dracaena massangeana ("corn plant") likes dark conditions. See a photo of it at http://www.botanicus.com/images/plants/l-d-mass5432.JPG. Read about it at http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets/pottedplants/cornplnt.html.

Regarding rubber tree plants, they may tolerate low light. http://www.arkansasplantoutlet.com/Plants/HousePlants/lgrubber.jpg. Read about them at http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC1510.htm. I have two of these in my office, but they get east-exposure sun.

Good luck!

I had a corn plant but my cats killed it. :(