Figuring Out Plants for My Dim Place
So, my apartment. It’s cozy, yeah, but bright? Not really. Most windows face the wrong way or get blocked by the building next door. I really wanted some green inside, make it feel less like a cave, you know? But I figured most plants would just give up and die on me pretty quick.
I started poking around online, looking for stuff labeled “low light”. Everyone talks about the same few plants:
- Snake Plants
- ZZ Plants
- Pothos
- Cast Iron Plants
Sounded easy enough. The promise was they basically thrive on neglect and darkness. Perfect, I thought.
Getting My Hands Dirty (Sort Of)
Went down to the nursery. It’s overwhelming, right? So many plants. I skipped all the fancy flowering stuff and the ones that looked like they needed a spotlight. I grabbed a Snake Plant – looked tough, hard to kill, apparently. Also picked up a Pothos because they hang nicely and people say they’re easy. The tags said “low to medium light”. Seemed like a safe bet.
Got them home. Now, where to put them? I stuck the snake plant in a darker corner. The tag practically dared me to. The pothos went on a shelf, kinda medium distance from a window. Didn’t want to shock it.
The Reality Check with Light
Okay, here’s the deal. That “low light tolerant” thing is tricky. The snake plant? It survived. Didn’t die. But it also didn’t really do anything for months. Just sat there. Existing. Which, okay, fair enough.
The pothos, though, started looking kinda sad. The leaves got smaller, and the vines got really long and stretched out, like it was desperately searching for any light. It wasn’t dying, but it wasn’t exactly thriving either. “Low light” doesn’t mean “no light” at all. That was lesson number one.
I ended up moving the pothos much closer to my north-facing window. Still not direct sun, but definitely brighter than the shelf. It started looking better almost immediately. Greener leaves, less stretching. So, even these “easy” plants need some decent light to actually look good.
What I Learned
So, yeah. You can keep plants in dimmer spots. The snake plant is still in its corner, being stoic. But don’t expect miracles. They survive, they don’t necessarily flourish. If you want lush, fast growth, you need good light. Period. Or maybe get one of those grow lights, but I haven’t gone down that road yet.
For now, I stick to the tough guys like the snake plant for the really dim areas, and give plants like the pothos the best indirect light spots I have. It’s a compromise. My place is greener, but it’s not exactly a jungle yet. And honestly? That’s okay. Managing expectations is key with this indoor plant stuff, especially when light is scarce.
