One of the biggest challenges that an indoor gardener can face is picking north-facing window plants.
And that’s because north-facing windows tend to allow much less light into the room.
So, you need to pick plants that prefer low light or bright indirect light rather than full sunlight.
Here are some great ideas for plants for your north-facing windows.
Golden Pothos
Our first choice for a north-facing window is the Golden Pothos (sometimes known as the Devil’s Ivy)
It hates direct sunlight and likes natural light only indirectly in a shady place.
They do need a little pruning to keep them in shape every now and again, but they are, otherwise, very low maintenance plants.
Peace Lily
North-facing window plants often don’t flower but the Peace Lilies are one of the exceptions to that rule.
These flowering plants are happy in bright indirect sunlight and produce a lovely white flower.
Just remember though that they are poisonous and you shouldn’t keep them in places where kids or pets can get to them.
Chinese Evergreen
The wide, flat-leaf of the Chinese evergreen is very distinctive. These leafy plants enjoy low light but it must include some indirect sunlight.
They will even, sometimes, produce tiny flowers between their leaves if they’re super happy.
You should make sure it’s out of reach of pets or children though as it is toxic.
Cast Iron Plant
As you’d expect from the name, cast iron plants are insanely durable and they have lovely foliage that spreads out elegantly.
They like shady and cool environments and can survive nearly anything (though you do need to water them semi-regularly).
Our only qualm with these plants is they are a bit slow growing.
Parlor Palm
Give them partial shade and indirect light and the parlor palm is a very happy plant.
It’s super easy to raise these and they’re often considered “beginner plants”.
Don’t leave them in direct light though, it will burn their leaves.
Swiss Cheese Plant
The Monstera is incredibly easy to look after but you will find they grow big enough that they need support structures to cling to.
As indoor plants go, they really enjoy low light and they like a little humidity too. You can always use a mist spray to add this if it’s not naturally available.
Snake Plants
We should probably have put the spider plant on this list too, as along with the snake plant, they are super happy in nearly any conditions.
However, they shouldn’t be watered too often as that can make them wilt and they are toxic to kids and pets.
Check out our guides to the right light and the right way to water a snake plant. You’ll find they’re super easy to raise when you know how.
Moth Orchid
This tropical plant may like warm and humid environments but it also prefers filtered light or indirect light to bright sun.
We’re big fans of the gorgeous blooms and they don’t need much care at all – though too much water can lead to root rot.
As with most flowering plants, if you care for them properly, you’ll find they produce flowers for years and years without needing to be changed.
Pinstripe Calathea
These tropical plants are from the rainforest and they like conditions that mimic being under a forest canopy including indirect light.
However, they may also be the most sensitive plant on our list and you need to keep them well-watered and humid or they will curl up and wilt.
Heart-Leaf Philodendron
These hardy plants make for a great starter plant for the new indoor gardener.
They burn in the sun’s rays and must be kept out of bright sunlight at all costs. But otherwise, as long as you don’t overwater them, they will survive a very long time.
If you need help with raising these plants, you may find these plant lover’s apps to be helpful in learning what you need to know.
Finals Notes
Choosing plants for north-facing windows doesn’t have to be a huge challenge, you just have to remember that a north-facing window provides less light and that means you need plants that don’t mind missing out on direct sunlight and bright light and which prefer low light conditions instead.
As you can see from your options above, there are plenty of low light plants for you to choose from and spider plants and snake plants thrive in these conditions and so do many other plants.
