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15 Best Plants for Offices with No Light or Window
If you work in an office with no light or windows, you’re probably wondering what plants can survive completely sunless conditions. My office happens to be deep in the basement, so my coworkers and I have gotten used to keeping plants that can survive solely under artificial light.
Having plants almost becomes more necessary when you work in an office without windows, since they give you a little bit of life in an otherwise dark and dull area! Thankfully, there are quite a few options. I’ve put together a list of some of the best office plants for no light or window growing conditions:
A Note on No Light Plants
No matter what plants you get for your office, they will still do better with some amount of light. That doesn’t mean you have to remodel your office, though! The plants listed here often do fine as long as there are fluorescent or LED lights in your office which are kept on for a majority of the day or even 24/7.
If you work in a dark office with few overhead lights, adding a grow light to the space or even bringing your plant out to a window for a day or two can help.
Remember to rotate plants frequently to make sure they don’t grow all in one direction.
Best Office Plants for No Light and Windowless Rooms
#1. Spider Plant
Spider plants are one of the best plants to grow in a windowless office! Artificial light is fine for keeping them growing and green. This one hasn’t seen sunlight in almost a year.
#2. Snake Plant
A snake plant is another fantastic option for no-light offices! They help purify the air, and you can find them in any size that works for you. They do fine with infrequent watering as well. (Find out how often to water a snake plant.)
#3. Corn Plant
Corn plants grow more slowly under artificial light, but they remain green and bushy.
#4. Peace Lily
Another large office plant that grows well under artificial lighting is the peace lily, though it likely won’t bloom often. They also work as a natural air purifier!
#5. ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant not only tolerates no-light conditions – it thrives in them! These plants can’t live in direct sunlight. They also require very little water.
#6. Philodendron
Philodendrons come in many sizes. They enjoy artificial office lighting.
#7. Chinese Evergreen
Chinese evergreen plants grow in a variety of sizes and love low light conditions. They also help purify the air.
#8. Peperomia
Peperomia are small, colorful plants that thrive in windowless offices.
#9. Pothos
Pothos are vining plants that do well in artificial light. They can be kept on the floor, on a desk, or even hung from the ceiling. They’ll grow up and over the walls if given something to climb on!
#10. English Ivy
English ivy is another vining plant that can thrive in artificial light.
#11. Monstera
Monsteras are large plants that need infrequent watering. They grow well in windowless offices.
#12. Cast Iron Plant
Cast iron plants are very resilient, needing little light or watering to thrive. Just make sure you don’t overwater them!
#13. Lucky Bamboo
Lucky bamboo can do fine without natural light or even soil – some grow in water alone! Just make sure the water you give it is distilled or has sat out for at least 24 hours.
#14. Bromeliad
Bromeliads are colorful, blooming plants that do well in artificial light.
#15. Aloe
Aloe plants do fine in windowless offices as long as there is plenty of bright fluorescent or LED lighting on throughout the day.
Bonus Plant: Artificial Plants
I know they don’t technically count, but I can’t tell you how much joy these little fake succulents have brought to my colorless desk. It helps that I don’t have to clean up dirt when I knock them over for the hundredth time in a day.
(Here are some similar ones.)
Watering These Plants
Some of these plants will not need to be watered nearly as much as their sun-loving counterparts. This is a combination of their slower growth rate and the fact the sun isn’t drying them out.
Sometimes your office is naturally humid (like if there’s a leaking ceiling in the room next to yours…) However, if you work in a very dry office space, especially one with a dehumidifier, you’ll have to water them just as often.
Test the soil frequently, and set a schedule for watering accordingly. Mark it down if you need to. I write “water plants” in my work planner when they need consistent watering.
Ongoing Care
Once you’ve gotten your plant, you may find it doesn’t adapt to life in the office as well as you’d hoped. If a plant doesn’t seem to thrive in your no-light office, consider moving it to a different area or follow the other tips listed in the first section. If all else fails, you can give it to a coworker who has a window or keep it as houseplant in your home and try a different variety. Happy growing!
Do you have a bathroom without natural light or windows, too? Here’s what plants you can grow in there!
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