No Sunlight No Problem for these 5 Plants

Gardening began to be more popular during the Pandemic. Though we’re still not fully recovered from CoViD-19 and yet another illness like MonkeyPox is testing the vulnerability of the human race, we tend to battle the odds to survive. Yeah, survival of the fittest might be true. Anyways, we’re deviating from the topic people, let’s get to it.

As far as this little research is concerned, we found 5 plants that can survive without sunlight. Yes, plants also have their way to survive if subjected into hostile environment.

Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

The Chinese evergreen is the common name used for a collection of plants from the Aglaonema genus - which tend to tolerate low light conditions very well.

Aglaonemas will produce flowers (these are not very showy), but they're grown primarily for the attractive leathery leaves.

There are many hybrid varieties of the Chinese evergreen available which have been cultivated over the last century. This is because of their increasing popularity for indoor growers to use them as ornamental plants for room decoration.

These slow growing plant varieties includes, plain green, speckled, blotched and variegated types. One of the most popular and sought after is the silver queen which has leaves covered in silver mainly with some small green patches.

The level of care needed for this plant is quite moderate. The most important requirement is that they don’t reside in temperatures below 60ºF (15ºC). The good news is they can tolerate low lighting conditions, although I have seen it mentioned that it is only the all-green and not the variegated types that will tolerate low light.

Cast Iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

The cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) has earned its reputation as a hard-to-kill houseplant, along with being a beautiful outdoor foliage plant within its growing zones. This plant can survive lots of neglect and growing conditions that will kill many other plants, such as low light conditions. It has arching, lance-shaped, deep green, glossy leaves that can reach around 2 feet long and 4 inches wide. When grown outdoors, it sometimes produces insignificant cream and purple flowers near the base of the plant, but the blossoms usually do not appear when the plant is grown indoors. The cast-iron plant has a fairly slow growth rate, and spring is generally the best time to plant it.

For a gardener with a brown thumb, this sturdy, long-lasting plant can be used in areas where all else fails. It is always green and can handle deep shade under deck stairs or along foundations that receive almost no sunlight. Plus, insects usually leave it alone, and it very rarely is bothered by disease.

Cast-iron plants require very simple maintenance: watering when the soil dries out and fertilizing for part of the year. Most mistakes that occur with these plants involve overwatering (they dislike waterlogged soil) or placing them in direct sunlight. With cast-iron plants, a fairly hands-off approach is typically best.

While these plants have some drought tolerance, they like a moderate amount of soil moisture. Water young cast-iron plants regularly to keep the soil lightly moist but not soggy. Soil that remains wet for too long can cause root rot. Water established plants deeply, and then let the soil dry out a few inches down before watering again. A good general rule is to water when you can stick your finger in the soil and not feel any dampness.

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas)

The ZZ plant is an easy to grow and care for indoor plant that displays small glossy leaves on stems which can grow up to 3 ft. long indoors.

The zamioculcas zamiifolia (botanical name) grows well in low or bright lighting conditions and with frequent or much less frequent amounts of water.

The ZZ is a rhizome plant that's a real joy to grow and to have displayed within a home. Many people mention it's a slow grower, however, one I grew one a few years ago that only took about 3 years to grow stems as long as 2ft, which is not that slow. I think how quick it grows will depend on how much sun light the plant gets (do not allow the plant to sit in direct sunlight - though).

As mentioned above the plant tolerates low light, bright light and different levels of watering. However, watering depends on how much light it receives (i.e., less light = less water and more light = more water).

All parts of this plant are said to be toxic if ingested by children, cats and dogs.

Allow the soil to become dry at the top to the touch between watering and do not over water. It's best to water this plant less than too much because over-watering can cause stem and rhizome rot.

Monstera (Monstera Deliciosa)

Monstera are species of evergreen tropical vines and shrubs that are native to Central America. They are famous for their natural leaf-holes, which has led to the rise of their nickname, Swiss Cheese Plant. The Monstera's leaf-holes are called fenestrations and are theorized to maximize sun fleck capture on the forest floor by increasing the spread of the leaf while decreasing the mass of leaf cells to support.

Two different species of Monstera are cultivated as houseplants - Monstera deliciosa and Monstera adansonii. Monstera adansonii is distinguished from M. deliciosa by having longer, tapering leaves, as well as having completely enclosed leaf holes. Monstera deliciosa leaf holes eventually grow towards the edge and open up as they mature.

Part of Araceae, the Aroid Family, they are one of the few aroids that produces edible fruit, particularly, Monstera deliciosa, though they rarely flower or produce edible fruit indoors. Monsteras, like many aroids, were made known formally to the botanical world during the early 20th century, although they had been known for much longer by the indigenous peoples of Central America.

Water every 1-2 weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings. Expect to water more often in brighter light and less often in lower light. Pro tip: Monsteras can benefit from filtered water or water left out overnight before using.

Monsteras can be irritating to cats, dogs, and humans if foliage consumed. Best practice is always to keep houseplants out of reach of small children and pets.

Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena Sanderiana)

This Dracaena resembles bamboo but is not a true bamboo at all. It is grown as a house plant outside of the tropical zone. It performs well in containers with partial shade outdoors or bright but indirect light indoors.   It requires moist soil or it can be grown in chlorine-free water. Change the water weekly and provide with a weak liquid fertilizer.  The bright green strappy leaves are widely spaced along the upright stems, giving the plant an open, airy appearance. The stems are often trained into a variety of shapes and it is popular with Feng Shui. Rarely blooms as a house plant.

There isn't really a well-known reason for how this common name came about, although Dracaena sanderiana grows easily in water and the canes of the plant have a similar appearance to real bamboo stalks, it has no true connection with Japanese culture.

The truth of the matter is that Dracaena sanderiana when grown "normally" is quite boring, the leaves tend to be spaced out and although they can have pretty markings they're quite small and often unremarkable.

Of course like all houseplants there will be fans, it just follows that finding it in its standard form is difficult. Instead you will normally find these plants grown in water in very unique and fashionable pots and display stands, as well as the canes being interesting themselves, sometimes curly or having bends to create unusual shapes.

Lucky Bamboo is sometimes labeled as Phyllostachys aurea which isn't poisonous to people, cats or dogs. However the most commonly grown Lucky Bamboo is Dracaena Sanderiana (shown in all the pictures on this page) and most Dracaena have a mild level of toxicity in the leaves and stems which present mild symptoms when ingested.

Just before we go, we leave you this, "Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree. Always do your best."

Cheerio!