Which Houseplants Are the Best for a North Window?
When you look to purchase a home most people would prefer a south-facing house, perhaps with doors opening from the living room onto a terrace or pleasant outside seating area It is the perfect way of bringing the outside inside and helping your house feel bright and open.
However, the reality is that not everyone can have a south-facing living room. The good news is that you can still bring the outside inside even if you have a north-facing living room. You simply need to choose the right living room plants.
Here are 9 plants that love north-facing windows:
1. Snake Plant
The snake plant or mother-in-law’s tongue can handle direct sunlight but will do much better in indirect sunlight. Excess sun is likely to fade the leaves.
2. Peace Lily
The peace lily is a stunning plant that prefers a shady spot in your garden, hence the filtered north window position. Of course, they need some sunshine to convince them to flower.
3. Bromeliads
These plants come from the tropical part of the US and they look exotic. Yet strangely they prefer to avoid the direct sun and will flourish with plenty of indirect light.
4. Pothos
This beautiful plant prefers filtered light and will send golden vines towards the floor if they are kept in the right spot.
5. Philodendron
Philodendrons are evergreen and surprisingly hardy. They will handle any type of light but they do best in a north-facing window with a good balance of light.
6. Chinese Evergreen
The Chinese Evergreen is nothing short of stunning. Its green leaves are patterned with pale pinks and they flourish in filtered light. They can also handle a wide range of temperatures and soil qualities. That makes them an easy plant to look after.
7. Boston Fern
This plant is often called the sword fern due to the way its leaves taper to a point. If you give this plant too much light it will quickly change from stunning green to brown, not a pleasant look.
8. Cyclamen
There are over20 species of Cyclamen and they all come with different flower colours. Again, they like plenty of light but prefer it to be filtered, this prevents them from drying out too quickly or from being scorched.
9. ZZ Top
This is actually an African plant that dislikes bright sunshine. The leaves will dry and become brittle if they are left in direct sunlight.
Why North Facing?
The reason that all the plants above like north-facing windows is because they get the sunshine in the morning and evening but never directly onto them. As the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, north-facing plants never experience direct sunlight.
That is good for all the above plants that generally suffer from dryness and burnt leaves if left in the direct sunlight. Being in a north-facing window effectively filters the sunlight and allows the plant to flourish.
Of course, being north-facing doesn’t mean you can ignore the other factors that are necessary for your plant’s survival. All plants need water, some need food, and they should have good drainage, helping to ensure they don’t drown through excessively generous watering.
