What houseplants can survive in this planter/lamp?

October 7, 2013 9:10 AM

What (if any) sorts of houseplants can survive being planted below a table lamp in a low-light bedroom?

I just picked up a cool vintage lamp that I'd like to use in my baby's room that looks very similar to this one. The bedroom it'll be going in is very low light.

I'd love to toss a plant in it, but I have no idea what might thrive in it. Assuming the lamp'll be on for a couple of hours each day, do I need to be looking for really low-light plants, or will the lamplight damage those?

We have a bunch of houseplants that I've managed to keep alive, but they're all in the succulent/cactus/easy-to-take care of family.

I'm open to anything, but the easier to keep alive the better.

What should I be looking at?

I live in Chicago if that matters as far as what might be available to me.

posted by macrowave to Home & Garden (7 answers total)

Zamioculcas zamiifolia: the ZZ plant.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 9:34 AM on October 7, 2013

Sansaverias, or snake plants, are almost impossible to kill.
posted by Ostara at 9:46 AM on October 7, 2013

I've had a Dragon tree like this one under a lamp for six months without any problems, they are also really hard to kill.
posted by ellieBOA at 11:16 AM on October 7, 2013

Yes, for a spot that is only getting two hours of indoor light a day, you're looking for lowest light plants if it's a daylight-spectrum fluorescent bulb (FYI they are very, very bright) or for the slowest-to-die plant if it's incandescent or low lumens. I'd say you could perhaps keep a peace lily (Spath) or a sansevieria if you go DSF, ZZ if not as it's the slowest-to-die plant.
posted by vegartanipla at 11:20 AM on October 7, 2013

Maybe Tillandsia plants? Easy to fit a couple of those little guys in anywhere. Sadly I don't have enough experience to say if that would work well with the lighting situation, but at least if you tried it and the plant looked like it wasn't doing so well you can just pick it up and move it somewhere else and try another thing.
posted by belau at 9:00 PM on October 7, 2013

Yes to the ZZ plant. I got a couple from Ikea, sold as Money Tree Plants, and they're great. I rarely water them, and they live in pretty low light without complaint.
posted by hydra77 at 11:40 PM on October 7, 2013

You could put air plants in that tray but never water them in it (you water air plants by submerging them in water and then dumping the water out of them anyway. I put mine in the watering can and set a timer for 3 minutes. Be sure and tip them upside down so you don't get crown rot). Anything else that would be watered in situ requires drainage which that lamp won't provide.
posted by srboisvert at 10:46 AM on October 16, 2013