Houseplants for shade

A shady spot in the home can be tricky when it comes to filling with houseplants, however there are a few which will happily live without a lot of sunshine. The best of these are the ferns which are perfectly happy in the shade as sunshine can burn their delicate fronds, just make sure they don’t dry out. Devil’s Ivy (Pothos) is one of the best plants for a shady spot being almost impossible to kill, surviving on very little water. It is usually bought climbing up a tripod of canes but it can also be grow in a hanging pot. Philodendron scandens is a climbing plant from the Caribbean region where it is used to climbing up trees to reach a patch of sunlight. It is often sold as a hanging plant in the UK so ideal if floor space is limited. As it is a tropical plant it does need warmth, plenty of water and a spray of tepid water each day. Marantas and Calatheas are also perfectly happy in the shade but being tropical they need warmth, regular watering and misting with tepid water every day. Spider plants are one of the easiest houseplants to grow, being happy almost anywhere but their preferred habitat is in semi-shade where they keep their lovely variegation, if they are kept in bright sunshine their leaves tend to bleach. The Areca palm can be bought as a large specimen plant so if you need instant impact in a shady spot this is the plant for you. Just keep the compost damp and regularly mist with tepid water.