15 Best Houseplants for North-Facing Windows

North-facing windows have a slightly unfortunate reputation among houseplant owners.

They’re often described as bad windows for plants because they receive less direct sunlight than south-, east- or west-facing windows.

But a north-facing window is absolutely not a plant-free zone.

serene morning light through window with plant — Photo by Tiarra Sorte on Pexels.com

In fact, the softer, indirect light from a north-facing window can be ideal for plenty of popular houseplants — particularly plants that naturally grow beneath the canopy of larger trees rather than baking in direct sun.

The trick is choosing plants that genuinely tolerate lower light levels and positioning them close enough to the window to actually benefit from the light that’s available.

Because there’s an important difference between:

“This plant tolerates lower light.”

and:

“This plant can live in a dark corner six metres from a window.”

It can’t.

So if you’ve got a north-facing room and aren’t sure what to grow there, here are 15 of the best houseplants for north-facing windows.

Are North-Facing Windows Good for Houseplants?

They can be.

In the Northern Hemisphere, north-facing windows generally receive less direct sunlight than windows facing other directions.

Instead, they tend to provide softer, more consistent indirect light.

That can be a disadvantage for plants that need extremely bright conditions, including many:

Cacti
Succulents
Citrus plants
Sun-loving herbs
Light-hungry flowering plants

But it can work beautifully for many tropical foliage plants.

North-facing windows can also be useful for plants with delicate foliage that might scorch in intense direct sunlight.

If you’re still getting to grips with indoor light, our Houseplant Light & Placement guides can help you work out what the light in your home actually means for your plants.

Best Plants for North-Facing Windows at a Glance

Plant	Light Tolerance	Beginner Friendly?	Size
Pothos	Low–bright indirect	Very	Trailing/climbing
Heartleaf Philodendron	Low–bright indirect	Very	Trailing/climbing
ZZ Plant	Low–bright indirect	Very	Medium
Snake Plant	Low–bright indirect	Very	Medium/tall
Chinese Evergreen	Low–bright indirect	Very	Small/medium
Cast Iron Plant	Low–moderate	Very	Medium
Peace Lily	Low–bright indirect	Yes	Medium
Spider Plant	Moderate indirect	Very	Small/medium
Parlour Palm	Low–moderate	Yes	Medium/tall
Dracaena	Moderate indirect	Yes	Medium/tall
Prayer Plant	Moderate indirect	Moderate	Small
Boston Fern	Moderate indirect	Moderate	Medium
Bird’s Nest Fern	Moderate indirect	Moderate	Medium
Fittonia	Low–moderate	Moderate	Small
Lucky Bamboo	Low–moderate	Easy	Small/medium

1. Pothos

Best all-round plant for a north-facing window

If I had to choose one plant for a relatively low-light room, Pothos would be very high on my list.

It’s forgiving, fast-growing in good conditions and extremely adaptable.

Pothos can tolerate lower light levels, although you’ll generally get:

Faster growth
Larger leaves
Stronger variegation

in brighter indirect light.

Highly variegated varieties usually need more light than predominantly green ones because the white or pale sections contain less chlorophyll.

Where to put it

Place your Pothos close to the north-facing window rather than automatically hanging it at the opposite side of the room.

You can let it trail from a shelf or give it support and encourage it to climb.

Shop your Live Pothos plant here.

2. Heartleaf Philodendron

Best easy trailing plant

Heartleaf Philodendron is another excellent option if you want something trailing.

Its heart-shaped green leaves look beautiful cascading from:

Shelves
Hanging planters
Bookcases
Tall plant stands

It can cope with relatively modest light levels, although — like almost every plant on this list — it will generally grow better with brighter indirect light.

Beginner tip

If the stems become increasingly stretched and the gaps between leaves get longer, your plant may be reaching for more light.

Move it closer to the window rather than assuming that appearance is simply normal.

Shop here: Live Heartleaf Philodendron.

3. ZZ Plant

Best for forgetful plant owners

ZZ Plants have become famous for tolerating conditions that make fussier houseplants deeply unhappy.

They tolerate:

Lower light
Infrequent watering
Ordinary indoor humidity
A reasonable amount of neglect

Their thick rhizomes store water, so they’re much more forgiving of occasionally being left dry than of constantly sitting in wet compost.

Important

“Low-light tolerant” doesn’t mean “put it somewhere with virtually no natural light”.

A ZZ Plant will generally grow more strongly in good indirect light.

In genuinely dark rooms, consider adding artificial lighting rather than testing the limits of its will to live.

Shop here: Live ZZ Plant.

4. Snake Plant

Best upright plant for small spaces

Snake Plants are brilliant if you want greenery without sacrificing loads of floor space.

Their leaves grow predominantly upwards rather than spreading dramatically sideways.

They’re also tolerant of lower light.

Growth may be slower in a north-facing position than in brighter indirect light, but an otherwise suitable spot close to the window can work well.

Water carefully

The bigger danger with Snake Plants in lower light is often overwatering.

Plants use water more slowly when they’re receiving less light.

Don’t continue watering on exactly the same schedule regardless of conditions.

Shop here: Live Snake Plant.

5. Chinese Evergreen

Best colourful foliage option

Chinese Evergreens — Aglaonema — are fantastic foliage plants for less brightly lit rooms.

There are loads of cultivars, ranging from mostly green foliage to leaves marked with:

Silver
Cream
Pink
Red

However, the more colourful the plant, the more light it may need to maintain that colour.

If you’ve got a relatively dim north-facing window, greener varieties are generally the safer choice.

Beginner tip

Keep it somewhere with reasonably stable temperatures and avoid cold draughts.

Shop here: Live Chinese Evergreen.

6. Cast Iron Plant

Best genuinely tough low-light plant

The Cast Iron Plant didn’t get its name because it’s delicate.

Aspidistra has a reputation for tolerating:

Lower light
Fluctuating conditions
Some neglect

Its long, deep-green leaves make it a particularly good option if you want something substantial without needing intense sunlight.

Where to put it

A position near a north-facing window can suit it beautifully.

And because it doesn’t need to sit directly on the windowsill, it’s useful if you’ve got limited sill space.

Shop here: Live Cast Iron Plant.

7. Peace Lily

Best for flowers

If you’d like something that can produce flowers without an incredibly sunny window, Peace Lilies are worth considering.

They’re tolerant of lower light and have attractive glossy foliage even when they aren’t blooming.

However, there’s an important catch:

surviving and flowering enthusiastically are not the same thing.

A Peace Lily may remain perfectly alive in lower light but produce fewer flowers.

If yours has stopped flowering completely, light is one of the things worth investigating.

Watering

Peace Lilies like more consistent moisture than Snake Plants or ZZ Plants, but don’t keep the soil permanently saturated.

Shop here: Live Peace Lily.

8. Spider Plant

Best beginner plant

Spider Plants are fantastic first houseplants.

They’re:

Adaptable
Fast-growing in good conditions
Easy to propagate
Generally forgiving

They can grow near north-facing windows, although a very dark position may reduce growth and the production of spider plant babies.

Variegated Spider Plants may also lose some of their strong colouring when light is insufficient.

And once yours starts producing babies, read How to Propagate a Spider Plant before cutting them off.

Time to buy: Live Spider Plant.

9. Parlour Palm

Best palm for lower light

Not every palm wants to roast beside an enormous sunny window.

Parlour Palms are relatively tolerant of lower indoor light, which has helped make them popular houseplants for generations.

Their feathery foliage adds height without the visual heaviness of some larger foliage plants.

Avoid extremes

Keep your Parlour Palm away from:

Harsh direct sun
Cold draughts
Heating vents
Air-conditioning blasts

A stable position near a north-facing window can work beautifully.

Get yourself a: Live Parlour Palm.

10. Dracaena

Best taller foliage plant

Dracaenas are useful when you want a houseplant with some height.

There are numerous types available, with foliage ranging from deep green to striped and variegated.

Many tolerate moderate indoor light well.

However, strongly variegated varieties may benefit from brighter conditions than predominantly green ones.

Watch the leaves

If new growth becomes weaker or the plant starts leaning strongly towards the window, it may need more light.

Read Why Is My Houseplant Leaning? if your Dracaena appears determined to escape through the glass.

Shop here: Live Dracaena plant.

11. Prayer Plant

Best for patterned leaves

Prayer Plants — Maranta — have some of the prettiest foliage you can grow indoors.

Their leaves can feature:

Deep green
Lime
Red veins
Purple undersides

They naturally appreciate indirect rather than harsh direct sunlight, making a bright north-facing window potentially useful.

The catch

Prayer Plants can be fussier than a Pothos or ZZ Plant.

They tend to appreciate:

Consistent moisture
Higher humidity
Warm temperatures
Good-quality indirect light

I’d call them north-window suitable, rather than completely bombproof.

12. Boston Fern

Best for lush foliage

A healthy Boston Fern looks spectacular.

Loads of soft green fronds create an instantly lush appearance.

They’re also much happier with indirect light than harsh direct sunlight.

A north-facing window can therefore work well.

But…

Boston Ferns can be dramatic about moisture and humidity.

Allow one to become bone dry repeatedly and it may reward you by dropping approximately six billion tiny crispy leaflets onto the floor.

Keep conditions reasonably consistent.

Shop here: Live Boston Fern.

13. Bird’s Nest Fern

Best modern-looking fern

If you like ferns but don’t particularly want Boston Fern confetti all over your home, consider a Bird’s Nest Fern.

Its broad, wavy leaves grow from a central rosette and give it a completely different appearance from traditional feathery ferns.

It prefers indirect light, making it another potential candidate for a north-facing window.

Watering tip

Avoid repeatedly pouring water directly into the central crown.

Water the growing medium instead.

Shop here: Live Bird’s Nest Fern.

14. Fittonia

Best tiny plant for a north-facing windowsill

Fittonia — often called the Nerve Plant — stays relatively compact and comes in gorgeous patterned varieties.

The leaves may feature veins of:

White
Pink
Red
Silver

It doesn’t need intense direct sun, so it can work well on a bright north-facing windowsill.

One warning

Fittonia has a reputation for dramatic wilting when dry.

Sometimes it looks as though the entire plant has died during the 20 minutes you spent making lunch.

Give it a drink and it may stage an equally dramatic recovery.

Try not to let it reach that point repeatedly.

15. Lucky Bamboo

Best compact option

Despite its name, Lucky Bamboo isn’t actually bamboo.

It’s a type of Dracaena.

It can tolerate relatively modest light levels and stays compact enough for:

Windowsills
Desks
Shelves

You’ll often see it sold growing directly in water, although it can also be grown in an appropriate potting medium.

Keep it away from harsh direct sun.

Shop here: Lucky Bamboo plant.

Which Plants Should You Avoid in a North-Facing Window?

This depends on exactly how much light your particular window receives.

But generally, I’d be cautious with plants that need very high light levels.

That can include:

Many cacti

They usually want significantly stronger light.

Many succulents

Without enough light, they can become stretched and lose their compact form.

Citrus

Lemon and lime trees generally need considerably brighter conditions.

Sun-loving herbs

Basil may tolerate an exceptionally bright north-facing position for a while, but most edible herbs will perform much better with stronger light.

Very light-hungry flowering plants

Plants may remain alive without receiving enough energy to flower properly.

If you desperately want to grow one of these plants in a north-facing room, a grow light can completely change what’s possible.

Read The Complete Beginner’s Guide to Grow Lights for Houseplants for help choosing and positioning one.

How Close Should Plants Be to a North-Facing Window?

Generally, closer than you might think.

Light intensity falls substantially as you move away from a window.

That means:

Directly beside a north-facing window

and

on a bookshelf across the room from a north-facing window

are completely different growing conditions.

If you’re already starting with relatively limited natural light, don’t waste most of it by putting the plant metres away.

Our guide to How Far Should Houseplants Be From a Window? explains this in more detail.

Can Plants Sit Directly on a North-Facing Windowsill?

Many can, particularly because north-facing windows generally receive less intense direct sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere.

But check the actual conditions.

Consider:

Temperature
Cold glass in winter
Draughts
Radiators underneath
Extremely hot climates
Nearby buildings reflecting light

Window direction is useful information.

It isn’t the entire story.

Are North-Facing Windows Low Light?

Usually they’re lower light than other orientations, but calling every north-facing window “low light” oversimplifies things.

A huge unobstructed north-facing window can provide considerably more usable light than a tiny east-facing window blocked by another building.

Light is affected by:

Window size
Distance from the glass
Buildings outside
Trees
Curtains and blinds
Season
Latitude
Weather

So use window direction as a starting point, then look at what is actually happening in your home.

What If My North-Facing Window Is Really Dark?

You have three options.

Choose extremely tolerant plants

Start with plants such as:

ZZ Plant
Cast Iron Plant
Snake Plant
Green Pothos

Move plants closer to the window

Don’t underestimate the difference even one metre can make.

Add a grow light

A small full-spectrum grow light can turn an otherwise unsuitable plant shelf into useful growing space.

Shop here: Full-spectrum grow light.

Do Plants Grow More Slowly in North-Facing Windows?

They can.

Lower light means less energy available for photosynthesis.

That can result in:

Slower growth
Smaller leaves
Longer gaps between leaves
Reduced flowering

However, some plants are naturally adapted to relatively shady environments and remain perfectly healthy under moderate indirect light.

If your plant seems unusually sluggish, read Why Is My Houseplant Growing Slowly?

Should You Water Plants Less in a North-Facing Window?

Potentially.

A plant receiving less light often uses water more slowly than the same plant in brighter conditions.

That means the potting mix can remain wet for longer.

Don’t blindly water every Saturday because that’s what you’ve always done.

Check the soil.

If it’s still wet, wait.

If this is a persistent problem, read Why Does My Houseplant Soil Stay Wet for Days or Weeks?

What Is the Best Hanging Plant for a North-Facing Window?

I’d choose Pothos or Heartleaf Philodendron.

Both tolerate moderate indoor light and look fantastic trailing from hanging pots.

Spider Plants are another good option.

Just remember that hanging plants positioned above a window may receive considerably less light than plants directly in front of it.

The fact that a basket is physically near the window doesn’t necessarily mean light is reaching its leaves.

What Is the Best Tall Plant for a North-Facing Room?

I’d consider:

Dracaena
Parlour Palm
Snake Plant
Larger Cast Iron Plant

Which one works best depends on exactly how much light reaches the position where you want to put it.

What Is the Easiest Plant for a North-Facing Window?

For a complete beginner, I’d choose one of these:

Pothos — easy, adaptable and fast-growing.

ZZ Plant — brilliant if you sometimes forget to water.

Snake Plant — upright and extremely forgiving.

Cast Iron Plant — excellent if light really is limited.

Chinese Evergreen — beautiful foliage without enormous demands.

Start with one of those before deciding that your dark north-facing bathroom simply must contain a rare variegated tropical diva.

What About Variegated Houseplants?

Be slightly more cautious.

Variegated leaves contain areas with less chlorophyll than completely green leaves.

That generally means strongly variegated plants benefit from brighter conditions.

A green Pothos might grow reasonably happily beside your north-facing window while a heavily variegated cultivar becomes slower or starts producing greener growth.

If preserving variegation is important to you, provide plenty of bright indirect light or consider supplementary lighting.

North-Facing Window Plant Care Tips

Choosing the right plant is only half the job.

Keep plants reasonably close to the window

Don’t turn moderate light into extremely low light unnecessarily.

Reduce watering when plants dry slowly

Check the soil rather than following a fixed schedule.

Rotate plants

If growth begins leaning towards the window, rotate the pot periodically.

Clean the leaves

Dust reduces the amount of light reaching the leaf surface.

Our guide to How to Clean Houseplant Leaves covers the easiest way to do this.

Watch seasonal changes

A position that works beautifully during summer may become much darker in winter.

Add artificial light if necessary

You don’t have to abandon a favourite plant simply because your window orientation isn’t ideal.

Frequently Asked Questions

What houseplants are best for a north-facing window?

Pothos, ZZ Plants, Snake Plants, Chinese Evergreens, Cast Iron Plants, Peace Lilies and Heartleaf Philodendrons are all good candidates for north-facing windows.

Can Pothos grow in a north-facing window?

Yes. Pothos tolerates moderate and relatively low indoor light, although growth will generally be stronger in brighter indirect light.

Can a Monstera grow in a north-facing window?

Potentially, particularly directly beside a large unobstructed window, but Monstera generally benefits from brighter indirect light. In a genuinely dark north-facing room, supplementary lighting may produce much better growth.

Can succulents grow in north-facing windows?

Many succulents prefer much brighter conditions and may become stretched in insufficient light. A grow light can help if a north-facing window is your only available position.

Are north-facing windows too dark for plants?

Not necessarily. They generally provide less direct sunlight in the Northern Hemisphere, but many foliage plants tolerate these conditions well.

Can you grow flowering houseplants in north-facing windows?

Some, including Peace Lilies, can tolerate lower light. However, flowering may be reduced if the plant doesn’t receive enough energy-producing light.

Should plants be directly beside a north-facing window?

Plants that tolerate lower light will often perform better relatively close to the window than several metres away. Exact positioning depends on window size and obstructions.

Do north-facing plants need less water?

Often they may dry more slowly because they’re receiving less light, but watering requirements depend on the individual plant and conditions. Always check the soil.

Final Thoughts

A north-facing window doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a house without plants.

You simply need to work with the light you’ve got.

Start with genuinely adaptable foliage plants such as Pothos, ZZ Plants, Snake Plants, Chinese Evergreens and Cast Iron Plants.

Put them reasonably close to the window.

Watch how they grow.

And remember that “tolerates low light” doesn’t mean “thrives in darkness”.

If a plant starts stretching, producing smaller leaves or barely growing at all, moving it closer to the window — or adding a grow light — may make a substantial difference.

Choose the plant for the position rather than buying whichever plant looks pretty and then desperately trying to persuade it that your house has a completely different climate.

It’s much easier for everyone involved.