These 8 Houseplants Actually Thrive in Dry, Low-Humidity Homes

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Even if the air in your home feels perpetually parched, whether from winter heating, living in a desert climate, or constant air conditioning, you can still enjoy indoor greenery. While many popular houseplants crave tropical conditions, there are plenty of resilient species that actually prefer drier air. Here are the best houseplants for dry, low-humidity homes that are tough, low-maintenance, and perfectly suited for spaces where moisture is lacking.

Known for its medicinal properties, aloe vera is a sturdy, spiky succulent that naturally thrives in arid, desert-like conditions. This is a resilient, low-maintenance houseplant that thrives on neglect, making it perfect for any level of plant owner. It doesn’t require direct sunlight and only needs to be watered about every 3 weeks. Aloe vera works well as a functional piece of home décor for a kitchen counter or home office.

Chinese evergreens, or aglaonemas, are low-maintenance houseplants that grow well in low humidity environments. Known for having bold, colorful leaves, they are ideal for tabletops, desks, and shelves. Place this plant near a sunny window and water it when the top couple inches of the soil gets dry (about once a week), making sure all excess water drains away.

The heartleaf philodendron is another easy, low-humidity indoor plant to care for that is also hardy, lush, and beautiful. Native to Central America and the Caribbean, this fast-growing plant can adapt to different levels of light. Avoid direct light exposure and water it once the soil feels dry to the touch.

The jade plant, with its thick oval leaves, is one of the most popular succulents in American households. Known as Money Plant among Chinese practitioners of Feng Shui, this low-maintenance plant is often placed in homes to attract wealth and prosperity. Whether you subscribe to the ideology or not, you will love this plant for its hardiness, speedy growth, and dramatic structural habit. It needs a lot of bright light and stores water in its leaves, allowing it to go for long periods without attention.

The ponytail palm is an ornamental broadleaf evergreen that prefers dry indoor heated air. It needs little water and very low humidity to live–only around 50 percent humidity, and can even adapt to as low as 30 percent. In fact, too much moisture can hinder the health and appearance of this plant. Be sure to provide your ponytail palm with sufficient bright light.

Pothos are beautiful indoor hanging plants with emerald green and white variegated leaves that adapt well to lower humidity levels. Of all the different types of pothos, the elegant Marble Queen Pothos is particularly tolerant of low humidity levels. They look great in hanging baskets, on a wall shelf, in floor stands, or atop a windowsill that provides low-to-moderate light. Pothos plants prefer slightly moist soil, but overwatering can lead to root rot.

As one of the most recognizable houseplants, snake plants have attractive, long, variegated, and upright leaves. This plant can tolerate almost any bad condition, except prolonged over-watering, which will invariably lead to root rot. Overall, they are very easy to grow and they can thrive in extremely dry conditions.

String of Pearls is a popular trailing succulent loved for its unique pearl-like leaves. It is easy to care for; as long as your home is warm enough, the string of pearls plant can survive without much water or sunlight. The spherical leaves help to minimize water loss from evaporation, which allows it to thrive in arid environments. This is an eye-catching plant that looks fabulous in hanging planters by a south-facing window.

 

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