Here is the Tropical Reserve & Economical Education Top 5 shade loving plants.
1. Theobroma cacao - How could we not mention this tree. It may not flower as vigorously indoors, but with just the ambient light these trees grow beautifully and produce tiny white to pinkish flowers that turn into cacao pods from which we get our tasty chocolate. Cacao trees have been know to do well in sunny environments such as in Africa, but will require lots more water and generally show more leaf burn since the leaves are quite delicate.
2. Hostas - There are over 35 varieties of these types of leafy plants. They are known to produce beautiful flowers without needing direct light as well as velvety green to blue hue colored leaves.
3. Alocasias - Such as the popular African mask do exceptionally well in shade. One trick is to make sure you do not over-water. Understanding that if your plants are getting less light and subsequently less heat they will also most likely take longer to dry out. That's crucial. Most of these shade loving plants love moisture but should be let to dry slightly before watering again as to not risk maladies.
4. Pothos - These are the first plants / vines I recommend anyone introducing plants to their environment. The Pothos vines are not generally known to flower indoors but since they grow extremely well with very little to full light and minimal water as well as growing well while sitting in nothing but water it is a great starter plant for anyone wanting to green up their thumbs.
5. Coleus - The Coleus provide us with exciting multi-colored leaves, so no waiting around for flowers to make an appearance. When flowers do appear we usually snip them right off in order to maintain the vigor and color in our leaves. Leaf colors can range from lime green to deep wine reds all in a single leaf. Again, Coleus grow well in shade and will gradually change its appearance in color as it gets more or less light.
1. Theobroma cacao - How could we not mention this tree. It may not flower as vigorously indoors, but with just the ambient light these trees grow beautifully and produce tiny white to pinkish flowers that turn into cacao pods from which we get our tasty chocolate. Cacao trees have been know to do well in sunny environments such as in Africa, but will require lots more water and generally show more leaf burn since the leaves are quite delicate.
2. Hostas - There are over 35 varieties of these types of leafy plants. They are known to produce beautiful flowers without needing direct light as well as velvety green to blue hue colored leaves.
3. Alocasias - Such as the popular African mask do exceptionally well in shade. One trick is to make sure you do not over-water. Understanding that if your plants are getting less light and subsequently less heat they will also most likely take longer to dry out. That's crucial. Most of these shade loving plants love moisture but should be let to dry slightly before watering again as to not risk maladies.
4. Pothos - These are the first plants / vines I recommend anyone introducing plants to their environment. The Pothos vines are not generally known to flower indoors but since they grow extremely well with very little to full light and minimal water as well as growing well while sitting in nothing but water it is a great starter plant for anyone wanting to green up their thumbs.
5. Coleus - The Coleus provide us with exciting multi-colored leaves, so no waiting around for flowers to make an appearance. When flowers do appear we usually snip them right off in order to maintain the vigor and color in our leaves. Leaf colors can range from lime green to deep wine reds all in a single leaf. Again, Coleus grow well in shade and will gradually change its appearance in color as it gets more or less light.