# What kind of plants do well in low light? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 20, 2001, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227 "2001-08-20T20:41:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227/21 "2001-08-21T17:14:38Z")
you gotta go for a weed plant, maybe hemp. they’re a little more work, but the rewards outweigh the tasks. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227/22 "2001-08-21T19:19:09Z")
**Dijon Warlock** : Produce enough to be economical? Eh, conceivably I guess, if you’re serious about it ( I certainly wasn’t - I was growing Oyster Mushrooms on rolls of toilet paper just to see if I could 🙂 ). Well, I don’t know about Shittakes - They seem relatively inexpensive these days. The biggest advantage is having a fresh , quality crop when the stores may not ( I’ve noticed Oyster Mushrooms sold in stores are sometimes pretty beat up ). Now Morel kits - fresh Morels can be pretty pricey, so that might not be a bad option. But I’ve heard that the crop on those is highly variable. And there are a couple of kits that allow you to grow fungi you’ll rarely see in stores, like those Lion’s Manes, so they might be worth it just for that. Really the cheapest way to get them is go out and pick them yourself, they’ll probably taste a little better as well. But I know not everybody has the time or confidence to do so. I’d try picking one up and giving it a go, see if you’re satisfied with what you get. They’re pretty cheap for a bit of fun and food, really 🙂 . - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227/23 "2001-08-22T16:41:01Z")
I recommend the corn plant, [_Dracaena fragrans._](http://ol.scc.spokane.cc.wa.us/PShaw/courses/House_Plant/Frames_a_Z.htm) It’s usually in the form of a tall cane with corn-like leaves in a rosette at the top. Mother-in-Laws Tongue, [_Sanseviera trifasciata_](http://ol.scc.spokane.cc.wa.us/PShaw/courses/House_Plant/Frames_a_Z.htm). is another one it’s hard to kill. We have one that belonged to my great-grandmother; it’s about 70 years old. What an heirloom, eh? Also, we have a rubbertree [_Ficus elastica_](http://ol.scc.spokane.cc.wa.us/PShaw/courses/House_Plant/Frames_a_Z.htm) that does well by a north window. Per **Muad’Dib** , ferns are good–unless the humidity in your apartment tends to be low. Then you have to mist them all the time. Messy & PITA. Plus what everybody else said. ---
**Author:** ![Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Myron\_Van\_Horowitzski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myron_Van_Horowitzski)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227/24 "2001-08-22T16:48:20Z")
#%\*$@ frames! You’ll have to scroll down and select the images. ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227/25 "2001-08-24T23:09:49Z")
**Tamerlane & Mangetout:** Thanks. Think I’ll break out the checkbook this weekend. See if I can grow some mutant fungus-monsters. (Toilet paper?..after what I’ve read on this board, I refuse to ask for elaboration on the condition of said paper…:D) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-plants-do-well-in-low-light/77227.md?page=1)