The Easy-To-Care-For Indoor Plant That Thrives Under Artificial Light

An indoor plant is a quick and easy way to enhance the look of a room. Plus, it can make you feel good and calm down your spirits as well. But, many people these days live in congested apartments and houses that don't get much sunlight, and this significantly reduces the number of plants you can grow indoors. Luckily, though, there are still many plants that can thrive in low-light conditions. Some don't even need natural sunlight at all and can grow entirely under artificial lights. Take, for instance, the ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia). Native to the forests and grasslands of Africa, the ZZ plant is naturally adapted to survive under the partial shade of tall trees and thick grasses. Even better? It is one of the easiest plants to grow indoors.

Just keep in mind that its tolerance for low light doesn't mean you can just put it in the dark. If grown under extremely low light, it can stretch and get leggy. And this will entirely ruin its look. Put simply, if your apartment or house gets very little or no sunlight, you need to install some artificial lights. Other than that, you also need to keep it warm to help it thrive. ZZ plants grow very slowly if it gets cold indoors. And, lastly, keep in mind that the ZZ plant has medium-severity toxic properties. So, if you are looking for houseplants that are safe for your pets or houseplants safe for your child's bedroom, you are better off looking for some other indoor plant that thrives in low light.

In homes and apartments with very little natural light, the only practical option to keep your ZZ plant thriving is to use artificial grow lights. Ideally, you want a light that can reproduce the full spectrum of natural sunlight. Fluorescent and LED lights are typically the most effective options. Also, get a 6000K–6500K color temperature bulb that closely mimics the light of the afternoon sun. However, only choosing the right light is not enough. You also need to make sure that you put it at a proper distance from your plant.

Putting the light too close or too far is a crucial grow light mistake that can secretly kill your plant. And for ZZ plants, you want to keep the grow light at a distance of about 18 to 24 inches. This is close enough to give the plant plenty of light, but not so close that it might induce heat damage. Also, keep in mind that even when growing a ZZ plant in natural light indoors, you don't want to place it in direct bright sunlight.

This can easily scorch its leaves and make them turn brown and look burnt. Lastly, when it comes to how long you need to keep the artificial lights on for a thriving ZZ plant, it varies. For instance, in rooms with fairly reasonable natural light, you only need to keep the artificial light on for about six to eight hours a day. However, if the room is very dark, you will need to keep the lights on for about 12 to 16 hours a day to make the ZZ plant feel right at home.