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The first thing real estate agents say about a north-facing apartment is “lovely indirect light.” The first thing a new plant owner discovers is that “indirect” is a polite way to say “your basil will die here.”
North-facing windows get the least direct sun of any direction in the northern hemisphere – usually none at all. But “no direct sun” doesn’t mean “no plants.” It just means choosing plants that genuinely tolerate dim conditions. Here’s the list, with care notes.
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What north-facing light actually offers
A north-facing window provides bright, soft, indirect daylight throughout the day. The sky lights the room without any direct beam sunlight falling on plants. This is:
- Plenty of light for foliage plants that didn’t evolve under harsh sun.
- Not enough light for sun-loving herbs (basil, rosemary), fruiting vegetables, or most flowering plants.
- Far better than the back wall of any room – even a north window is much brighter than further into the apartment.
For the full breakdown on direction and what each one offers, see our guide to balcony directions – the same logic applies to indoor windows.
The shortlist: 9 plants that thrive here
1. Pothos
The first recommendation for almost any low-light spot. Pothos thrives in a north-facing window, growing steadily without complaint. The vines trail elegantly off a shelf. Full care details in our pothos care guide.
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2. Snake plant
One of the easiest houseplants in existence. Tolerates almost any light from bright to dim. North-facing window is well within its comfort zone. See how to water a snake plant for the specific care rules.
3. ZZ plant
Glossy, sculptural, and basically immortal. Grows slowly in low light but stays healthy indefinitely.
4. Peace lily
One of the few houseplants that flowers in low light. The white spathes (modified leaves) appear regularly with a north-facing window’s gentle illumination. Also droops dramatically when thirsty, which is helpful feedback for beginners.
5. Heartleaf philodendron
Pothos’s near-identical-looking cousin. Slightly softer leaves, similar trailing habit, tolerates low light just as well. Often the more affordable option at garden centres.
6. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)
Patterned leaves, often with silver or pink markings. Some varieties want a bit more light to keep their colour – the darker-leaved varieties are best for north-facing windows.
7. Cast iron plant (Aspidistra)
The name is literal. Cast iron plants tolerate conditions that kill almost everything else. The trade-off: very slow growth. A new leaf every couple of months is normal.
8. Parlor palm
One of the few palms that survives in low light. Stays compact (3-4 feet indoors) and adds a tropical silhouette without needing a sunny corner.
9. Boston fern
Loves the soft light of a north window, especially in a bathroom or kitchen near a humidity source. Needs more attention than the others (regular watering, humidity), but rewards with lush, layered foliage.
Plants that won’t work here
For complete honesty, the plants you should not buy for a north-facing window:
- Basil and other sun-loving herbs
- Succulents and cacti (will etiolate and stretch)
- Fiddle leaf fig (notoriously needs bright light)
- Citrus trees (need 6+ hours of direct sun)
- Most flowering plants (anthurium, orchids are exceptions)
- Tomatoes, peppers, or any fruiting plant
If you really want one of these in a north-facing room, supplement with a small LED grow light. The cheap bulbs that fit a regular lamp ($10-25) make a meaningful difference.
How to maximize a north-facing window
Get the most out of the light you have:
- Put plants close to the window. Light intensity drops dramatically a few feet inward.
- Keep the window clean. A dusty window cuts light noticeably.
- Remove curtains during the day. Even sheer ones reduce light significantly.
- Rotate plants weekly. They lean toward light; a quarter-turn keeps growth even.
- Use a light-coloured wall behind the plants. Bounces some light back onto the plant from the dim side.
Watering north-window plants
Important reminder: less light means less water use. Cut your normal watering frequency by 20-30% compared to plants in brighter spots. Most over-watering deaths in dim apartments come from owners maintaining their bright-window watering schedule despite the new conditions.
See how often to water houseplants by room for room-specific rules.
Adding light when you need to
If you want to grow plants that need more than a north-facing window provides:
- A basic LED bulb ($10-25) in a regular lamp, on a timer for 8-12 hours per day.
- A small full-spectrum grow lamp ($25-50) clips to a shelf and produces noticeably better growth for the same energy.
- Positioning matters more than power. A modest light 6-8 inches above a plant is more effective than a powerful one 3 feet away.
With supplemental lighting, you can grow herbs, succulents, even baby tomatoes in a north-facing apartment. Without it, stick to the list above.
The bottom line
A north-facing window is not a problem – it’s a constraint. The constraint shapes which plants you grow, not whether you can. Pothos, snake plants, ZZ plants, peace lilies, philodendrons, and parlor palms all thrive in conditions that kill sun-lovers. With those species, a north-facing apartment can look like a thriving indoor jungle.
For the wider beginner-friendly indoor plant list, see best low-light indoor plants. And if you’d rather move some plants closer to brighter light, our guide to plant sunlight needs covers what each direction actually provides.
Boosting low-light spots with supplemental lighting
If your north window light is marginal, a single LED grow bulb extends your plant options significantly:
- A $15-25 LED grow bulb fits a regular lamp.
- Run on a timer for 10-12 hours per day during dark seasons.
- Position 6-18 inches above the plant.
- Pothos, snake plants, and ZZ plants thrive with this supplementation; many demanding plants become viable.
The cost is roughly $5/year in electricity for a single LED bulb running 10 hours daily. Worth it for any plant collection in a low-light home.
Rotating plants between bright and dim spots
If you have one bright window and several dim spots, rotating plants gives all of them some bright time:
- Identify your brightest spot.
- Rotate 2-3 plants through that spot, each spending 1-2 weeks there.
- Move the others to dim spots during their “off” weeks.
- This gives every plant some bright exposure across a month rather than leaving some constantly in dim conditions.
This works best for plants that can tolerate a wide light range – pothos, philodendron, peace lily. Strictly low-light or strictly high-light plants don’t benefit as much from rotation.
