Indoor plant recommendations in unheated parts of house

John368 wrote: »

I started a similar thread in the Interior Design & Decoration sub-forum, but it has been suggested that I should post here as well.

I only heat about a quarter of my three-bedroom house which means that about three quarters of the rooms in the house can have temperatures as low as 5 degrees C during colds spells. I have geraniums and spider plants in these unheated parts of the house and they do well but I have not had much success with other plants.

I would appreciate any recommendations regarding varieties of indoor plants which can easily be grown in unheated rooms. I am mainly thinking of foliage plants like yuccas and cheeseplants, but I am open to considering flowering plants as well.

A lot of house plants won't mind the low temperatures in the winter, as their growth rates slow considerably. As long as they're not outside in the frost!

The thing that will kill these plants in a cold house in winter is water! As the plants will be doing little, they don't need much food and, therefore, won't be taking up water. If the soil is wet, it will stay wet because the plant is not using it, and also there will be little or no evaporation. Roots will rot under these conditions. Keep the plants in small pots and not large pots full of soil that will retain water. The soil should be fast draining. Don't water the plants in winter, unless the soil is really dry all the way down to the bottom.

Plenty of foliage houseplants will be fine, including: Schefflera, Monstera, Sansevieria, Yucca, Ficus benjamina, etc.
If you get the plant from a warm place e.g., a temperature controlled shop, the plant might lose some leaves initially due to the sudden change in temperature but should be fine.

Aspidistra elatior doesn't mind being cold, it is absolutely beautiful when looked after - with shiny leaves it is very elegant; it does flower, the flowers are weird and appear in the soil at the base of the plant. If you don't mind a bit of subterfuge, a cousin of mine has wonderful aspidistras, some in dark corners in her living-room, and she buys artificial orchid sprays and places them in the body of the foliage; they look spectacular and really mystify plant people. There is a variegated aspidistra too, in fact there are many types.
Another beautiful plant for a cool window is one you will sometimes see in gardens in the summer - Oxalis triangularis, with beautiful purple shamrock-like leaves and pink flowers throughout the year. It makes a wonderful houseplant. Sometimes it dies back to its little bulbs, when it is time to add new compost and off it will go again very quickly. New leaves appear in a matter of days, and the grand little flowers shortly afterwards. This plant is not so tolerant of low light as the aspidistra, it needs a bright window.
Another alternative is Crassula ovata, a succulent plant which can become tree-like over time, or can be kept small in a bonsai-type pot. When it gets older it will flower too. It's very easy to care for - needing no water in winter unless you notice its leaves wrinkling; a cool bright window is all it asks. There are many varieties of this plant too, many with coloured leaves of plain dark red (C. ovata 'Rubra'), variegated leaves (Crassula ovata 'Tricolor' and many others) or that lovely clear green which gave the plant its common name of Jade Tree. You may also know it as Money Plant.