Plants that like dry air are few and far between, but many plants will tolerate low humidity. From cacti to general houseplants, here is a sampling of plants to try.
Houseplants For Low Humidity
Low-humidity houseplants thrive in 25 to 30 percent humidity, which is typical for the average home. Compare this to the relative humidity of 70 to 80 percent that most plants need, and you can see why including some low humidity plants in your home can save some effort. Not surprisingly, several cacti and succulents do well in this type of environment, such as torch cacti, Kalanchoe, and jade plant. A bamboo palm is on the list as well as other houseplants for dry air such as a rubber plant, Chinese evergreen, and snake plant. If the humidity in your home drops below 20 percent, plants can sustain injury. Symptoms of low humidity include dry, curling leaves, brown leaf tips, or small leaves. During winter is when the home humidity is likely to drop below 20 percent. To measure the humidity in your home, you can buy a portable humidity monitor.
Types of Indoor Plants for Low Humidity
Here are suggested houseplants for dry air:
Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea erumpens) Candelabra cactus (Euphorbia) Chin cactus (Gymnocalycium) Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum) Hedgehog cactus (Echinocactus, Lobivia, Rebutia) Jade plant (Crassula arborescens) Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe) Pincushion cactus (Mammillaria) Philodendron (Philodendron) especially heartleaf philodendron Prickly Pear (Opuntia) Rubber plant (Ficus elastica) Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) Torch cactus (Trichocereus) Zebra plant (Aphelandra squarrosa)
If plants are suffering due to low humidity, you can locate plants in the kitchen or bathroom, where the humidity is highest. You also can group plants together, which will raise the humidity. The jury is still out on whether daily misting increases humidity, plus it can increase the chance of fungal infection.
