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42 Houseplants for a cold room or unheated hallway

Most houseplants are tropical, and a room you never heat will quietly kill them over one winter. These are the exceptions. Every plant here states a lower limit of 10 °C or colder in its own care notes, which is what an unheated hallway, a chilly porch or a spare room with the radiator off actually delivers.

Cold is only half the question - light is the other half, and hallways are often dim. Many of the plants here are desert natives that also want a bright spot, so read both before you commit: a cold hallway with a glass door suits far more of them than a windowless one. And cold plus wet soil is what actually rots roots, so water much less in an unheated room than you would in a warm one. None of these are frost-hardy: if the room drops below freezing, bring them in.

Agave

Agave

Agaves are bold, architectural succulents that form dramatic rosettes of thick, pointed leaves…

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a tough, sun-loving succulent that asks for almost nothing - and inside its plump…

Baseball Plant (Euphorbia obesa)

Baseball Plant (Euphorbia obesa)

The baseball plant is a curious, spineless, ball-shaped euphorbia patterned with subtle…

Bear's Paw

Bear's Paw

Bear's paw is an irresistibly cute succulent whose chunky, fuzzy leaves are tipped with rows of…

Blue Chalksticks (Curio repens)

Blue Chalksticks (Curio repens)

Blue chalksticks is a low, spreading succulent whose plump, finger-shaped leaves are coated a…

Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)

Burro's Tail (Sedum morganianum)

The Burro's Tail - Sedum morganianum, also known as the donkey's tail - is a trailing succulent…

Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)

Chinese Money Plant (Pilea peperomioides)

The Chinese Money Plant is the friendly, quirky houseplant that became an internet sensation.

Crinkle-Leaf Plant

Crinkle-Leaf Plant

The crinkle-leaf plant is a small, slow, charming succulent grown for its wedge-shaped…

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

Crown of Thorns (Euphorbia milii)

The Crown of Thorns is a tough, sun-loving succulent shrub that does something remarkable: it…

Echeveria

Echeveria

Echeveria is a rosette succulent with a plump, symmetrical, flower-like rosette.

Euphorbia Trigona (African Milk Tree)

Euphorbia Trigona (African Milk Tree)

The African Milk Tree, Euphorbia trigona, is a bold, architectural houseplant that looks…

Fairy Castle Cactus

Fairy Castle Cactus

The fairy castle cactus is a charming, slow-growing cactus that branches into a cluster of…

Ghost Plant

Ghost Plant

The ghost plant is an easy, fast-growing rosette succulent in soft, ghostly shades of pale…

Gollum Jade

Gollum Jade

Gollum jade is a quirky cultivar of the classic jade plant whose leaves have rolled into…

Hoya Kerrii (Sweetheart Hoya)

Hoya Kerrii (Sweetheart Hoya)

Hoya kerrii has thick, perfectly heart-shaped leaves, sold by the millions as single-leaf…

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

Jade Plant (Crassula ovata)

The Jade Plant is a small, sturdy succulent tree that can become a lifelong companion - often…

Jelly Bean Plant

Jelly Bean Plant

The jelly bean plant, or 'pork and beans', is a cheerful little sedum whose plump, bean-shaped…

Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)

Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)

The Flaming Katy Kalanchoe is the cheerful, easy succulent that you buy already bursting with…

Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

The Kentia Palm is the elegant, upright indoor palm of grand hotels, conservatories, and…

Lifesaver Plant (Huernia zebrina)

Lifesaver Plant (Huernia zebrina)

The lifesaver plant is a low, creeping succulent with toothed stems and one of the oddest…

Moonstones

Moonstones

Moonstones is a slow, plump rosette succulent whose fat, egg-shaped leaves come in dreamy…

Mother of Thousands

Mother of Thousands

Mother of thousands is a succulent that grows a fringe of tiny, ready-rooted plantlets along…

Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla)

The Norfolk Island Pine looks like a perfect miniature Christmas tree - soft, symmetrical tiers…

Old Man Cactus

Old Man Cactus

The old man cactus is an unmistakable columnar cactus draped in long, shaggy white hairs, like…

Oxalis (False Shamrock / Purple Shamrock)

Oxalis (False Shamrock / Purple Shamrock)

Oxalis triangularis (the "False Shamrock" or "Purple Shamrock") is one of the most charming and…

Paddle Plant (Flapjacks)

Paddle Plant (Flapjacks)

The paddle plant, or flapjacks, is a bold succulent that stacks big, flat, rounded leaves like…

Panda Plant

Panda Plant

The panda plant is a charming, fuzzy succulent whose plump grey-green leaves are coated in…

Pig's Ear (Cotyledon orbiculata)

Pig's Ear (Cotyledon orbiculata)

Pig's ear is a bold South African succulent named for its thick, rounded, paddle-shaped leaves…

Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

The Ponytail Palm is one of the most charming and characterful houseplants there is - a…

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum / Devil's Ivy)

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum / Devil's Ivy)

Pothos is the friendliest trailing vine in the houseplant world - fast, forgiving, beautiful…

Ruby Necklace (Othonna capensis)

Ruby Necklace (Othonna capensis)

Ruby necklace is a fast, trailing succulent whose bean-shaped leaves hang on striking ruby-red…

Saguaro Cactus

Saguaro Cactus

The saguaro is the giant, tree-like cactus of the American Southwest, an icon of the desert…

Snake Plant (Sansevieria / Dracaena trifasciata)

Snake Plant (Sansevieria / Dracaena trifasciata)

Tall, sculptural, and almost indestructible, the Snake Plant thrives on neglect, survives in…

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

The Spider Plant is the cheerful, generous, almost foolproof classic of the houseplant world.

Stapelia (Starfish Flower)

Stapelia (Starfish Flower)

The stapelia is a leafless clumping succulent grown for one of the most extraordinary flowers…

String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

String of Hearts (Ceropegia woodii)

The String of Hearts is one of the most delicate and romantic of all trailing houseplants…

String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus / Curio rowleyanus)

String of Pearls (Senecio rowleyanus / Curio rowleyanus)

String of Pearls is one of the most distinctive and photogenic of all houseplants - long…

Totem Pole Cactus

Totem Pole Cactus

The totem pole cactus is a smooth, spineless, sculptural column covered in soft, knobbly bumps…

Tradescantia (Inch Plant / Wandering Dude)

Tradescantia (Inch Plant / Wandering Dude)

Tradescantia is the fast, lush, colorful trailing plant that fills a hanging pot almost before…

Watch Chain Plant (Crassula muscosa)

Watch Chain Plant (Crassula muscosa)

The watch chain plant is a curious crassula whose tiny, scale-like leaves stack so tightly…

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

With glossy, almost artificial-looking leaves and a near-supernatural tolerance for low light…

ZZ Raven (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven')

ZZ Raven (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven')

The ZZ Raven is a dark cultivar of the classic ZZ Plant whose new leaves emerge bright…

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