Plants for a north-facing window
Pothos, ZZ plant, cast iron plant, Chinese evergreen, parlour palm, Boston fern, peace lily, heartleaf philodendron and snake plant all do well by a north-facing window. Little or no direct sun comes through it, so what matters is how close they sit to the glass.
Updated 12 October 2026. How we write these pages
How to judge the light in a north-facing room
In the northern hemisphere a north-facing window gets no sun in the middle of the day, and in summer only a little low sun early in the morning and in the evening. The light that comes in is light from the sky, and it fades quickly as you move away from the glass. Stand where you want the plant to go and look out. If you can see a good stretch of sky, any of the nine will do. If all you can see is the wall of the building opposite, pick one marked “Copes away from the glass”, or move the plant closer to the window.
Nine plants that do well facing north
Pothos
Deep shade or partial shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
ZZ plant
Deep shade or partial shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
Cast iron plant
Deep shade or partial shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
Chinese evergreen
Deep shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
Parlour palm
Deep shade or partial shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
Boston fern
Deep shade or partial shade
Easy
Copes away from the glass
Peace lily
Partial shade
Moderate
Close to the window
Heartleaf philodendron
Bright, no direct sun
Easy
Close to the window
Snake plant
Bright, no direct sun
Easy
Close to the windowWhat a north-facing room changes for a plant
The soil dries slowly
With little light a plant uses less water, so the pot stays damp for longer.
Feel the soil before you water. Here it needs water less often than in a sunny room.
Winter
Short days take light from a window that gives little to begin with.
In winter, move your plants closer to the window.
Distance from the glass
A few steps towards the back of the room and the light drops a long way.
Plants that want more light belong on the sill or just beside it.
Questions about plants in a north-facing room
Does a north-facing room get enough light for plants?
For plants that cope with partial shade, yes, as long as they’re near the window. Away from the glass, only the ones that cope with deep shade manage, such as cast iron plant, ZZ plant and Chinese evergreen.
Can succulents grow in a north-facing room?
Most of them want a few hours of direct sun, which a north-facing window doesn’t give. Haworthia makes do with partial shade, so keep it on the sill.
How often should you water plants in a north-facing room?
Less often than in a sunny room, because the soil dries slowly, and even less in winter. Feel the soil before you water.
What if I live in the southern hemisphere?
It’s the other way round there: the sun is to the north, so the window that gets no sun faces south. The plants on this page suit a south-facing room.
Read next
Every plant has its own rhythm. LINFA keeps track for you.
For each plant you see roughly how many hours of direct sun reach it through the window and how many it needs, and every day which ones to check.
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