9 Best Low Light Succulents for Bedroom

9 Best Low Light Succulents for Bedroom

The highly adaptive nature of succulents makes it ideal for growing literally at any place indoors. They like airy and bright rooms however many of them can thrive even in low light conditions. So,

Are Succulents good for the bedroom? Can you keep succulents in your room?

Yes, definitely you can.

Reasons for which you need to keep succulents in your bedroom and live a healthier life:

  • It is an extremely low maintenance plant so if you have busy daily schedule succulents are just a perfect match for you
  • They liberate oxygen at night which is not common with all other plant species so can provide you with an extra dose of refreshed air that can lead to better sleep
  • Succulents can purify the air and get rid of common pollutants hence cleaning the air naturally on autopilot mode
  • They will help in enhancing the humidity of the room which is important especially in the winter months where dryness in the air can cause sore throat and coughing.
  • Succulents will change the appearance of any room instantly and bring an elegant look to it.
  • They will not only enhance the greenery but the color vibrancy of the whole room.

What is the best plant to put in a bedroom?

A plant that:

  • won’t attract bugs enormously
  • Which will help in purifying the air preferably
  • Which will help in enhancing the oxygen content of the room ideally both at the day and the night
  • Will keep the moisture level of the room under check

Which Succulents are best for Indoors? What are the best Succulents for the Bedroom?

Here I share 9 succulents which are some of the best succulents you can have for your bedroom:

Christmas Cactus

Scientific Name: Schlumbergera bridgesii

These plants absolutely look gorgeous all year round and especially during Christmas when they bloom. The flowers can be of various colors including the red, pink, white, or purple type, and are absolutely stunning in appearance.

  • It overall thrives well in the temperature of 15 to 21 degrees Celcius (70 to 60 Fahrenheit).

 For help it to bloom better during the holidays you can keep them ideally at a temperature of 10 to 13 degrees and keep it under full dark conditions(no strong lighting)

Do Christmas cactus need a lot of sun?

Like most succulent, they love plenty of indirect sunlight. Direct sunlight can harm the leaves which will prevent it to bloom.

  • It likes to be exposed to the bright indirect sun so make sure to keep it near a window or balcony that gets enough sunlight.

How often do you water a Christmas cactus?

It depends hugely on the kind of soil you are using, the time of the year it is and the amount of sunlight he plants is getting.

  • Ideally, you need to water only when the soil feels dry and after doing a moisture check with a moisture meter or just by emerging your finger deep within the soil you can be totally sure that the plant needs watering or not.
  • In general the succulent will need to be watered more than in the fall.

Is Christmas Christmas poisonous for pets?

Christmas cactus is regarded as completely non-toxic for dogs, cats, and other pets (source).

Crassula ovata

Also Called: Jade Gollum

The tubed leaves of the Crassula Ovata are what make this succulent really unique. They also have reddish colors on the leaf edges.

  • Its stunning appearance gives your bedroom an underwater coral touch!
  • The plant is quite tiny and never grows more than 3 feet indoors.
  • The tips of the plant only turn a little bit reddish when gets sufficient exposure to bright sun. The succulent loves to get at least 4 to 5 hours of indirect light on a daily basis. So make sure to keep them near the window.
  • The flower produced are star-shaped and of white color!
  • Crassula Ovata is a summer dominant plant meaning it will grow actively during the winter
  • Crassula ovata propagation is also very easy and you should propagate it before the growing season.

Is Gollum Jade (Crassula Ovata) poisonous?

Ingestion of crassula ovata will lead to stomach issues in pets like cats and dogs. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea. In general, cats are found to be more sensitive to jade plants than dogs. Added symptoms like elevated heart rate and muscle tremors can occur. So keep them at a place out of reach of your pets, high upon shelves, hanging baskets, etc (source).

Mammillaria gracilis fragilis

It is popularly called the Thimble Cactus.

  • One of the best succulents to get started with if you have no previous experience of handling these plants.
  • They are extremely low maintenance and can adapt well with conditions provided.
  • Thimble cactus loves sunlight so make sure you place them in a bedroom which is south facing as it needs 5 to 6 hours of sunlight to do well.
  • Mammillaria gracilis fragilis will keep on producing newer offsets from time to time and you can use those for propagation. This is one of their main characters. They are superbly easy to propagate.
  • Produces beautiful off white flowers in summer. It is dormant in winter.

Do controlled watering. Cactuses in general can put up with dry conditions fairly easily. So only water when the soil is really dry.

Is Thimble cactus toxic?

Thimble cactus is regarded as non-toxic for dogs, cats, and other pets as per ASPCA.

Aloe Nobilis

Popularly termed as Gold tooth aloe.

These are another set of rosette-forming succulents with red-colored leaf tips. The leaves have a unique sharp tooth-like cutting which makes the pant look gorgeous.  Just like all variants of Aloe, it has fleshy leaves.

  • It has low nutritional needs and is a slow grower. It is perfect for growing in decorative containers.
  • The leaf edges change color only when it receives sufficient bright sun.
  • This succulent can even withstand full sun so as you can imagine they love sunlight. However, they grow pretty well indoors. Keep them near south-facing or east-facing windows and they will be okay by themselves.
  • It is quite a cold-hardy plant in comparison with other succulents and can tolerate cold up to 5 degrees Celcius. However it like mall succulents love the warmer climate.
  • Grows actively during the summer and is dormant in winter. Produces bright reddish or orange flowers in the summer.

 Haworthia fasciata

Popularly called as Zebra Plant

Just like the name suggests they are like the zebra of the succulent kingdom. If you are looking for succulents that turn everyone”s head someone enters the room then its this plant. The white stripes on the green pointed leaves really make it stand out.

zebra cactus haworthia how long can go without watering

Native to South Africa this succulent is now a household name all across the world.

  • It is a slow-growing plant but under basic conditions can survive for years.
  • The zebra plant bloom rarely but when it does it produces white or pinkish flowers in the summer.
  • One of the best beginner-friendly succulents out there as it can survive under the basic availability of water and sunlight. Zebra Haworthia is known to survive well under neglect to some extent.
  • Put it near the window and it will be good to go. Ideally, it does well on the south or east-facing windows.

Leaves turn red when overexposed to sunlight. Brown spots can occur on the leaves as well but as long as it remains confined to leaf edges its not a matter of concern. Relocate the plant’s position.

How to water Zebra plants?

  • Zebra plants have low watering needs like all succulents so only water when the potting soil is dry. They are dormant during the winter so further cut back on watering during the cooler months.

What kind of soil is suitable for growing zebra plants?

Like all succulents, they love the cactus mix soil which is lighter on organic materials. You can prepare your own soil mixture by adding 25% of potting soil with 30% of coarse sand and fill up the rest with pumice, other volcanic rocks, gravels, and pebbles.

Also, you can add a little bit of compost and horticultural charcoal if you want for enhancing the nutrition and drainage aspect of the soil respectively.

Is Zebra Haworthia poisonous?

The Zebra cactus plant is regarded as nonpoisonous for dogs, cats, and other pets (source).

Aloe Vera

   It’s a plant that is grown as a home plant for thousands of years mainly because of its medicinal properties. The gel obtained by peeling off a leaf of the plant can be used for a variety of purposes.

aloe vera for bedroom

Is Aloe Vera Good for the bedroom?

  • It helps in purifying especially pollutants like benzene and formaldehyde.
  • They can grow in low, mediocre, or even in bright light hence Aloe vera is a great plant to grow in the bedroom as it helps in providing a better quality of air.
  • Its medicinal properties, aesthetic classy looks, and extensive ability to produce oxygen at night make it highly suitable as a bedroom plant.
  • They have flashy leaves however avoid watering the leaves and target the potting soil. Wet leaves can lead to fungal infections.

Is Aloe Vera poisonous? Is Aloe safe for pets?

Aloe vera is fairly toxic for children and kinds of all pets. The saponin they contain leads to severe stomach related problems including diarrhea, vomiting, mouth irritation, nausea, etc(source).

Hens-and-Chicks

Scientific Name: Echeveria elegans
hens and chicks for bedroom

Hens and chicks are one of the cutest succulents out there with their unique rosette shape and small stature. They can grow in extremely dry or even rocky surfaces without any problem. However, always use cactus mix soil for growing them indoors as it will help them to thrive better.

They make awesome decorative plants as the main plant keeps on producing numerous babies all around itself. All of the babies and the mother plant remain connected via a runner, deep under the soil.

  • You can separate the chicks from the mother plant with the least effort and can grow them as separate entities.
  •  Hens and chicks love a bright dose of sunlight so if possible grow them on a windowpane or tabletop of south-facing windows.
  • They do well under temperatures of 18-24 degrees Celcius. They have little tolerance for extreme temperatures and usually enter the dormant phase.

How fast do hens and chicks spread?

They produce multiple offsets ranging from 3-5 every year and you need to separate the chicks from the mother plant at least yearly otherwise overcrowding can occur. The main plant dies after 4-6 years.

  • Try growing the offsets on other pots. You can even consider gifting them.  However, if you have a sufficiently large pot and enough of the potting medium in it, you can even leave the succulent unattended.

How often should you water hens and chicks?

Only water the succulent when the soil is dry. Their watering needs are low so watering once in 5-8 days in hotter months and once in 10-20 days in colder months is just fine. Hens and chicks like all succulents are not friendly with waterlogged soil so make sure never to overwater them.

Are Hens and Chicks poisonous?

Hens and chicks are found to be nonpoisonous for all kinds of pets including dogs, cats, and horses (source).

Sedum morganianum

Other names: Burrows tail or donkey’s tail

They look extremely elegant in hanging baskets.  They require bright light throughout the day for optimum growth. It’s best if you can keep them beside the window.

sedum succulent balcony
Photo by Van L from Pexels
  • Sedum is one of the easiest plants for propagation. They grow best outdoors or in the balcony. However, if you get enough light in your bedroom consider growing them in your bedroom. You can later on use grow light if the succulent show signs of underexposure to sunlight.
  • Burrow”s tail look impressive when kept in hanging baskets, the drooping stems and flesh tear-shaped leaves make them really stand out.
  • They are dormant in the winter and actively grows in spring & summer. So consider fertilizing them in the spring with a well balanced diluted fertilizer.
  • Their leaves fall off pretty easily even the healthy ones as they are sensitive to touch. You can easily propagate them using these leaves. So dont move it around too much.
  • Avoid watering the leaves and aim for the soil region only as water absorption happen through the roots. Moist leaves and branches can attract pests.

Is Sedum morganianum poisonous?

Sedums are regarded as nonpoisonous for dogs, cats, and horses (source).

Snake Plant

Scientific Name: Sansevieria trifasciata
Other names include Golden Bird’s Nest, Mother-in-Law’s Tongue.

Snake plants are extremely susceptible to overwatering so make sure you have a drainage friendly soil. Make sure to always check the dryness of the soil before watering.

snake plant succulent balcony

Is a snake plant good for the bedroom?

This plant is just the ideal plant you wanna have for your bedroom. Snake plants are often time popularly called the bedroom plant. It is inexpensive, very much low maintenance, and does a great job of cleansing the air and providing fresh oxygen.

  • It is one of those succulents with the highest efficiency of cleaning the air from toxic pollutants.
  • Also, they help in repelling mosquitoes naturally So if you are considering buying succulents or plants for your bedroom, then this is an automatic option.

Where should I keep my snake plant in my bedroom?

Snake plants require indirect bright light in optimum amounts for better growth. So try to keep them in front or beside the window of the room that gets enough sunlight throughout.

Do snake plants produce oxygen at night?

It is those rare varieties of plants that can produce an abundance of oxygen even at night.  Most plants release oxygen during the day and carbon dioxide at night. However, succulents release oxygen even at night as they have the ability to perform a type of photosynthesis called CAM.

Is the snake plant Bad luck?

Mother in law or snake plants is sometimes regarded as plants that have bad Fengshui or negative energy however this is not true.

  • Snake plants help in removing harmful wastes from the air and cleanse the air. They also help in producing oxygen at night that can help you to have better sleep cycles.

Hence Snake plants can only bring in positive feng shui energy and protective energy and can be ideally placed on wooden elements in the southeastern, eastern, or southern corners. Throughout history many cultures considered having this plant at home as a sign of bringing invaluable prospects like money, strength, health, prosperity, etc.

    Do snake plants attract bugs?

Snake plants do not attract bugs. They contain a chemical called saponin that repels mosquitoes and insects. This is another benefit of having multiple snake plants in the house especially if you live in an area filled with mosquitoes. However, they are a little bit susceptible to mealybugs and spider mites which you can easily avoid by keeping an eye on the plant.

Is Snake Plant Toxic?

snake plants are moderately toxic as they contain saponins. So when ingested by cats, dogs, and other pets they produce symptoms related to severe stomach related issues like vomiting, diarrhea, nausea. In case you have children and pets in the house, it is best to avoid this plant, keep them outside in the garden, or to keep them at someplace out of their reach (source).

FAQ

Is it bad to have plants in your bedroom at night?  Why should we not keep plants in the bedroom?

Most varieties of the plant apart from the succulents, orchids and a few other varieties like the areca palms produce oxygen during the day and carbon dioxide during the night. However, this does not mean you cannot keep them in your bedroom.

Until and unless you have loads of plants in your bedroom it won’t affect you at all. Think of it like this, if someone else is sleeping with you in your room at night, they will be liberating co2 also along with you. That does not make the room air toxic in any way.

However, if there is a big crowd of people staying in a single room then it will lead to an abundance of co2 in the air and cause breathing issues. It’s just the same in this case also. However, plants liberate a lot less carbon dioxide than any human or animal would do.  On the plus side these plants will liberate oxygen throughout the day and in the cases of succulents throughout the day and night so will help in keeping the room air fresh and healthy.

  • So in short having a few plants in your room won’t be harmful at all provided you don’t have any kind of allergies against them.

Along with this many varieties of succulents help in filtering the air and remove toxic elements like formaldehyde, benzene, toluene, and other allergens hence improve the air quality directly.

Some plants secrete essential oils which further can help you to relax better and have a satisfying and sound sleep on a regular basis.

How many plants should you have in my bedroom?

For an average 5 by 4-meter room, having one plant will help in improving the air quality by 25%. Provided the plant is fully grown and has large leaves. The size of the plant and the size of the room plays a key role in this. However, if you intend:

  • To enhance your mental health, have more clarity and focus
  • To have cleaner air around
  • To increase the aesthetic of the room

Then you can aim to have at least 5 to 10 plants in your bedroom of 4 by 5 meters.

Try to keep plants with bigger leaves, fewer watering needs and if possible having the capability of producing oxygen even at night(plants excel out a little bit of co2 as mentioned earlier so it won’t be much harmful).

Conclusion

All these succulents are highly low maintenance and can do on their own when basic care is provided.

  • Always use a cactus mix soil for potting them and if possible use terra cotta pots instead of plastic pots as they absorb water better. Succulents cannot survive without providing drainage in place so it is ideal to have drainage holes at the bottom of the pot. In case you wanna use decorative containers or glass containers refer to this post on how to grow succulents without drainage holes.
  • All these succulents will thrive best if your bedroom is south or east-facing however they are highly adaptive in nature. So they adjust well with their environment. lookout for signs of stretching which is common when underexposed to sunlight.
  • Succulents are highly sensitive to damp soil so whatever you do, never overwater succulents. They can tolerate underwatering but not overwatering. Only water the plants when the potting soil is dry.

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