Six Gorgeous RV-Friendly House Plants That Don’t Need Sunlight

RV Life

I’m a full-time RVer and I don’t have a green thumb. RV-friendly house plants that don’t need sunlight, can grow anywhere, and don’t need a ton of watering are perfect for my rig. If you love greenery too, and want some low maintenance plants for RV travel, I guarantee you’ll enjoy these varieties.

Even Nomads Need RV-Friendly House Plants

As traveling RVers who love being close to nature, we need house plants that can grow in almost any kind of climate. Plants you don’t have to water very often are good too. Sometimes I forget to water, but drought-tolerant plants are especially nice if you are boondocking and need to be conservative with your fresh water reserves.

These beautiful RV-friendly house plants are some that I carry in my toy hauler. They don’t need sunlight, require very little water and are hardy in cold and warm temperatures.

Chinese Evergreen

(Botanical Name: Aglaonema)

If you haven’t done much plant tending, Chinese Evergreen is a good one to start with. Also known as Philippine Evergreen, this plant is compatible with RVs for several reasons. For starters, it’s easy to grow and needs very little light. And also:

They are more forgiving than other plants.

When they get older, they produce flowers that look like calla lilies.

They are also compact enough to fit on your desk, small shelf, or in a corner.

Chinese Evergreens are also great at filtering the air which is a nice feature for RVs if they are closed a lot. Keep in mind that it’s not a dashboard plant. Placing Chinese Evergreen in direct sunlight can scorch their leaves.

Cast Iron Plant

(Botanical name: Aspidistra elatior)

This slow-growing member of the lily family is also referred to as the iron plant, or a bar room plant, because it is very hardy. It can survive lots of scenarios and is good for people like me who sometimes forget to water.

The deep green leaves give a little tropical feel to it.

This is a low-light plant. Some sun is OK but not direct sunlight.

Cast iron plants grow to about 2-3 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide.

You will need to keep the leaves dusted, about once a week. If you are not into this kind of plant maintenance you might select another option.

Parlor Palm

(Botanical name: Chamaedorea elegans)

These lush, tropical looking plants look something like very leafy green bamboo.

Parlor palm is a great beginner plant.

It’s a useful addition too. This RV-friendly plant because it can purify the air inside your rig.

They grow 2-6 feet tall indoors, and 2-3 feet wide.

Parlor palms add a tropical feel to your RV interior. They can grow in all types of light, including artificial light and in low light. These plants can thrive near windows too. If you want to move them around your RV, they can handle it. And this hearty indoor palm can live as long as 10 years under good conditions.

Peacock Plant

(Botanical name: Goeppertia makoyana)

The Peacock Plant is also called a zebra plant or cathedral windows plant. The foliage on this RV-friendly plant species resembles a peacock’s feathers, hence the name. See the light part of the leaf pattern? It’s slightly translucent. Get some sunlight behind it and you’ll see how it reminds you of light filtering through stained glass. That’s where its other nickname, “cathedral windows,” comes from.

The peacock plant grows to about 4 feet tall by 4 feet wide.

Grows in medium, indirect light, or low, indirect light.

Like RV snowbirds, it does best in daily temperatures between 60 and 85°F.

You need to be a little more particular about the watering of Peacock Plants though. They prefer humid temperatures (so they may do nicely in the bathroom). This RV-friendly plant does better with distilled water or rainwater. Always keep the soil moist, but not wet. If you start finding pale spots on the leaves, you have placed it too near the sun.

Pothos

(Botanical name: Epipremnum aureum)

Pothos plants are technically a vine. This is a great beginner plant and very RV-friendly. It can grow as fast as one foot a month. If you don’t have a lot of space in your rig, it is no problem. Just break off new shoots, keep them in a wet paper towel, and give them away as gifts to your neighbors.

Some people call Pothos “devil’s ivy” because it’s so hard to kill.

You can even grow this in water, without soil.

The “Neon” and “Silver Satin” Pothos varieties are especially RV-friendly plants that don’t need a lot of light or water.

Pothos are great for hanging since they have the vines, but you can also put them in potted plants. Or sit them on your RV work desk or kitchen counter. If their leaves start turning yellow, they are receiving too much sunlight. If their leaves turn a pale green, they may need a little more sunlight.

ZZ Plant

(Botanical name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

This is the hardiest RV-friendly plant ever. When I first saw one of these ZZ plants my husband picked it up and said, “This label says it’s hard to kill.” I thought he was ribbing me. But, printed on the care label on the bottom of the pot was those exact words!

If you need green but have a black thumb, this is your plant. This East African plant doesn’t bush out too much, so it is great for RV space. The ZZ plant can also tolerate no natural light and minimal amounts of fluorescent lights. This one is my favorite – I think my ZZ plant actually likes me.

When you’re shopping for a plant that works well in your RV, look for dark leaves. That’s because the darker the leaves on a plant, the less sun it tends to need. Lighter colored leaves need medium light. On the other hand, very light green tinted leaves will need full sunlight, so not the most ideal plant for motorhomes or trailers.

Remember, just because you hit the road in a house on wheels, doesn’t mean you need to give up your old hobbies and pastimes. If you love indoor gardening, a few RV-friendly house plants might be exactly what you need to bring more joy into your traveling lifestyle.

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Source: https://rvlife.com/rv-friendly-house-plants/