Can Indoor Plants Survive In AC? (Suitable Plants+Care)

Most of us prefer being in air-conditioned rooms to beat the summer heat. But if your room has houseplants, they may not like the cold air coming out from the AC. Even if some plants might grow well in an air-conditioned room, not all will.

So, in this article let us learn, can indoor plants survive in ac and how can you help them.

In general, houseplants don’t do well when placed under the cold, dry breeze of an AC. Some resilient plants may survive when kept away from the direct cold breeze, but most will start showing signs of damage. Droopy leaves and changes in the color of leaves are common signs of cold damage from AC.

If you wish you know how you can keep your houseplants in AC rooms, keep reading this article.

We will discuss everything about taking care of your plants in the Aircon rooms and saving them from the cold, dry air of the air conditioners. We will also cover information about some plants which can survive in AC.

Will indoor plants survive in AC?

Indoor plants are grown to create a colorful interior design and their ability to purify the air we breathe.

Most indoor plants originate from tropical regions. That is the reason they enjoy growing in indirect sunlight along with high humid conditions. 

Exposure to excessively hot or cold drafts will result in wilted and drooping leaves and yellow leaves; the plants will start shrinking and lose their color and vigor. So, it is vital to ensure that the indoor plants are never exposed to such extreme weather conditions.

If your room consists of both an air conditioner and indoor plants, you must protect them from the harsh dry air.

You must keep the indoor plants away from devices like air conditioners or room heaters. But with proper protection and harmony, your indoor plants will be able to survive in a room running air conditioners.

During hot conditions, you can keep your houseplant in an AC room. But not for a long time.

If you want to keep houseplants in AC rooms, try growing some indoor plants that can survive in AC. Those are the plants that can survive dry conditions and low humidity.

Even if they can live in AC rooms, that doesn’t mean they will constantly tolerate too much cold, dry air. You will have to protect the plants well, ensuring they do not receive the harsh cold air.

Signs your indoor plant is not doing well in your AC rooms

The cold air coming from the AC might be comforting for you, but it is not the same for indoor plants.

When your plant is unable to handle this dry cold air, it will show these signs:

• The petals and leaves will start dropping.
• The leaves will fade and start turning yellow.
• Brown tips and edges on leaves.
• The plant will start to dry out and droop down.
• There won’t be any blooms in flowering plants.

How do you keep plants in an airconditioned room?

If you own a lot of indoor plants that enjoy warm and humid conditions, with proper care and maintenance, you can ensure that these plants will be able to coexist with the air conditioners.

Hydration

Make sure that your indoor plants are well hydrated. Do not use too much or too little water – just the right amount of water they need.

Watering less will keep the plant dry, whereas too much water will make your plant overwatered. Always use room temperature water. Try misting your plant regularly. This can help keep the plant from drying up.

Also read: How Often Should You Water Indoor Plants? (Indoor Plants Watering Guide)

Location

Location is significant when it comes to placing the indoor plants in an air-conditioned room. Most plants being tropical, do not enjoy cold drafts. Moreover, the cold air will strip away all the moisture from your plants. 

Therefore, it is necessary to keep them out of the reach of cold, dry air released by the AC. Do not keep them too close or directly under the AC.

When growing indoor plants in air-conditioned rooms, keep a close observation of the plants, especially the leaves.

If anything is wrong, the leaves would be the first to show signs. If they start discoloring or drooping, it can be because they are close to AC. Move and relocate your plant.

If you want the indoor plants to survive and thrive in air-conditioned rooms, make sure that the room temperature is consistent, ranging from 65°F to 80°F during the day and 55°F to 65°F at night.

Handle the humidity

As most indoor plants are tropical, they will need high humidity to survive.

In general, more or less all houseplants will need humidity ranging between 50% and 70%. The humidity inside the house is usually much lower than outdoors. 

Moreover, it is impossible to provide high humidity similar to the tropical regions, as it would be uncomfortable for humans to handle. But at least 50-55% of humidity should be served.

There are several ways of maintaining the proper humidity for the indoor plants:

• Mist your plants daily. This will help in keeping the plant from getting dry. Misting will help in maintaining and boosting the proper humidity. But, this is temporary. You will have to mist now and then to maintain the humidity for the plant.
• If you have a lot of indoor plants, keep them in groups, but not too close. Grouping will provide moisture to the plants when they transpire. You will have to worry less about their dryness. Do not keep them too close as they need good airflow.
• Use a pebble tray to increase the humidity. Fill the tray with some water and pebbles and keep the potted plant on it. Make sure that the drainage holes of the pot are immersed in water. Whenever the water level goes down, add more water. The water evaporates and creates extra humidity for your indoor plants.
• If your room has a lot of tropical indoor plants, fixing a humidifier in that room will be a great idea. You do not have to mist separately or use separate pebble trays for each of your plants. Fixing one humidifier will give all your plants the exact humidity they need. A humidifier mimics the exact humidity the houseplants get in their native land.

Some plants like succulents will be able to remain dry for an extended period and remain healthy. You might have to worry less about their loss of moisture or humidity for such kinds of plants.

Before doing anything, check the humidity of your room with devices like a hygrometer.

Create mini greenhouse (Terrarium jars)

Different houseplants have different characteristics. Some are sensitive to cold temperatures, dry weather, and low humidity, while others remain fine in such conditions.

If your plant is sensitive, you will have to give them extra attention and find ways to protect them from such adverse conditions.

One way to protect them is by creating a mini greenhouse for them. You can keep the tiny plants in terrarium jars that will easily keep into those glass jars.

Keeping the indoor plants in a terrarium jar will give your plant its warmth and humidity levels.

Another advantage of using terrarium jars for the houseplants is that you will have to worry less about watering. The water vapor the plant releases gets recycled by condensation in the jar. The water further runs back down to the soil.

These jars will protect the plant from the cold, dry air of the air conditioners and maintain the heat and moisture.

Maintenance

Keeping the plant clean is of utmost importance. Cleaning the plant at regular intervals will keep the plants healthy and happy. Remove the dust from the leaves regularly. 

Keep removing all the dead or spent leaves, stems, and flowers from the plant. This will keep the plant in shape, give room for growth and reduce the risks of pest infestation.

Know your plant

Lastly, research well about the plant you own. Different plants have different needs. It is essential to know all the features of your particular plant before you try taking any steps for or against them.

Plants suitable for air-conditioned rooms

If you want your indoor plants to remain healthy in an air-conditioned room, you need to look out for plants that can survive in such cold rooms. 

Below I have mentioned a few specific plants which can survive in AC:

Peace lily

They have large green foliage with beautiful white spathe-shaped flowers. They can tolerate low light conditions and survive dry, humid conditions as long as the root system remains hydrated. 

If the outside temperature is 90°F, you can keep your Peace Lily in an air-conditioned room.

Care tips: Medium to low light, water well once in 2 weeks or in a month.

Spider plant

This plant is around 2½ feet in width and 3 feet in length. Spider plants are forgiving plants that can remain healthy in air-conditioned rooms.

Do not place these plants too close to the AC. They require humidity of at least 40% to remain alive.

Care tips: Bright to moderate light, water once in a week, reduce during winters.

ZZ plant

ZZ plant is the kind of plant that is hard to kill. They require temperatures ranging between 65°F to 90°F.

Keeping the plant in an air-conditioned room will not stress if the temperature is much higher than this. Make sure that they do not get exposed to temperatures below 45°F.

Care tips: Medium to bright indirect sunlight. Water every 2 to 3 weeks.

Parlor palm

Parlor palm plants have a bamboo shape and are classic low-maintenance plants.

Parlor palms can grow up to 6 feet tall. They are also a good choice for air-conditioned rooms. They are adaptive to low humid conditions and low light levels. They are easy to care about once you get used to them. 

Care tips: Bright indirect sunlight, water once a week. During winters, water after a couple of weeks.

Snake plant

These plants are famous for their ability to bear harsh environments. They will survive without water for several weeks.

They will stay healthy even without proper water and humidity for a long time and do their duty of removing toxins from the air.

Care tips: Low light, water once a month.

Rubber plant

The rubber plant will be able to survive in air-conditioned rooms.

A rubber plant is large, dense, and does not need regular watering. They can survive in dry air conditions for some time and will also tolerate low humidity.

Care tips: Medium to low light, water once a week.

Cactus

It is a plant that will remain alive without water for a long time. They are drought-tolerant plants.

Even without watering a one month or more, the cactus will remain alive and still thrive. If you have cactus in your home, you do not have to worry about watering, moisture, or humidity.

Care tips: Direct sunlight. Water them every ten days.

Also read: 16 Best plants for an Airconditioned room.

Final words

Growing or keeping indoor plants in an air-conditioned room doesn’t mean that it will kill the plants.

You might not have to remove your plant from the room. With proper care, protection, and maintenance, all your indoor plants can survive in air-conditioned rooms.

Just keep the plants away from the AC as the cold drafts will harm them. Give them proper humidity and moisture for the plants, as the dry cold air can reduce both. Maintain proper temperature around them.

Try researching about the particular plant you own before you do anything. Knowing your plant well will help you take the proper steps and actions that can benefit your plants and keep them safe and healthy.

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Ref: The Mississippi State University Extension Service, The plant doctor, University of Florida.