Last updated on October 11, 2026
The best plants for bedroom windows that face north are cast iron plant, ZZ plant, snake plant and pothos, and if a cat or dog shares the room, cast iron plant and spider plant are the safer picks. University of Missouri Extension rates all of them as tolerating low light, and the ASPCA lists cast iron plant and spider plant as non-toxic to cats and dogs.
Bedrooms are often the dimmest room people try to green up, and they’re also where pets sleep. I look up every plant on the ASPCA list before it comes home, and I spent years with nothing brighter than a north-facing window, so those two filters decide the best plants for bedroom use more than any promise about cleaner air or better sleep.
Best plants for bedroom, by window and by pet
Find your window in the first column, then check the pet column if an animal sleeps in the room. Light notes are from University of Missouri Extension unless another source is named, and pet verdicts are from the ASPCA.
| Your bedroom window | Plant | Light note | Cats and dogs (ASPCA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| North or dim | Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) | One of the best where only low light exists | Non-toxic |
| North or dim | ZZ plant | On University of Maryland Extension’s low-light list | No ASPCA entry; ask your vet |
| North or dim | Snake plant (Sansevieria trifasciata) | Tolerates poor light; avoid overwatering | Toxic (saponins) |
| North or dim | Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) | Tolerates light as low as 10 foot-candles | Toxic (calcium oxalates) |
| North or east | Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) | Satisfactory in low and medium light | Toxic (calcium oxalates) |
| East or west | Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) | Tolerates low light, grows best in medium; keep well watered | Non-toxic |
| East or west | Boston fern | Tolerates low light but prefers medium; keep cool and moist | Non-toxic |
| East or west | Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) | Adapts to low light but needs medium light to flower | Toxic (calcium oxalates) |
Distance from the window matters as much as direction. Missouri Extension says even low-light plants usually don’t get enough light more than 10 feet from an average window, and a nightstand on the far side of the bed can easily sit near that edge. University of Maryland Extension puts north-facing windows in its low band of 25 to 100 foot-candles, against 100 to 500 for east and west. A bathroom with no window needs its own setup, which is covered in best plants for bathroom.
If a cat sleeps on your bed, the pet column narrows the list fast. Cast iron plant, spider plant and Boston fern are the three non-toxic options here, and the details on one of them are in are spider plants toxic to cats. The peace lily’s risks are spelled out in are peace lilies toxic to cats.
Do bedroom plants clean the air?
Not in any amount you’d notice. Iowa State University Extension says houseplants have little effect on air quality in a home or office, and quotes the EPA as saying there is currently no evidence that a reasonable number of houseplants remove significant quantities of pollutants in homes and offices.
The claim traces to a 1989 NASA study that found plants removed volatile organic compounds inside small sealed test chambers. Iowa State is careful to say that study isn’t flawed; it just doesn’t translate. Homes have a constant turnover of air, new pollutants keep coming in, and the extension service says even one plant per square foot couldn’t keep up.
Keep the plant because you like it, not because a label promised cleaner air.
Bedroom plants and sleep
I couldn’t find an extension service, botanical garden or health agency that says a bedroom plant improves sleep, so I won’t promise it. Many bedroom plant lists name certain species as sleep aids; without a source behind them, treat those lines as decoration. What a plant can do in a bedroom is the ordinary thing: give you something green to look at in the room where every day starts and ends. That’s a fine reason, and it doesn’t need a claim attached.
Signs a bedroom plant needs more light
Long gaps between leaves, smaller new leaves, pale foliage and yellow lower leaves that drop are the signs Missouri Extension lists for a plant short on light. In a bedroom, they usually mean the plant is too far from the window.
Move it closer, swap it with a plant from a brighter room every few weeks, or add a small grow light on a timer; I use grow lights for the darkest corners of my own home. Missouri Extension recommends keeping a light 6 to 12 inches from the plant tips.
Best plants for bedroom FAQ
What is the best bedroom plant for a north window?
Cast iron plant is the safest all-round choice for a north window. Missouri Extension calls it one of the best plants where only low light exists, and the ASPCA lists it as non-toxic to cats and dogs.
What bedroom plants are safe for pets?
From this list, the ASPCA lists cast iron plant, spider plant and Boston fern as non-toxic to cats and dogs. Snake plant, pothos, Chinese evergreen and peace lily are listed as toxic, and ZZ plant has no ASPCA entry. A wider shortlist for dim rooms is in pet-friendly indoor plants.
How many plants should you keep in a bedroom?
As many as you can give enough light. Iowa State’s point about air quality means more plants won’t make the air noticeably cleaner, so the real limit is window space and how far each pot sits from the glass.
Ellie Marsh
Houseplant grower who spent years in a north-facing apartment. Writes practical care guides for low light homes, checked against extension and botanical garden sources.
