Skip to Content

9 Houseplants That Can Take Cold Temperatures

Colder temperatures mean cooler areas inside and out. Most homes get a little draftier, a little cooler during the winter months. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have thriving houseplants despite the cold temps. Check out these houseplants that can take cold temperatures.

Adding houseplants to your home can have a number of benefits. For starters, they’re lovely to look at. They can help purify the air, give you something to care for during the winter months when outside landscapes don’t need as much attention, and they can be cheaper than art to decorate your home.

But you want to make sure you get hardy indoor plants that can survive cooler temperatures unless you keep your home at the temp of a greenhouse.

Here are a few options to add to your home this year.

And for an amazing place to purchase houseplants, check out Plantquility – not only do they offer a huge selection of plants, but you can purchase the pots as well – it’s one-stop shopping for plants.

Houseplants That Can Take Cold Temperatures

Snake Plant

snake plant

The Snake Plant or “mother-in-law’s tongue” is one of my favorite plants to add to your home. Not only are they super easy to care for, but they look gorgeous with very little effort.

You can divide them easily to get new plants, and they are cold hardy down to 41 degrees F or 5 degrees C.

They can thrive on neglect so these are perfect for those people that don’t exactly have the time or the desire to put a ton of effort into their plants.

You can find a sunny or shady spot, don’t overwater to avoid rot, and you’ll have a gorgeous long-lasting plant that can take the cooler indoor winter temperatures. Buy Snake Plants Here

Jade Plant

jade plant

Jade plants or “money plants” are beautiful succulents that can thrive indoors. Unless your home gets colder than 50°F, your Jade Plant will do just fine.

Succulents do not require frequent watering which makes them ideal for those of us that might accidentally neglect our plants.

For best results, use potting soil specifically tailored to succulents or cacti like this one to promote ideal growth and avoid rot.

A sunny window is a perfect place to put them in the summer, but you may want to move them away from a drafty window during the winter, while still making sure they get 6+ hours of sun each day.

During the cooler winter months, your Jade plant may go dormant and require very little water during this time.

If ingested, it could be toxic to your pets, so be wary of where you place them. Buy Jade Plants Here

Ponytail Palm

ponytail palm

Ponytail Palms are one of the most visually interesting houseplants to grow. They look just like a head with a giant ponytail as the name implies.

The plant starts with a dome-shaped bulb that you want to plant above the soil level. Then you get long spindly leaves. Be careful of the leaves though as they can be sharp on the edges.

Your Ponytail Palm will thrive indoors and particularly the winter months will mimick the cooler temps for its usual dormant phase. Don’t overwater to avoid rot and enjoy this one for many years.

Use one of the mixtures of potting soil and perlite for best results. Buy Ponytail Palms Here.

Christmas Cactus

christmas cactus

Christmas Cactus is one of the most beautiful of the plants on the list and it’s also a perfect choice of houseplants that can take cold temperatures. They get their name because they bloom close to Christmas time.

For optimal blooming and growth, your Christmas Cactus needs bright filtered light – don’t set it in direct sunlight or it may burn. A window with a sheer curtain is enough to filter the light.

Don’t overwater and keep it in a pot that’s only slightly larger than the plant. These plants like to be pot-bound. It loves temps between 60 and 70° so it’ll love the cooler months. Buy Christmas Cactus here.

ZZ Plant

zz plant

ZZ Plants or Zamioculcas zamiifolia is another great option for plants that can take the cold temperatures.

But – if you have pets or small children you may want to avoid this one. The ZZ Plant can be toxic causing stomach issues, diarrhea, nausea, and more if ingested.

These plants are known to be incredibly hardy and easy to grow. They can also thrive on neglect, low light, indirect light, infrequent watering, and more.

Give them humidity, well-drained soil, and make sure the soil is dry between waterings and your ZZ Plant will love you. Buy ZZ Plant Here

Clivia

houseplants that can take colder temperatures - clivia

While these may take a bit more care than some of the other plants on the list, Clivia is a stunner for sure. Clivia is a cousin to the Amaryllis and it has striking blooms and arching green foliage.

The blooms on the most common plants are orange, but there are varieties of yellow that are more expensive and rare.

These need a bit of coaxing and care to bloom, but they do prefer cooler winter temps. Check out this helpful article from Monrovia for all the details on getting your plant to thrive. Buy Clivia here.

Aloe

Aloe can become your favorite no-fuss plant. If you’re not sure about caring for houseplants, let alone those that can survive colder temperatures, get an Aloe plant.

It can go about 3 weeks between waterings and even longer in the winter during dormant growing periods. And of course, there are the health benefits of Aloe for minor burns.

For minor burns you can break open a leaf and aloe gel helps to reduce inflammation and potentially inhibit bacteria growth.

For best results, put your Aloe plant in direct sunlight, don’t overwater, and enjoy this one for years to come. Buy Aloe plants here.

Fiddle Leaf Fig

fiddle leaf fig

It seems the Fiddle Leaf Fig has been the top Instagram plant of the last several years! It’s a beautiful houseplant that can grow to heights of 6 feet tall.

It can handle temps down to 60 degrees F generally, but it does need humidity to thrive.

Spritz the leaves with water after wiping them with a damp cloth to remove dust. Add a layer of pebbles in water underneath your planter to add humidity as well.

Again – as with most plants on our list, it can be toxic to pets. If ingested, notify your vet.

These can be a bit more temperamental than some of the other cold-tolerant houseplants on our list, but they are gorgeous plants that are worth growing. Buy Fiddle Leaf Figs Here.

Monstera

monstera

This stunner of a plant is quite the specimen. It can grow to “monstrous” sizes up to 15 feet tall and 8 feet wide. And with many varieties on our list, they love the cooler temperatures indoors for their winter dormant season.

As the plant grows, it will develop the signature holes in the leaves which give an interesting look to this plant. And despite the potentially large size, Monstera only needs to be repotted about once every 2 years.

Another interesting tidbit about Monstera is that it has aerial roots. These are meant to help support it in its natural habitat. Simply push them back into the soil if necessary and if they aren’t supporting any stems.

Give it lots of indirect sunlight, feed it with fertilizer, and enjoy this amazing plant for many years. Buy Monstera here.


Hopefully, you’ve found a few ideas for your next green thumb project. These houseplants that can take colder temperatures could just be what you’re looking for.

As always, with any plant, check to see if it’s toxic to pets or children before adding it to your home.

Proper soil and fertilizer will help give your plants the best life possible! Check out these options for soil and these options for fertilizer for optimal results.

For more indoor plant ideas, check out these indoor plants that you can keep alive!!


Image with text: houseplants that can take colder temps