10 Best Indoor Plants for Pakistani Apartments

Small flat, hot summers, not much sun? These ten indoor plants cope with real Pakistani apartments – and most survive a forgotten watering or two.

Choosing indoor plants for a flat in Lahore, Karachi or Islamabad is different from what you read on foreign blogs. Our summers are hot, the air is dry for months, windows are often shaded by the building next door and load-shedding switches off fans at the worst moment. The good news: plenty of indoor plants love exactly these conditions.

We grow and sell plants at our nursery in Valencia Town, Lahore, and these are the ten we recommend most often to people living in apartments.

How we chose these indoor plants

Every plant on this list passed three tests in real homes, not in a greenhouse:

• it survives medium or low light (a few metres from a window)
• it handles 35 °C+ rooms in June without dropping its leaves
• it forgives you if you forget to water for a week

1. Snake plant – the one you can't kill

The snake plant stores water in its thick leaves, so it is happy with a drink every two weeks. It grows in dark corners and is one of the best indoor plants for bedrooms.

2. Money plant – fast, green and cheap

Every Pakistani home has had a money plant at some point, and for good reason. It grows quickly in a bottle of water or a pot, trails beautifully from shelves and tells you it is thirsty by drooping slightly.

3. Peace lily – flowers in low light

Few indoor plants flower without sun; the peace lily does. Its white flowers appear even in a north-facing room, and it is famous for flopping dramatically when it needs water – then standing up again within an hour.

4. Monstera – the statement plant

If you have one bright corner, a monstera will fill it. Its split leaves get bigger every year. Keep it away from the AC vent: cold, dry air causes brown edges.

5–10. More easy choices

1. Peperomia – small, neat and safe for cats and dogs.
2. Areca palm – softens a room and enjoys bright, indirect light.
3. Aloe vera – a sunny windowsill plant you can also use for burns.
4. Echeveria – a tiny succulent for desks that get morning sun.
5. Orchid – flowers for months with a little care.
6. Basil or mint – for a kitchen window that gets a few hours of sun.

Watering indoor plants in summer and winter

Most indoor plants die from too much water, not too little. Push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil: water only when it feels dry. In May–July that may be twice a week; in December once every two weeks is often enough. Read our watering guide for details.

Where to buy

All of these are available in our indoor plants collection with delivery across Pakistan and cash on delivery. For more background on houseplants and indoor air, the Royal Horticultural Society has an excellent free library.