Buying advice5 min read
Five plants that survive a summer of load shedding
When the power goes for six hours and a sealed room hits 45°C, most houseplants do not make it. These do.
By Muhammad Salman
An air-conditioned room is a stable environment. A room whose air conditioning stops for six hours a day, in June, is not — it swings from 24°C to over 40°C and back again, every day, for weeks.
That swing kills more houseplants in Pakistan than either extreme would on its own. These five do not mind it.
1. ZZ plant
Underground rhizomes full of stored water, waxy leaves that lose almost nothing to evaporation, and total indifference to light level. A ZZ in a sealed hot room simply waits. It is the single most reliable plant we sell for this.
2. Snake plant
Same principle, different mechanism. Snake plants use CAM photosynthesis, meaning they open their pores at night rather than during the day, so they lose far less water in heat than an ordinary plant. Heat and dry air are what it evolved for.
3. Aglaonema
The one on this list that also looks good in a dim room. Thick leaves, low water demand, and it tolerates the temperature swing better than any other broad-leaved foliage plant we grow.
4. Elephant bush
A succulent that does not need full sun, which is a rare combination. It handles a bright indoor spot, stores plenty of water in its leaves, and is safe if a pet chews it.
5. Lady palm
The exception on the list — it is not a water-storer, it is simply tough. Rhapis tolerates low light, dry air and heat better than any other palm, and it does not brown at the tips the way an areca does the moment the air conditioning stops.
What to avoid
Calatheas, ferns and anything sold as a humidity lover will not survive a load-shedding summer in a sealed room. Nor will most flowering plants indoors.
If you want those, keep them somewhere with reliable power, or grow them on a shaded verandah where at least the air moves.
