Can Plants Grow Without Sunlight? - Greenhouse Today

Can Plants Grow Without Sunlight?
Whether you live in a cloudy region or want to grow an indoor garden, you probably realize that you need more sunlight. Most plants require several hours of sun exposure to create enough nutrients. However, many plants need less sunlight due to their natural origins.
Most plants can grow without sunlight, but all plants require light to undergo photosynthesis. Without natural sunlight, artificial grow lights can provide the specific light wavelengths that plants need to grow. Common low-light plants include: dracaena, snake plant, spider plant, & some ferns.
In this article, you’ll also learn the following info about plants that can grow without sunlight:
Several common plants that don’t need much sunlight (if any)
Whether or not plants can thrive under artificial light sources
Plants for overwintering in a garage
Can Plants Grow Without Light?
You’re probably wondering why some plants need sunlight, while others get along with artificial light just fine.
There are many reasons that plants’ requirements vary, but one thing remains the same:
They all need adequate nutrition to survive and thrive.
And yes, all plants need light.
So, why can’t plants grow without any light?
Sunlight is the energy input that powers photosynthesis.
It provides the energy that plants can use to create food (carbohydrates) from carbon dioxide and water.
Contrary to popular belief, plants don’t use all of the sunlight they absorb.
Greg Volente
Greg Volente holds a Naturalist Certificate from the Morton Arboretum, worked for The Nature Conservancy leading environmental education programs and doing natural areas restoration, and worked in the soil science research & testing lab at Michigan State University. Besides gardening, he's an avid wildflower enthusiast, and loves botanizing, hiking, and backpacking.
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