So many of us end up with a part of our home that just gets hotter than the rest. And with heat waves being increasingly common we want to ensure as plant parents that any plants in that space can take the heat. We wouldn’t want to waste any usable plant space right?! Maybe that is just me but seriously guys there are plants than can totally survive in a warm space in your home and some that actually thrive in that situation.
So we are going to chat about the 7 indoor plants (plus all their different varieties) that can survive some real heat. Like more heat than we would enjoy spending our time in. So let’s get into these plants and why they are heat tolerant houseplants!
Also if you keep scrolling after we chat about the heat tolerant houseplants I also cover the most common FAQ (or at least that I am the most commonly asked) about indoor plants and heat. So you can have all the resources you need for thriving plants in your home!!
Come on my friends, we got plants to grow-
House Plants That Don’t Mind The Heat
Indoor plants for warm spaces:
1: Snake Plants
First up is the hardiest plant out there in my humble opinion… the beautiful snake plant.
They thrive in desert environments with a full day of blazing sun and insane temperatures. So your second floor room with poor circulation that gets HOT really isn’t gong to be “hot” to a snake plant. They thrive in lots of warmth and light but even if the space is low light they can still survive. Though a grow light will be needed if you want to see more than a smidge of growth every year if there isn’t light 🙂
There are a ton of varieties in the colors and shape too. Some of my favorites to keep an eye out for at nurseries are:
Laurentii – this is the signature one in my opinion. Green leaves with yellow edges are what to look for.
Black Coral- this one is so freaking cool, the leaves are almost black but I’ll warn you now, it’s a hard one to find.
Zeylanica- all green with varying shades is how you identify this one and personally I find the classic look to be so stunning.
Silver Hahnii- my favorite variety of dwarf snake plants is this one with beautiful silvery accents on it.
2: Cacti
Alright this might seem obvious but seriously cactus plants are meant for HEAT.
And light so as long as there is a window in the hot space then you are set up for the perfect space for a cactus plant or two or thirty 😉 to survive.
Plus something I love about cacti is how easy they are to find. Since they are hardy and involve low maintenance you can find them at the obvious places like nurseries and big box stores but also Trader Joes, Home Depot, etc. like seriously they are the most common plant to find “randomly” at stores.
We aren’t going to go into varieties because there are hundreds maybe thousands(??) of different cactus plants out there! And generally with them my advice is go for the ones that you think are pretty and make your heart happy because truly their care is similar for all- water only when needed and keep it warm and bright!
3: ZZ Plant
Ugh I love any opportunity to talk about ZZ plants. They are one that caught me off guard- I got one because of plant loving friends who suggested it and ended up falling in love. And thankfully ZZ plants make it so easy for anyone to fall for them!
They are light and heat tolerant. Really ZZ plants are pretty cool with anything OTHER than overwatering. They have the coolest root system that can handle dryness, high temps, winds/shaking, moving around, varying light and more. But they don’t handle sitting in moisture well- we all have our Achilles heel right?!
But if you are wanting an EASY plant that can thrive in an uncomfortably hot place in your home then look no further than the ZZ plants. They also come in a few varieties but unlike other plants we are chatting about today they don’t have as extreme of varieties.
4: Pothos
Another favorite that you are probably sick of hearing me talk about but here we are again bragging on pothos plants! Pothos are durable, grow like crazy, propagate with little to no effort AND can handle a hot space.
The only thing we gotta note with a pothos in a hot space is they can handle the heat but too much direct light will lead to sunburnt leaves. So they can handle whatever warm room you wanna throw them into just don’t let them be within about 2 feet of a window unless that window doesn’t get a ton of light.
Pothos varieties are some of my favorites and you could grow 5 different ones and they all look quite unique like unique enough people will not believe you that they are family!
My first one was a classic jade pothos which is definitely the most common but don’t let that turn you off of them, jade pothos plants are a classic for a reason. They just look exactly what I picture when I think house plant and they are SO SO SO easy to care for.
There are varieties with some white like marble queen and others that are mainly white like snow queen (that’s high on my plant wishlist) and other with the coolest leaves like the satin pothos which I just added to my collection 🙂 Jessenia pothos are scattered with gold throughout and neon pothos leaves genuinely look neon. So many options and so little space in my experience!!
5: Philodendron
I end up looking pothos and philodendrons together a lot on here because their care and growth styles are identical. But they are their own gorgeous plants with some notable differences in leaf shapes and colors as well as a little bit faster growing than pothos too in my experience.
But overall they are a quick growing breeze that I am obsessed with. They handle extreme heat better than most and are actually far from dramatic- which means they won’t show distress until they are desperate. But heat won’t cause that unless they chill in a 100 degree space with blazing light for days on end.
So many varieties I can’t even get into them in this article or we will be here all day but here are a few of my sweet philodendron babies that are thriving in this current heat wave-
6: Rubber Plant
Don’t let the name rubber plants fool ya- they are real plants but they not only look like rubber they are nearly as easy as a faux plant.
Rubber plants roll with the punches including heat and they don’t tend to loose leaves until they fall of “old age” not even heat, drought or movement will shake them.
They also with a little more TLC than just watering them will seriously grow into trees like actual trees. I could go on about how fun and pretty they are but take my word and go ahead and put one in that hot stuffy room you are questioning for other plants!
7: Croton
Oh crotons- a plant that can get a bad rep sometimes due to its dramatic but in my experience those dramatics are a result of being in an environment that is really not for them. They love warm weather and crave being back in tropical atmospheres.
Which means that the really hot room on your top level that no one wants to be in? Yep that is PERFECT for crotons. And unlike a pothos and others we chatted about they are cool if you have a lot of light in there. Actually, the more natural light and heat (but keep the humidity up too with misting) the more vibrant the colors on the leaves will become.
I also adore crotons for their communication. Thirsty? They will droop like immediately. Mad about lack of light? Leaves will fall. Happy and thriving? Growth like crazy! No need to guess with crotons because they will just tell you!
Now let’s wrap this up with some FAQ about plants and heat-
Q: How much heat is too much heat?
A: A general room of thumb I like to follow is never above 80 degrees. Will the plants above handle 85 or 90 with the right amount of shade and water? Yeah! But for extended times the effort it would take to keep them alive and happy is going to wear you out.
Q: What happens if my plants get too exposed to heat?
A: They will start to wilt away and eventually die. Like freezing temperatures your plants root systems can only do so much to hold on to the water and nutrients it can access. But if it’s just for a few days don’t sweat about it. Majority of plants we grow indoors are tropical and can handle some extreme heat occasionally!
Q: Do I need to water more during heat waves or in warm spaces?
A: Yes yes yes! Currently writing this during the 2025 “heat dome” and let me tell you- my plants have never been thirstier. Even moving them from Ohio to North Carolina I have noticed that they need about 15% more water for the sunnier and warmer temps.
Q: How can I save my wilting plant?
A: So the heat started to win? Don’t throw the plant out! Unlike root rot and other issues in general you can save the plant. Get them away from light and soak them. Like actually put them in the shower and SOAK them. Then for a few week keep them further from light than usual. Use a moisture meter to ensure the soil is staying moist but not drenched after the first bout. Cut off any dead leaves that are stealing nutrients.
After 3ish weeks go ahead and fertilize the plant to start and see new healthy growth again. But not before then because fertilizing when you plant is weak can kill it!!
And that is all for now my friends! Make sure to follow along on socials for new articles and bookmark these (or pin!) for future reference. Happy plant parenting and stay cool out there 🙂
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