Succulents would be a good choice, most are sun-loving plants so if properly acclimated they won't burn.

Haworthias are a generally easy succulent to take care of and won't grow too large

NO!!!! They are not indoor plants. They have to have outdoor winter temperatures to survive.

bk

bk,

Are you referring to succulents or hostas?

They’re referring to hostas. For a similar sort of look indoors you could try variegated aspidistra.

I know nothing about succulents. Many years ago, I grew African Violets and assorted other indoor plants, but never tried succulents.

However, I do know that you can't successfully grow hosta indoors.

bkay

My orchids are in a window facing East/Southeast, so they have sun all morning and are happy as can be. And my mother grows a lot of orchids in her west-facing sunroom (very bright), and hers are beautiful. The orchids are easy care and when they bloom, the blooms last a very long time.

Careful with direct sun on your Moth Orchids (Phalaenopsis), they can burn BADLY in direct sun, a sheer curtain is safer. Regarding your orchid window sill, I don't think orchids are best suited. In an office (assuming it's away from your home), you have no control over the temps and it may get quite chilly when people are not around (especially in a Zone 4b), the air may also be quite dry.

I like the idea of cacti and other succulents as they can tolerate the chill and full sun and dry air. If you want something larger and more dramatic, consider some Yucca plants. The commonly available species, Yucca elephantipes, is spineless and safer indoors. (It's actually a tropical ) but will fit right into a desert theme too I have cacti, aloes and agaves but careful in adding some of those, agaves in particular can get big and are potentially dangerous indoors (the tips are worse than cacti thorns), which is why I overwinter mine in the garage.

hosta have a requisite full winter dormancy .. so they will not survive long term indoors ..

if you were to order a very early delivery from a warmer zone .. and they sent plants that are just coming out of dormancy ... you could probably grow them in the office until your late frost.freeze free date.. to go outside ...

and if you would try an experiment ... keep a couple in the window until mid fall ... but then plant them outdoors for winter ... OR.. take the pot outdoors and let it spend most of winter in cold storage.. and perhaps bring them back in late next winter ... just like forcing flowers for winter bloom ..

over-wintering plants in pots is a BIT tricky.. but not all that hard.. we could discuss it when the time nears ...

ken

Although some orchids would burn, others could thrive in a lot of sun. I grow Phaleanopsis at the office and have also had luck with Miltonia but I have less light than your window. Succulents are probably your best bet. They can take drastic temperature changes, etc.

I know hostas need that winter dormancy-I had hoped that since there were hostas in warmer climates maaaaybe there'd be a variety that would be ok..just wishful thinking and wanted to check is all. We kept hostas in pots in the garage every winter for years before realizing that was dumb and we may as well add a new bed. Probably best to stick w/succulents. I'll look at the greenhouse here and see what I can find.

Thanks everyone!

They're adorable! Light through windows is always less brilliant than it seems, particularly since window glass passes 90% of the light at best (seriously, that stuff gets dirty, plus reflects some light) and tends not to pass UV-B light much at all (UV-A does get through, though). You can usually sneak plants by a window that wouldn't otherwise make it in that level of sunlight.

And there's always the old trick of, "Let's put a large poster behind them" if it's too bright. Been there, done that.

Depending on how hot it gets there, some flowering plants might do well. Usually cold? In cooler weather, cyclamen would be very pretty but don't bloom in summer. A winter/spring pointsettia would look good, too, and be a nice green plant year-round (they'll naturally rebloom weakly the following year in February if you're a good plant parent; mine are given artificial light and don't).

You might have enough light for a kalanchoe there too; they have the succulent feel, but with pretty blooms. It depends on the hours of sun. I've managed in a western window and they usually don't like western sun.

That's good to know, thank you! Now that they're in the window I've been tracking the sun today and it really is only morning sun, so doesn't seem to be quite as in your face sun as I first thought. The windows are so big, it just seemed like it was going to be crazy.

Just make sure you pay Plant Tax and regularly photograph them for us. :-) We usually have a monthly color and plants you love thread that you can put photos up in.

Hint. Hint.

Oh fun! I love looking at plant/flower pictures. Waiting impatiently for the weather to stay nice so I can put to my yard.

I found three pots given to me by students, and one my daughter decorated when she was in preschool (she’s a junior this year) so went back to the greenhouse foe more succulents. Two I didn’t have new pots for but liked them anyway so they’re fine in the clay pots.

What I would give to have a big window and large area like that to put houseplants! Lucky you! If I was trying to figure out what plants would do best there, I might try different ones. The succulents you have look great and don't need much water, and that is good. But they may actually need more sun than that window might allow. So I would suggest doing an experiment and purchase different plants to "test" out which ones actually love that spot---something from the dracena family, chinese evergreen or sansevieria maybe? After a year, you will see which ones flourish and which ones don't.

I wondered about the window too, as far as sunlight. I’ve actually got three of those big windows in a row, so plenty of space for plants . I’ll have to pop across the street this weekend and talk to them at the greenhouse to see what they have to try.

Have fun with the plants. If your windows are special treated glass, (to regulate heat transfer)) you might not be getting enough light. Grow the plants for a few months and if they take off, you will be doing something right....if not well, get some other Knick-Knacks to put there. ;-)

-Babka

East facing window may not have enough sunlight to grow most succulents. It is not clear whar succulets you got, but most are hight light/sunlight plants. That means 5-6 + hours of sunlight a day. You indicate you are in z4b?. The Sansevieria (now reclassified to Dracaena), Haworthia/Haworthiopsis and Gasteria may do well. And many 'leafy' - tropical houseplants. Some need high humidity to look good, so I would pay attention to that. I would not recommend to grow hosta or other perennials indoors, they appreciate colder dormant period.

Yeah, it depends on the windows, exact placement, angles, and so on. It's a nightmare. The best we can all do is keep an eye on our friends and see how they do. My southwest windows? I can grow anything. :-)

This is in a north facing window and has no direct sun. The privacy sticker on the window further reduces the light but it’s doing so well regardless.

This one is thriving well in an east facing window:

Haworthia, gasteria and sanseveria would be your best option - undemanding and light requirements isn’t as high as the other succulents. Good luck.

Those look so cute in their matching pots, Chris!

I saw a cute plant at the grocery store tonight and looked it up-Kalancho. Is that ine that would be ok?

It might work. Might. Previously I would have said no until I saw a Kalanchoe blossfeldiana sitting by a window for about a year in a nursing home where I work. it was given to as a birthday present to a resident. The plant adapted well and even rebloomed. No special care just weekly watering. That’s just about it. No rhyme or reason. Meanwhile my Kalandiva rotted with fungus in my house. LOL

hahah figures doesn't it? Indoor plants are so much harder for me than outside plants.

If you are anywhere near Independence IA, check out In The Country nursery. Not only do they have a good selection of hostas, but they have an amazing variety of succulents. Prices range from $5 up, with an average of $15, and sizes run from small to large. Their website has photos of almost all the varieties, and they do both in person sales (with masks and social distancing) and shipping.

Thanks for the tip! Independence is three hours away, sadly, but who knows, we may end up that way sometime!