Most interior plants tolerate the normal temperatures found in homes and of fices. The ideal temperature is 70 to 80 F in the day time and 60 to 65 F at night. Many flowering plants will keep their flowers longer when the night tem perature is 50 to 60 F. Some interior plants can withstand night temperatures as low as 40 F for short periods. They should not stay at these temperatures for long periods though. If they do, they may deteriorate and even die. A minimum tem perature of 50 F is recommended for many interior plants. The rule of thumb to follow for temperatures for interior plants is to maintain the night time tempera ture 10 to 15 F lower than the daytime temperature.
Remember that plants such as Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane) and Agaloenema (Chinese Evergreen) are sensitive to even 50 F. It may cause a limp stem in and foliage spotting in Agaloenema.
The increasing cost of heating has kept many people from adding plants to their homes and offices. Certainly where lights are never on from Friday after noon until Monday morning and the temperature is maintained at a minimum creates environments poorly suited for plant growth. Keep this fact in mind when assisting your customers in selecting plants for their offices. Only the hardiest of plants will withstand such conditions.