10 Plants That Grow Well in Low Sunlight

Most gardens and small farms in many Indian villages face low sunlight throughout the day because of heavy tree covers, hilly landscapes, or other buildings obstructing direct sunlight. However, it's not impossible to do some gardening or farming. As a fact, many native plants and crops are good to go in low sunlight conditions. These plants will range from food to medicine and, importantly, be easy to grow. Here is a list of ten such plants that require low sunlight and thus would be perfect in a village setting in India.

1. Turmeric

Turmeric, or "Haldi" in Hindi, forms an essential ingredient in the Indian kitchen and also plays a sacred role in Indian culture. This spice is golden in color, obtained from the rhizome of the turmeric plant, which grows well in partial shade and a hot, humid climate. The land in which turmeric plants would grow must be rich with well-drained soil and periodic irrigation. These plants can be planted around areas with filtered sunlight or even in shaded areas below bigger trees. Besides its use in cooking, turmeric has become a significant crop in village gardens because of its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

2. Cardamom

Cardamom is also called the "Queen of Spices." It is one of the major spices consumed in Indian cuisine. This plant is an herb that grows as a perennial and can grow well in low-lit areas. It is native to the Western Ghats and, therefore, will thrive best in humid conditions with loamy soil high in organic matter content. Minimum sunlight is required; hence, it is well to be grown in the shade of the forest or underneath the tree canopy. Cardamom plants fall into the category of aromatic seed-producing plants that find large-scale employment in cooking and indigenous medicine. The cardamom crop has, therefore, emerged as one of the lucrative livelihood options for small-scale farmers in villages.

3. Betel Leaf

Betel leaf, generally known as "Paan," forms an integral part of Indian culture, especially among the rural Indian sections where its consumption is quite high. The betel vine is an evergreen, dioecious climber that requires support to grow well under shady conditions in diffused sunlight. It prefers warm and humid conditions with moist, yet well-drained, soil. The leaves from this betel plant are not only used as part of traditional chewing but in medicine to help digestion and as a mild stimulant. These plants are found in almost every home, either in gardens or pots.

4. Mint

Mint, from the family of hardy herbs, grows considerably well in low sunlight. Characterized by its cool fragrance and taste, mint finds a place both in food and drinks and even in Ayurvedic medicine. It likes moist, well-drained soil and tolerates partial shade, which makes it especially suitable for village gardens whenever direct sunshine is in short supply. Mint grows in a very invasive fashion with most plants being grown in containers to slow the spread of it. Its ease of cultivation along with the number of uses makes mint a very worthy plant in any village setting.

5. Ginger

Ginger, one of the basic ingredients in Indian cuisines, is also a rhizome that does very well under low light intensity. It prefers rich loose soil containing abundant organic matter and needs frequent irrigation. For most of its lifetime, ginger is grown under filtered sunlight in shaded areas, making it very suitable to grow around bigger plants or trees that provide excellent shade. Apart from its uses in the kitchen, many medicinal properties have been recorded about ginger: as a digestant and anti-inflammatory herb. The ginger grown in the village gardens meets the demand for its continuous supply as an essential spice and folk medicine.

6. Curry Leaf

Curry leaf is a small tree known as "Kadi Patta," which is native to India. It thrives in shades. This plant is grown in village homes and forms an important ingredient in many Indian recipes, especially South Indian dishes. It grows well under partial shade with well-draining soil but does thrive in all conditions. The curry leaves are often picked for their culinary uses while its main plant is mostly low maintenance; hence, it will suit perfectly any village garden.

7. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is a succulent plant that, under low light conditions, grows very well. For many other skin disorders and lesions, it is more popularly known because of its medicinal value. Aloe Vera does well in sandier soils that are well-drained, requiring very little water; hence, this plant requires relatively little sunlight. This is the reason this plant is commonly found in Indian villages either in pots or planted in garden beds so that it is always ready whenever the need arises. This hardiness and low maintenance make it a wanted plant by the rural householders.

8. Indian Spinach

Better known as "Malabar Spinach" or "Pui Saag," this green leafy vegetable is grown in most village gardens of India. It is a warm, humid, and partially shady-loving climber. This can be trained on the trellises or along the fences in indirect sunlight. The leaves of Indian Spinach are highly nutritious and find their place in many recipes, especially in Eastern and Southern India. A plant with easy growth, this provides fresh greens throughout the year without direct sunlight.

9. Coriander

One of the few plants that can grow with less light is coriander, which in Hindi is known as "Dhania." This plant has a common application in cooking in India, both through its leaves and seeds in flavored dishes. The temperature for growing this plant is low, hence partial shade can be tolerated by this plant. Therefore, it can be grown in most village gardens with low sunlight. This is one of the fastest-growing crops, which bears multiple harvests during the period of its growth and thus provides fresh herbs continually.

10. Taro

Generally known as "Arbi" in India-is a root vegetable that thrives under shady, moist conditions. This plant is often grown in village gardens for edible corms and leaves used in several traditional dishes. Taro requires a lot of rich, well-drained soil and regular irrigation. This is one of those crops that thrive very well in low sunlight conditions, such as under trees or shade in the garden area. In fact, in most rural settings, taro is grown as a staple crop for improved nutritional food security at village levels.

Final Thoughts

Evidence that these ten plants provide is that with limited sunlight, too, one can have a lush garden in Indian villages. A wide variety of plants could be grown for consumption or as small-scale farming to suitably meet villagers' culinary, medicinal, and economic needs. These plants for consumption or small-scale farming purposes provide a resilient approach to gardening at low light levels in a very sustainable way.



Written by Divyani Gupta

This article has been authored exclusively by the writer and is being presented on Eat My News, which serves as a platform for the community to voice their perspectives. As an entity, Eat My News cannot be held liable for the content or its accuracy. The views expressed in this article solely pertain to the author or writer. For further queries about the article or its content you can contact on this email address - divyanigupta08@gmail.com