30 Indoor Plants for Low Light
These houseplants are perfect for homes and offices with little or no natural sunlight.
Related To:
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: Plants.com
Photo By: iStockphoto.com/FeelPic
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Bloomscape
Photo By: Plants.com
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Plants.com
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: Plants.com
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: CostaFarms.com
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: Costa Farms
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Getty Images/DEA/G. Cigolini
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Bloomscape
Photo By: Ball Horticultural Company
Photo By: iStock/dropStock
Photo By: Image courtesy of Costa Farms
Photo By: Shutterstock/Manhattan Art
Photo By: iStock/Adkasai
Photo By: Shutterstock/Anna Vershynina
Photo By: iStock/buchsammy
Photo By: Shutterstock/Olga Miltsova
Photo By: Getty Images/DEA/G. Cigolini
Indoor Plants That Love the Shade
Have you been afraid to try growing houseplants in your home, or a particular room, because you think you don't have enough light? Fear not! These 30 indoor plants thrive in low-light conditions and are also easy to grow. If you are not sure what kind of light you have, consider this: A south-facing room with lots of windows has high light. Medium light would be in an east- or west-facing room. North-facing rooms or rooms with no windows are considered low-light rooms. If your room has no windows, you should leave lights on 12 hours a day or rotate low-light plants into the room for a few weeks at a time before moving them back to a naturally lit room.
Bromeliad Guzmania
You might think this bromeliad needs a lot of light to produce such vivid colors. But guzmanias prefer low light and can't take direct sun. Many other bromeliads also thrive in low light conditions, so check the tag or label on your variety before you buy.
Also See: Growing Bromeliads: How to Care for Bromeliads
Ivy
English and Algerian ivies do well in low to moderate light. They should dry out between waterings.
Shop Online
ZZ Plant
ZZ plant grows well in a dry environment and pushes the low-light limit to its extreme. Native to East Africa and Tanzania where it thrives in heat and drought, ZZ has become a popular houseplant because of its tolerance for less-than-perfect conditions.
Learn More: How to Care for a ZZ Plant
Shop Online
Ponytail Palm
Native to semi-desert areas in Mexico, ponytail palms (Beaucarnea) are actually succulents in the agave family. They store water in their trunks, which can enlarge and resemble an elephant’s foot. These are some of the easiest tropical plants to grow, happy in low to bright, indirect light.
Also See: The Easiest Tropical Plants to Grow at Home
Snake Plant
Snake plant performs well in dry spells and handles moderate to low light with ease. An ideal spot indoors is about 10 feet away from a west or south window. Pay attention to pot tags when buying snake plants. Some varieties, especially variegated ones, need a particular light level to retain brightest leaf color.
Learn More: How to Care for a Snake Plant
Shop Online
Watermelon Peperomia
In their native South America, watermelon peperomias grow in jungles in part sun and shade. Give this undemanding cutie a shaded spot in a room with medium to bright light. This variety is named for its leaves, which look like watermelon rinds.
Learn More: How to Grow and Care for Peperomia Plant
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn fern performs well in high humidity locations, like bathrooms. In nature, it grows in trees and requires no soil and little moisture around its roots. It requires moderate light.
Learn More: How to Take Care of a Fern Indoors
Shop Online
Parlor Palm
Also known as Neanthe bella palms, parlor palms can adapt to low light conditions or thrive near windows with cool morning sun or late afternoon light. This finely-textured palm is a good choice for beginning gardeners.
Pothos
Pothos is a low light lover that makes a good entry point into growing houseplants. It handles a wide range of conditions and still performs well. Ideally, it should have low to moderate light and should dry out between waterings.
Learn More: Pothos Plant: Care and Growing Tips
Shop Online
Mass Cane or Corn Plant
Mass cane or corn plants (Dracaena fragrans) are low-maintenance evergreens from Africa. Grow them under artificial lights or in low light. If their leaf colors fade, they may be signaling their need for brighter, filtered light.
Also See: Dracaena Plant Care
Maidenhair Fern
Many ferns, including button, Autumn, rabbit's foot, maidenhair and more, are good options for low-light situations. Give them consistently moist soil and low to medium light.
Shop Online
Yucca Cane
Yucca cane plants tolerate low indoor light but will grow faster in bright, indirect light. Don't worry if you forget to water them. They're drought tolerant and need watering only when the top 50 percent of the soil feels dry.
Learn More: Growing Yuccas
Dieffenbachia
Dieffenbachia prefers a medium- to low-light area. Allow it to dry between waterings.
Learn More: Dieffenbachia: Planting and Care for Dumb Cane Plant
Shop Online
Fittonia spp. (Nerve Plant)
Nerve plants get their common name from the colorful veins on their leaves. Give these small houseplants, sometimes called mosaic plants, indirect, filtered light or shade and high humidity. This pink variety is from the Exotic Angel series.
Also See: 20 Best Plants for Cleaning Indoor Air
Philodendron
Philodendron is a medium- to low-light houseplant that prefers to be kept dry between waterings. Some forms trail, or can easily be trained to a post or "totem." Others have larger leaves and a bushy habitat.
Learn More: Philodendron Care
Shop Online
Schefflera Arboricola
Sometimes called dwarf umbrella trees, Schefflera arboricolas thrive in low to medium light environments. They'll also grow under artificial lights if they're kept within about one foot of the light. If your Schefflera becomes leggy or grows slowly, it probably needs a brighter location.
Also See: 21 Forgiving Houseplants
Calathea
Calathea, including the beloved prayer plant, grow well in medium to low light. They require consistent moisture for best performance. As a rule, the lower the light, the less frequently they will flower.
SHOPPING INSPIRATION
Anthurium
Anthurium bloom in red, white or pink and rebloom well in medium to low light. Keep soil consistently moist.
Also See: Health Benefits of Houseplants
Shop Online
Rex Begonia
Rex begonias are grown for their colorful foliage. Keep them in medium to low light and allow them to get dry between waterings.
Learn More: Begonias: How to Plant, Grow and Care for Begonias
Shop Online
Lucky Bamboo
This popular housewarming gift is often received growing in water only. It can remain that way, only change the water weekly. If you prefer, plant it in soil and keep it evenly moist. Low to medium light works well.
Also See: Bamboo Plant: Get to Know It Before You Grow It
Shop Online
Dracaena 'Twister'
'Twister' is a relatively new variety of dracaenas with dark green, strappy leaves that seem to spiral up and down its stalks. It can handle low light or bright, indirect light. This houseplant is said to help purify indoor air.
Also See: Cleaning Indoor Air With Plants
Tradescantia Zebrina
Tradescantias are pretty in planters or hanging baskets that let their vining stems trail gracefully. Tradescantia zebrina, shown here, has green and purple leaves with stripes, but other varieties come in blue, purple-green, silver and burgundy. Also known as spiderworts, the plants like low to bright, indirect light.
Chinese Evergreen
Aglaonema, or Chinese evergreen, is an easy-to-grow foliage plant that performs well in low to medium light. Let it dry between waterings.
Learn More: How to Plant and Grow Chinese Evergreen
Shop Online
Peace Lily
Peace lily prefers moderate to low light and consistently moist soil. It reblooms several times a year, even with low-light conditions.
Learn More: How to Grow and Care for Peace Lily Plants
Shop Online
Prayer Plant
This lovely plant tolerates low light but will thrive in bright, indirect light. The prayer plant prefers well-drained soil and requires high humidity.
Learn More: Prayer Plant Care
Shop Online
Spider Plant
Spider plants are adaptable and one of the easiest-to-grow houseplants. They grow in a variety of conditions, making them perfect for any home. Give them well-drained soil and indirect light to flourish.
Learn More: Spider Plant Indoor Care
Shop Online
Monstera
Monstera, also known as the Swiss cheese plant, is a show stopper. This plant is perfect for adding a big, bold, tropical feel to your home. It tolerates all types of lighting conditions and helps purify the air.
Learn More: How to Care for Monstera, the Swiss Cheese Plant
Shop Online
Arrowhead Plant
The Syngonium podophyllum is an easy-to-grow plant with minimal needs. To help keep it looking nice, it will need regular pruning to keep its unruly nature in check.
Shop Online
Bird's Nest Fern
The crooks of tropical trees are the bird's nest fern's natural habitat. They love filtered light to light shade and humidity to thrive.
Learn More: Bird's Nest Fern
Shop Online
Cast Iron Plant
This tough-as-nails plant grows in full shade and is not picky about regular water, either.
Learn More: Cast Iron Plant: How to Grow and Use This Houseplant and Garden Evergreen