30 BEST LOW-LIGHT INDOOR PLANTS
These houseplants are perfect for homes and offices with little or no natural sunlight.
Low-Light Indoor Plants for Home or Office
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 grow lights on for 12 hours a day. And if you’re not sure what direction your room faces, try using the compass on your phone to figure it out.
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.
Guzmania — the most common houseplant variety of bromeliad — blooms in clusters of red, orange, yellow, purple and white flowers. Their height varies by species, but they can grow as tall as 2 feet.
ZZ Plant
ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) 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. ZZ features graceful stems bearing waxy, oval, dark green leaves and grows 2 to 3 feet tall.
Ponytail Palm
Native to semi-desert areas in Mexico, ponytail palms (Beaucarnea recurvata) 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 and they don’t need much water. Indoors, ponytail palms grow 6 to 8 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide.
Cast Iron Plant
This tough-as-nails plant grows in full shade and is not picky about regular watering, either. Its easy-to-grow nature makes cast iron plant great for beginning gardeners. Aspidistra elatior is a native of China and Japan and features leaves that grow to 24 inches long. Some cast iron plants have cream-colored foliage with green stripes while others feature spots and streaks on their foliage. Cast iron plants mature to 2 to 3 feet tall and a foot to 2 feet wide.
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.
Philodendron
Philodendron is a medium- to low-light houseplant that prefers to be kept dry between waterings. Some forms of these tough-as-nails plants trail, or can easily be trained to a post or “totem.” Others have larger leaves and a bushy habitat.
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.
Peperomias have been populary referred to as “radiator plants” because they tend to thrive in the ambient warmth and indirect sunlight typically found on top of radiators. Peperomias can thrive in the fluorescent light of an office or shop space. Brightly colored and variegated leaves may lose contrast and vibrancy in lower light.
Staghorn Fern
Staghorn fern — a native of rainforests — requires moderate light but thrives in high humidity locations such as bathrooms. As an epiphytic plant, it requires no soil. Wall-mounting is a popular way to display staghorn fern, which can grow 2 to 3 feet tall and up to 3 feet wide.
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.
Use pothos in hanging baskets either alone or in mixed plantings, allowing the runners to spill over the edges.
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. Avoid direct light, which can burn their leaves.
These plants make great office mates, but brown leaf tips could be an indication that humidity is too low. Mist them reguarly or put the plant on top of some pebbles in a saucer filled with a little water.
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. The Best Ferns to Grow Inside.
Dieffenbachia
The easy-to-grow Dieffenbachia (Dieffenbachia seguine) features variegated leaves decorated with stripes, spots or colored veins in shades of green, yellow, white or cream. Dieffenbachia will grow best in bright, filtered light but can tolerate low light, including flourescent light such as those found in offices. Ths native to Central and South America comes in a variety of heights and shapes — some feature bushy growth while others grow more upright.
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.
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.
Anthurium
Anthurium bloom in red, white or pink and rebloom well in medium to low light. Keep soil consistently moist. In the wild, anthurium grow under other plants, which means it prefers filtered sunlight — the kind it might receive in a western or southern window. Don’t place it in direct, hot light.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dracaena ‘Twister’
‘Twister’ is a relatively new variety of dracaena 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.
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.
Peace Lily
Peace lily prefers moderate to low light and consistently moist soil. It reblooms several times a year, even with low-light conditions.
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.
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.
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.