31 Low Light Houseplants That You Shouldn’t Miss Out

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Incorporating your interior spaces with houseplants enhances your quality of life. However, the biggest challenge is finding low light houseplants that can be productively grown indoors.

This is because light is an essential factor in maintaining healthy plants. Failure to which your efforts to grow indoor plants will yield little results.

So, how can you establish beautiful looking indoor plants without worrying about the cost of buying artificial grow lights to illuminate your dark interiors?

Simple,

Grow low light houseplants.

Here’s a complete list of;


31 Best Low Light Houseplants That Can Survive Partial Darkness

Low light houseplants

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low light houseplants spider plant

Spider plant is known by several other names such as St. Bernard’s lily, airplane plant, ribbon plant, and spider ivy. Native to southern and tropical Africa, Chlorophytum comosum is a flower.

The spider plant is considered one of the most adaptable of houseplants and the easiest to grow. This plant can grow in a wide range of conditions and suffers from few problems, other than brown tips.

Therefore, you shouldn’t miss out this excellent indoor plant in your armor of houseplants that requires low light to thrive.

Read more about spider plant care and gardening tips.


2. Philodendron (Philodendron spp)

low light houseplants

Philodendron is a large genus of flowering plants in the Araceae family.  "Heart-leaf" Philodendron is probably one of the easiest low light houseplants to grow, making them practically no-fail indoor plants.

The plants have unique colored leaves that make them very attractive indoors.

However, when you decide to grow this beautiful houseplant, do so with care since Philodendron plants are known to be toxic to your favorite pets such as dogs and cats.


3. Snake plant / Mother-in-law’s Tongue (Sansevieria trifasciata)

The Snake Plant, or Mother-in-Law's Tongue, is one of the most recommended plants for improving indoor air quality.

This plant is extremely hardy and difficult to kill. For that matter, it will grow and thrive in dim light making it an ideal selection for low light houseplants.

An interesting research program has been done by NASA using a few selected plants (one is Sansevieria) for air purification and to curb "Sick Building Syndrome."

Here's a nice article on how to propagate numerous snake plants.


4. ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

low light houseplants

Credit: Heidiwearsglasses via Reddit

Zamioculcas (common name "Zanzibar Gem" or "ZZ Plant") is a genus of flowering plant in the family Araceae, containing the single species Zamioculcas zamiifolia.

It is a tropical perennial plant native to eastern Africa, from Kenya south to northeastern South Africa.

Looking after a Zamioculcas Zamiifolia otherwise known as a ZZ Plant or Eternity Plant is really easy. It's an attractive stylish and indestructible low light houseplant with glossy leaves.

Read: Hibiscus Plant Care: 5 Actionable Tips (Check out tip #5)


5. Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

19 Bathroom Plants that Absorb Moisture

If you’re looking for an extremely hardy indoor plant, then Cast-iron plant lives up to its name. Aspidistra elatior is also known as bar room plant owing to its ability to thrive in dark corners of the room.

Cast-iron plant is a flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae and it’s native to Japan and Taiwan.

The only drawback is that this low light lover grows super slow.


6. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

large indoor plants

Chamaedorea elegans, the neanthe bella palm or parlour palm, is species of small palm tree native to the rainforests in Southern Mexico and Guatemala.

The parlor palm makes a super addition to any space, especially indoors.

It was named as such because it thrives in low and indirect lighting situations making it perfect for parlors of houses, or lobbies of hotels, banks and other commercial buildings.

They are really easy to look after making them an ideal palm for beginners to start with.

Placement, lighting, care and moisture requirements are not hard to manage even in those commercial applications.

Read more about Growth and Care of a Parlor Palm


7. Peace lily

low light houseplants

Spathiphyllum is a genus of about 40 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Araceae, native to tropical regions of the Americas and southeastern Asia.

Certain species of Spathiphyllum are commonly known as Spath or peace lilies.

Peace Lilies are very common low light houseplants because they are easy to grow.


8. Bromeliads-tropical plant

Bromeliads are plants that are adapted to various climates. Foliage takes different shapes, from needle-thin to broad and flat, symmetrical to irregular, spiky to soft.

The foliage, which usually grows in a rosette, is widely patterned and colored. Leaf colors range from maroon, through shades of green, to gold.

Bromeliad plants provide an exotic touch to the home and bring a sense of the tropics and sun-kissed climates. Growing a bromeliad as a houseplant is easy and brings interesting texture and color to the interior garden.

They are probably one of the best low light houseplants for growing indoors.


9. Jade Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Epipremnum aureum is a species of flowering plant in the family of Araceae, native in Mo'orea, French Polynesia.

Jade pothos are perfect low light houseplants for areas that don’t get a lot of sunlight and for people who tend to forget to water their plants.

They are an excellent plant for busy people, non-plant people, even for black-thumbs. And they're an excellent choice plants for places like offices and dorm rooms.

They are arguably the easiest low light houseplants to grow.

Read more about Pothos growing tips.


10. Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

According to Wikipedia, Nephrolepis exaltata, the sword fern, is a species of fern in the family Lomariopsidaceae, native to tropical regions throughout the world.

The Boston fern is the most popular of all ferns grown indoors and has been found to be one of the easiest to care for and maintain.

You should try growing this amazing houseplant in your indoor spaces


11. Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia)

Dumb cane is a genus of tropical flowering plants in the family Araceae. It is native to the New World Tropics from Mexico and the West Indies south to Argentina.

Despite of its striking appearance of variegation, you should be careful not to ingest Dieffenbachia’s content, especially the sap at all cost since it is poisonous.

If that happens, your tongue will swell hence causing speechlessness. You don’t want that to happen, don’t you?

However, it’s an excellent choice for low light indoor spaces.


12. Rubber plant (Ficus elastica)

large indoor plants

Ficus elastica, the rubber fig, rubber bush, rubber tree, rubber plant, or Indian rubber bush, is a species of plant in the fig genus, native to northeast India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Ficus elastica is among the most common Ficus plants used as houseplants.

This easy-to-grow indoor houseplant will grow into an eight-foot-tall tree for a major pop of greenery in a room

Read: 15 Epic Houseplants for Improving Indoor Air Quality


13. Fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata)

large indoor plants

Ficus lyrata, commonly known as the fiddle-leaf fig, is a species of fig tree, native to western Africa, from Cameroon west to Sierra Leone. It grows in lowland tropical rainforest.

Ficus lyrata, is a tough plant that adapts easily to conditions. Once acclimated, it can grow to 6 feet or taller.


14. Gloxinia (Sinningia speciosa)

low light houseplants

Gloxinia is a genus of three species of tropical rhizomatous herbs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae.

Sinningia speciosa, are extremely popular summer flowering low light houseplants.

They are relatively easy to grow from seed, but the plants take five to seven months from seed to begin to bloom.

Therefore, if your home needs some exciting color and texture among the dark, cold days of winter, gloxinia can help.


15. Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)

Monstera deliciosa is a species of flowering plant native to tropical rainforests of southern Mexico, south to Panama.

The Monstera deliciosa or the Swiss Cheese Plant is an easy care indoor plant complete with unusual, although stunning, leaves.

It is primarily grown indoors for the lush green and glossy leaves.


16. Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans)

Dracaena fragrans is a flowering plant species that is native throughout tropical Africa, from Sudan south to Mozambique, west to Côte d'Ivoire and southwest to Angola, growing in upland regions at 600–2,250 m altitude.

The corn plant is an ideal indoor plant grown in many offices and homes around the world.

Read more on how to care for your corn plants


17. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema)

Aglaonema is a genus of flowering plants in the arum family, Araceae. They are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea. They are known commonly as Chinese evergreens.

Chinese evergreen is an extremely popular house plant, which is very easy to grow and is undoubtedly one of the low light houseplants that can perform well under various conditions.


18. Prayer Plant (Maranta leucoreura)

Maranta leuconeura (prayer plant) is a species of flowering plant in the family Marantaceae, native to the Brazilian Rainforest.

Prayer Plant earned its name because of the way its leaves fold together at night, like hands closed in prayer.

They rarely bloom indoors, but sometimes grow tiny, white tubular flowers on long stems.


19. English Ivy (Hedera helix)

low light houseplants

Hedera helix, sometimes called English ivy or Algerian ivy, is a species of flowering plant in the family Araliaceae, native to most of Europe and western Asia.

English ivy plants (Hedera helix) are superb climbers, clinging to almost any surface by means of small roots that grow along the stems.

English ivy care is a snap, so you can plant it in distant and hard-to-reach areas without worrying about maintenance.


20. Calathea/Zebra plant/Peacock plant (Calathea lancifolia)

Calathea is a genus of plants belonging to the family Marantaceae. There are several dozen species in this genus.

However, the most common species has luscious, dark green leaves that have scalloped edges and silver brush marks on the top of the leaves. Like many tropical indoor plants, calathea prefers a spot with low to medium light and abundant humidity.

These plants are very demanding but are beautiful low light houseplants to brighten up your indoors.


21. Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata)

large indoor plants

Dracaena Marginata or the Madagascar Dragon Tree is just one of many houseplants belonging to the Dracaena Group.

There are several types of Dracaena such as D. marginata original, D. marginata ‘tricolor,’ and D. marginata Colorama.

Read more Our House Plants


22. Arrowhead vine (Syngonium podophyllum)

Syngonium podophyllum is a species of aroid, and commonly cultivated as a houseplant.

The species is native to a wide region of Latin America from Mexico to Bolivia, and naturalized in the West Indies, Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and other places.

The arrowhead plant goes by numerous names including arrowhead vine, American evergreen, five fingers, and nephthytis.

It is a lush foliage plant that holds its variegation well in low light and thus ranks highly in our list of low light houseplants.

Read: 13 Effective Ways to Save a Dying Cactus Fast


23. Radiator plant/Peperomia

Peperomia is one of the 2 large genera of the Piperaceae family, with more than 1000 recorded species.

The low-growing, compact foliage of Peperomia offers a ton of diversity of leaf shape and color. 

Foliage is its prime attraction, but Peperomia usually produces tiny flowers as well, in dense, small, slender spikes.

Peperomia is one of the best low light houseplants for growing in dark patios.


24. Moth Orchid

Phalaenopsis (moth orchids) grow well in centrally heated rooms and have long-lasting flowers produced all year round.

The moth orchids are actually the most common orchid due to its ease of production, and the availability of blooming plants year-round in addition to their low light requirements.


25. Anthurium

Anthurium is a genus of about 1000 species of flowering plants, the largest genus of the arum family, Araceae.

The anthurium plant is grown as a houseplant in cooler areas and as a landscaping plants in USDA zones 10 or higher. Their ability to tolerate low to medium light makes them ideal for growing indoors.


26. Ponytail Palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

Beaucarnea recurvata is a species of plant in the family Asparagaceae, native to the states of Tamaulipas, Veracruz and San Luis Potosí in eastern Mexico.

Despite its common name, it is not closely related to the true palms.

Ponytail Palm is an elegant, curious and beautiful house plant. It's easy to take care of and although slow growing will light up any landscape.


27. Luck bamboo (Dracaena braunii)

Dracaena braunii is a species of the genus Dracaena. It is also known as Dracaena sanderiana, after the German–English gardener Henry Frederick Conrad Sander.

Common names include Sander's dracaena, ribbon dracaena, lucky bamboo, curly bamboo, Chinese water bamboo, and friendship bamboo.


28. Yucca Cane

Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae. Yucca elephantipes otherwise known as a Spineless Yucca or Stick Yucca, has only started to become popular as an indoor plant quite recently.

It is one of those indoor tropical that prefers high light. The plant will live in low light, but you'll need to make sure you apply enough when water.

Learn How to Care For a Yucca Plant


29. Begonia (Begonia semperflorens)

Begonia is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains 1,795 different plant species.

Tuberous begonias are ideally suited to growing in containers and hanging baskets, whilst fibrous rooted begonias make an attractive addition to summer flowers.

They are valued for their ability to provide long-lasting color in shady or low-light situations.


30. Columnea (Columneagloriosa)

Columnea is a genus of ca. 200 species of epiphytic herbs and shrubs in the flowering plant family Gesneriaceae, native to tropical America and the Caribbean.

They are elegant trailing plants with exotic flame-like flowers. Columnea are among the best low light houseplants.


31. Hoya

Hoya is an Asclepiad genus of 200–300 species of tropical plants in the family Apocynaceae.

The Hoya plant is known for its thick leaves and a characteristic shape. They are climbing and clambering so they make a very interesting sight in any home.

The Hoya plants are also known as “the Hindu rope” or “Wax plant”. They are wax-stemmed and produce beautiful flowers. Many people like to grow them in their home, balcony or garden.

Learn How to Grow a Hoya Plant


Conclusion

You’ve read about the low light houseplants that can readily thrive under low to medium light. By embellishing these houseplants to your interior spaces, doesn’t only ensure that you’re adding greenery to your home or office.

But also these living organisms interact with your body, mind and home or office in ways that enhance the quality of your life.

What are you waiting for?

Go try them out.


Editor's Note: This post was originally published on October 31, 2016 and has been revamped and updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

8 thoughts on “31 Low Light Houseplants That You Shouldn’t Miss Out”

  1. Somebody needs to rethink this article, preferably someone with experience of growing these plants!
    Begonia illustrated is not B. semperflorens.

  2. As a plant enthusiast I was excited to click the link to discover more plants to add to my low light collection. Well, after seeing Fiddle Leaf Fig and Ponytail Palm, I had to post this message to try and save these plants from being potentially killed by other readers who believe this article to be true. There are at least 5-7 plants here that require indirect bright sunlight to grow and survive. Low light willin fact kill a lot of these plants.

    • I quite agree. I think that the author has included certain high light plants, eg ponytail palm, which will die very slowly in low light. Or that experience is very limited .

    • Hello Alton & David Rhodes, thank you very much for your comments. I quite agree that all plants not just the ones on the list, require sufficient light to grow optimally. However, those listed here have some level of tolerance for dark spaces making them ideal for low light conditions. It’s not just theory here but I’ve tested and done some experiments and the result; they work!
      At first they might struggle but after acclimatization they grow just fine.

      • I’d love to see the evidence for this, as in 50 years I’ve never found this to be the case. It is something which goes against all the rules. Do you have photos etc?

    • That’s exactly what I was thinking, Alton. I have close to 100 pants and many of this require a lot more light that what this article tells.

  3. Usually I never comment on blogs but your article is so convincing that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job Man,Keep it up.

  4. I was surprised to see the ponytail palm, rubber tree and fiddle leaf fig on this list. My experience with them is that they are certainly not low-light plants. Mine are currently being plantsat at my daughter’s where they are thriving in a southeast exposure.
    I was wondering about the Orchid as well, but have since learned that it does very well in low light. Nice, since it’s such a beautiful plant!

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