These 26 low light indoor plants are easy to care for and don’t mind growing in lower light situations.

This makes them ideal for rooms with limited light, especially during the winter months when the sun is lower in the sky.

These easy-care low light houseplants will not only grow, but actually thrive in less than optimal conditions. And, as this list shows, they don’t have to be boring!

Some of the most colorful plants can actually tolerate lower light conditions. Keep reading to discover the best houseplants for low light rooms.

With the cold weather out in full force, thoughts of gardening are often far from the front burner. Those are the times that I turn to indoor plants.

Growing plants indoors gives you a sense of nature all year round and keeps you busy with some light gardening chores until it is warm enough to garden outside again.

Not all homes have a great deal of light coming in, especially during the winter months. Is this the situation in your home?
Don’t worry, these low light plants can come to your rescue.

Some of these plants like bright diffused light, and others can grow even in darker corners of the room, but none of them like direct sunlight.

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All plants do need some light to live, but many are very adaptable when it comes to less than idea sunlight situations. This makes them the perfect choice for light-starved homes and offices.

It’s nice to know that the dark corner of your room, can actually be a nice spot to place a plant that will tolerate this condition.

Please note: While these plants can survive in low light in the home, very few plants are actually meant to be growing in no light at all. If your specimen is losing color, it might indicate that a bit of indirect light is in order.

Shopping list for low light plants

When you head out to the plant store in your search of lower light plants, take along this handy shopping list. You can print it out here.

These are all plants that I have had luck growing in lower light conditions.

My 26 favorite low light indoor plants

These low light plants can take areas away from the windows and darker corners of your rooms. Give one a try soon.

I’ve started the list with the top plants that do well in low light but have included some others which normally require medium light, but adapt well to lower light rooms.

Best low light plants for indoors

These are my favorite plants for dark rooms. I have grown all of them in north facing windows (the least amount of light in a home) with good success.

Remember that even low-light-tolerant plants still need some light to thrive, so try to provide them with the brightest spot available in a low-light environment.

Additionally, be mindful not to overwater these plants, since low light conditions can reduce a plant’s water requirements.

ZZ Plant – Zamioculas Zamiifolia

This guy thrives on less than ideal conditions, so he is right at home at the top of my list of low light plants. If you are looking for a plant that will tolerate a dark corner and other forms of neglect, the ZZ plant is for you!

It is the perfect “brown thumb” plant. This plant will even do fine in an office with just fluorescent lighting! It can take dry conditions.

Just water it when the top inch or so of soil dries out. Peasy peasy!

Cast Iron Plant – Aspidistra

The easiest plant to grow in my list of indoor plants (low light) is the Cast Iron Plant. There is a good reason for the common name of this plant.

Aspidistra can take a LOT of neglect. It will grow in extremely low light situations and doesn’t mind dust, low humidity, drought and other forms of neglect.

It’s the perfect plant for those with “brown thumbs.” These are THE best plants for low light!

Split Leaf Philodendron –Philodendron bipinnatifidum

If you like plants with big leaves, there are many low light philodendron varieties that you can enjoy.

When this plant is young, the glossy, heart-shaped leaves are quite deeply indented, and as the plant ages, they become more deeply cut as they grow and develop splits in the leaves.

Some varieties of split-leaf philodendron have wavy margins and some are smoother. This philodendron likes moderate to bright light but not direct sun, which can cause brown scorch marks on the leaves.

It is quite at home indoors in the corner near a window. The plant will grow to 4 feet tall, so it needs a large container.

Swiss Cheese Plant – Monstera Deliciosa

There are no prizes for guessing how this plant got it’s common name. The distinctive holes in the leaves look amazingly like Swiss cheese.

Keep this large low light plant out of bright sunlight, or the leaves will scorch. The plant likes bright light to low light and can adapt to darker corners. It can grow quite tall, so give it plenty of room.

Aglaonema

Also, known as Chinese evergreen, aglaonema is an easy to care for plant that does well in lower light conditions. It has several color variations—from dark green to silver, and some with touches of red.

Devil’s Ivy – Pothos Epipremnum

Low light hanging plants bring the freshness of nature eye more to eye level.

Pothos is one easiest indoor plants to grow in low-light situations. This easy-care vining plant looks great in a hanging basket and can be trained to climb plant poles or looks lovely spilling over the edge of a table or shelf.

It likes to be kept slightly on the dry side and is also known as Devil’s Ivy. It is related to the heart leaf philodendron which is looks very much like.

Snake Plant – Sansevieria Zeylanica

Snake plants are very easy to grow indoors, even in very low light. The leaves have the look of snakeskin and this gives it the common name Snake Plant.

They are not often bothered by plant diseases and NASA research has also shown that they will help to keep your air cleaner.

Mother in Law’s Tongue – Sansevieria Trifasciata

Another version of the sansevieria has striped edges and is a good choice for lower light situations, indoors. This variety has a more striped look.

Don’t water them too much. They propagate easily from leaf cuttings.

Find out more about growing snake plant here.

3. Prayer Plant – Calathea

This low light variegated plant is grown in short containers, since it has a shallow root system. It has several varieties of colors from green and white through to a deep maroon and beige coloring.

Prayer plant actually prefers light shade and if you expose it to sunlight, it will fade the colors. They plant does seem to like humidity and you should try to water less during the winter months.

Parlor Palm – Chamaedorea Elegans

The parlor palm is the perfect plant to grow indoors, since it is one of the shorter varieties of indoor palm trees. Indirect light and light watering will keep it happy.

Too much bright sunlight will cause the fronds to burn. I moved one to a south facing window after it had outgrown its small container on an inner room coffee table and the leaves turned a very pale green.

The new fronds that are starting to grow show that it is much happier with lower light situations! When fully grown it will get to about 4 feet tall.

Boston Fern – Nephrolepis exaltata

Readers often ask me if there are low light ferns. The answer is a resounding yes.

Most ferns do well in low light situations and will burn and go brown if they get too much sunlight. Boston fern is a commonly used fern for indoor situations.

Keep it evenly moist and it will continue to get bigger and bigger. This plant looks fabulous, indoors, in a corner on a ]metal plant stand since the new fronds will spread out and hang over the edge of the stand.

Boston ferns also look great in hanging baskets. See my tips for the care of Boston Ferns here.

Pony Tail Palm

This plant is very adaptable to light conditions. It prefers bright light but can easily tolerate medium light as well as low light conditions.

I give mine a summer outside in the shade and it sits to the left of a window indoors most of the time so it gets no real direct sunlight.

But it takes these conditions in stride. Pony Tail palm is fabulous on any occasional table. The huge pony tail look makes it a fabulous focal point plant.

Dumb Cane Plant – Dieffenbachia

Dieffenbachia can tolerate low light but does best in bright indirect light. (near but not right in a window is best) The darker the room is, the less you will see of the lovely variegations that a really healthy plant will show.

See more tips on growing Dieffenbachia here.

Since the plant is poisonous, (thus the common name!) keep pets and small children away from it. All parts of the plant have some toxin in them.

Check out this article for information on Dieffenbachia poisoning.

Arrowhead Plant – Syngonium Podophyllum

It’s easy to see why this plant gets its common name. The leaves are shaped very much like arrowheads.

The plant can take very low light conditions and is ideal for indoor use. See more tips on growing syngonium here.

Braided Money Tree Plant – Pachira aquatica

The braided trunks and glossy green leaves make this stunning indoor plant a real star in the lower light department. This plant does not like direct sunlight.

Bright filtered light is fine and it will also grow in darker corners. As an added benefit, the plant is said to bring luck and prosperity to your home.

The braided trunk holds in the luck! See how to grow the braided money tree plant here.

Some flowering low light plants

Looking for some low light plants that will flower indoors? While many flowering plants prefer bright, indirect light, some can still produce blooms in low-light conditions.

Keep in mind that the frequency and intensity of flowering may not be as robust as in higher light environments.

Here are some low light flowering plants that can tolerate darker rooms:

Urn Plant Bromeliad- Aechmea Fasciata

It may seem odd to group the words low light bromeliads together because of their gorgeous flowers, but my Aechmea Fasciata bromeliad was indoors and it flowered for almost 9 months on a ledge quite a long way from a window.

When I put it outside, I had to keep it in the shade or the plant leaves would scorch. It sent up pups and is huge now but has not re-flowered yet.

This proves that indoor plants in low light spots don’t need to be boring.

Peace Lily – Spathiphyllum

Many people mistake a Peace Lily for a similar looking plant – a Calla Lily. The two are different though.

Peace lilies are known for their elegant white blooms and their ability to adapt to low light conditions. They also help purify the air.

Moth Orchid – Phalaenopsis

Perhaps the prettiest plant in my list of low light indoor plants is the moth orchid. Moth orchids are, by far, one of my favorite plants to grow indoors in less than ideal light conditions.

They do not require high light levels and will scorch very easily if exposed to too much sunlight. They will grow in conditions similar to that for African violets – east or west facing windows are ideal.

I once grew one in a north facing window and it did just fine. See more tips on growing Moth Orchids here.

Flamingo Flower – Anthurium

Low light flowering plants like this anthurium are a delight in any home.

This plant has the most amazing red flowers with a central yellow-white spike. Anthuriums are protected in their natural habitat by being shaded by the canopy of trees, so they can take quite low light situations and still flower.

See more tips on growing the Flamingo Flower Plant here.

Low light plants with pretty leaf patterns

There are several low-light plants with beautiful and interesting foliage that can add visual appeal to indoor spaces. Here are some options:

Rex Begonia – Begonia rex-cultorum

The majestic member of my list of low light indoor plants is Rex Begonia. Rex Begonias are an amazing plant for indoor use. They like bright indirect light. The plant has the most amazing leaf colors and shapes.

This red kiss rex begonia is only one variety available. This is another indoor lower light plant that says they do not have to be boring!

Rex begonia is not the only low light indoor begonia. Many tuberous begonias do well indoors with only filtered light.

Spider Plant – Chlorophytum

Spider plants are a personal favorite of mine. I had them growing in baskets in an outdoor shady atrium when I lived in Australia and found them incredibly easy to grow.

They propagate very easily from the babies that the mature plants send out. The plant pictured here grows on a shelf ledge which gets NO direct sunlight but is in a brightly lit room.

I grew it from a tiny baby and it has its own baby now, about a year later.

Corn Plant – Dracena Fragrans

Imagine the stalk of a corn plant with striped lines on it and you have a good idea of the Dracena Fragrans plant. The plant does well indoors, but try to get it somewhere near a window.

While it will grow in low light conditions indoors, this will cause it to lose its stripes. For more growing tips, see my article on The Corn Plant.

Watermelon Peperomia – Peperomia Argyreia

There are many varieties of peperomia that will do fine in lower light indoors. This is another plant that often grows under the canopy of trees in the natural habitat.

Water as it starts to dry out and give bright indirect light for best results. One of my favorite varieties is the watermelon peperomia with it’s beautifully striped leaves.

Find out more about growing watermelon peperomia here.

Fittonia Albivenis

If you love growing low light indoor plants with great foliage, give this plant a try. It’s easy to see where it gets the common name Pink Angel Nerve plant.

Look at those leaves! I have my plant in a north facing window and it just loves it there in spite of the lower light conditions. See my tips on growing fittonia albivenis here.

Gynura Aurantiaca

This pretty houseplant has the common name “purple passion” plant. It is easy to see why. The leaves are a deep purple color and are covered with hairs for a rich velvety look.

It can take the light of a north facing window just fine and is very easy to care for. See how to grow purple passion plant here.

The plant is also very easy to grow from stem cuttings. See my tutorial and learn how to do it here.

Lucky Bamboo Plant

This fun looking plant is often given as a housewarming gift. You may receive it growing in water, but I love the look of it in a simple planter.

Low to medium light works best for this plant. Find out more about lucky bamboo here.

If you don’t have a lot of light in your home, perhaps one of these low light indoor plants will be just the one for you.

Have you grown others successfully, as well? Please leave the name of it in the comments below and I may add it to my blog post with a shout out to you!

Share this list of low light indoor plants on Twitter

If you enjoyed discovering the best houseplants for low light, be sure to share this post with a friend. Here is a tweet to get you started:

Growing indoor plants in low light is easier than you might think. These 25+ houseplants can survive, and even thrive, in low light conditions. They are great for those with a brown thumb! See the list at the Gardening Cook.… Click To Tweet

Pin these low light indoor plants for later

Would you like a reminder of the best plants for low light indoors? Pin this image to one of your gardening boards on Pinterest so that you can easily find it later.

Admin note: This post about the best houseplants for low light first appeared on the blog in January of 2017. I have updated the post to add more plants, new photos, a printable shopping list and a video for you to enjoy.

Yield: It's Happy Houseplant time!

Shopping List of the Best Indoor Plants for Low Light

Print out this shopping list of lower light house plants. All of them will grow in medium to low light conditions.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 5 minutes

Difficulty easy

Materials

Shopping List
Card Stock Paper

Tools

Ink Jet Printer

Instructions

Looking for low light plants? Take this shopping list with you to the garden store so that you know which plants will thrive in lower light conditions.
All of these will do well in medium to low light conditions.
Some may even flower in low light.

Notes

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