30 Best Low Light Indoor Plants for Your Home

30 Best Low Light Indoor Plants for Your Home

Not every home has big sunny windows. If you’ve got a north-facing living room, a dark hallway, or a bedroom with low light, don’t worry. There are plenty of low light indoor plants that will not only survive but actually thrive with less natural light. If you’re tired of pale, lifeless leaves and wilting stems, this post is for you.

Let’s walk through some of the best low light houseplants that are beginner-friendly, tough to kill, and great for bringing life into even the darkest corners of your home.

Here’s a quick list for you to reference, with the full pictures and descriptions following:

1	Anthurium	11	Heartleaf Philodendron	21	Pothos
2	Arrowhead Plant	12	Hoya	22	Prayer Plant
3	Bird’s Nest Fern	13	Ivy	23	Rex Begonia
4	Boston Fern	14	Kentia Palm	24	Umbrella Plant
5	Calathea	15	Maidenhair Fern	25	Snake Plant
6	Cast Iron Plant	16	Monstera	26	Spider Plant
7	Chinese Evergreen	17	Parlor Palm	27	Staghorn Fern
8	Dumb Cane	18	Peace Lily	28	Syngonium
9	Dracaena	19	Peperomia	29	Zebra Plant
10	Japanese Aralia	20	Sweetheart Vine	30	ZZ Plant

1. Anthurium

While most varieties of anthurium prefer bright light, Anthurium clarinervium and Queen Anthurium are two varieties that adapt to low light. You won’t get blooms, but the glossy leaves still look great.

It likes fairly consistent moisture and humidity. Let the top inch of soil dry between waterings.

2. Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum)

Easy to care for and happy in the shade and humidity, the Arrowhead Plant adds a pop of green and interesting leaf shapes. Water it when top half-inch of soil is dry.

3. Bird’s Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)

A bright green rosette of leaves, this fern thrives in shade and likes a little humidity—making it perfect for bathrooms. Keep its soil consistently moist, and avoid watering the center rosette.

4. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis exaltata)

Prefers indirect light but tolerates shade. It loves humidity. If you keep the soil slightly moist and mist the plant often, it’ll stay lush.

5. Calathea

Known for its ornate foliage, Calathea prefers low to medium light and needs a bit of humidity. It’s a little fussy but worth it.

6. Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)

The name says it all—it’s tough. The Cast Iron Plant doesn’t flinch at low light or irregular watering. It’s ideal for hallways or offices.

7. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema commutatum)

Another hardy pick, Chinese Evergreen has gorgeous patterned leaves and tolerates shade better than most. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. It can handle both very dry air and excess moisture, so it’s great for everything from low-light bedrooms to bathrooms.

8. Dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane)

A favorite for its bold, tropical-looking leaves. It’s happy in partial to low light, but keep it away from pets—it’s toxic if ingested. Avoid overwatering this one by watering it only when the soil feels dry 1-2 inches down.

9. Dracaena (Dracaena spp.)

Several varieties do well in low light, including the ever-popular Janet Craig. They’re upright, sculptural, and easy to care for. It likes being watered when the top 2 inches of soil are dry, but it can be sensitive to tap water.

10. Japanese Aralia (Fatsia japonica)

This plant has bold leaves and is very shade tolerant. It’s often grown indoors for its dramatic look, and can be kept in cooler rooms than many of its tropical counterparts. Keep it slightly moist.

11. Heartleaf Philodendron

This trailing plant handles low light with ease and doesn’t need much attention. It’s a great choice for shelves or hanging baskets. Water it only when the top inch of soil feels dry.

12. Hoya

Many Hoya varieties are low-light tolerant and grow slowly, making them easy to manage. Let the soil dry out between waterings.

13. Ivy (Hedera helix)

Ivy can handle low light, though it does appreciate some indirect sun. It’s great for trailing over shelves. Allow it to dry out some between waterings, and mist it regularly if your air is dry.

14. Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

A graceful palm that handles low light beautifully. Doesn’t need a lot of fussing, in fact, it prefers drier soil.

15. Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum raddianum)

This one’s a bit more delicate but will reward you with beautiful, lacy fronds if you keep it in the shade and don’t let it dry out.

16. Monstera (Monstera deliciosa and adansonii)

While it prefers some indirect light, Monstera will tolerate dimmer rooms. You may not get as many splits in the leaves, but it will survive just fine.

17. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

This old-school favorite earned its name by thriving in low light Victorian parlors. It’s still a solid pick today for shady rooms, and it’s easy to care for. It should only be watered when the top inch of soil is dry.

18. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum spp.)

Peace Lilies prefer shade and tell you when they need water by drooping slightly. Perfect for people who need a little nudge.

19. Peperomia

Compact, low maintenance, and shade-tolerant, peperomia thrives when given less water than most. Great for desks or small shelves.

20. Philodendron Sweetheart Vine

This philodendron doesn’t need to be watered often, and it handles low to medium light with ease.

21. Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Also known as Devil’s Ivy, pothos is one of the easiest houseplants around. It’s fast-growing, trails beautifully, and grows just fine in low light. If you forget to water it, it’ll forgive you.

22. Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)

This one’s fun because it moves! Leaves fold up at night and open during the day. It does well in low light and adds a playful touch. Keep the soil moist but not soggy.

23. Rex Begonia

Not all Begonias are shade-tolerant, but many Rex types are. Their dramatic leaves make them great focal points. Avoid getting water on the leaves when watering it.

24. Schefflera (Umbrella Plant)

Can adapt to lower light, though it may grow more slowly. Water it when the top inch of soil is dry.

25. Snake Plant (Sansevieria/Dracaena trifasciata)

This one’s practically indestructible. Snake plants can go weeks without water, tolerate neglect, and handle very low light like a champ. Bonus: they’ve got striking, upright leaves that look great in any room.

26. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

Super adaptable, spider plants do just fine in low light and are great for beginners. They also produce “babies” you can repot. They don’t need a ton of water, and when they do, they let you know by drooping and discoloring. I’ve kept them in my dark bathroom and office for years.

27. Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)

Looks amazing mounted on a wall like living art. Tolerates low light and adds serious style, but does require regular misting.

28. Syngonium

These offer nice color. They handle lower light and like even moisture. You may also see them called Arrowhead Vine.

29. Zebra Plant (Aphelandra squarrosa)

Handles low light, though it’s unlikely to flower. Still, those striped leaves are worth it. This one likes moist soil, so water it regularly.

30. ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

If you want a plant that almost takes care of itself, this is it. The ZZ plant is glossy, sculptural, and thrives in deep shade. Water it every couple weeks and you’re golden.

Tips for Low Light Indoor Plants

No matter what plant you get, it will still need some light, either indirectly from a window or artificial source. If you’re working with a truly windowless, lightless room, consider leaving overhead LED lights on, adding a small grow light to the space, or even bringing your plant out of the room for a day or two each week to get a little bit of light.

For many of these plants, you can simply leave a door open as long as there’s natural light coming in from an adjacent room or hallway. Rotate the plants frequently to make sure they don’t all grow in one direction.

Happy Growing!

If you’ve struggled with houseplants in the past, low light might be the culprit—not your skills. Try one or two from this list of low light indoor plants and see what works in your space. If you’re totally new to indoor plants, start with a ZZ Plant or Snake Plant for something foolproof.

And if you’re looking for more plants, I’ve written the following posts for specific low light situations:

• low-light hanging plants
• low-light bathrooms
• low-light offices
• low-light pet-safe plants
• low-light flowering houseplants
• low-light tall houseplants