7 Low Light House Plants

Think it's difficult to grow anything in less-than-sunny rooms? The low light house plants listed here may be the perfect solution.        

Most rooms in a home are not flooded with sunshine all day. But that only brings more opportunity to grow lush, green house plants that love low light spots in your home.

Not sure how much light your plant needs? Look up your plant's care in the House Plants Encyclopedia A-Z.

Drought-tolerant ZZ Plant is an easy-care indoor plant, thriving in low light.

What is a partially shaded (low light) location?

• An east-facing window where the morning sun shines into the room for only for a few hours. Morning sun is cooler than afternoon sun, so you don't have to worry about overheating your plant.
• 3-5 feet away from a window that faces south or southwest.
  
• Directly in front of a north-facing window gives a plant low-to-medium light intensity. That's too low for many plants, but just right for these cool characters.

Best Low Light House Plants

Here are some easy-growing plants that prefer life out of the spotlight:

Image © Chernetskaya | Dreamstime.com

Bird's Nest Fern

This easygoing plant shatters the myth that all ferns are fussy. A rainforest native, Bird Nest Fern revels in a partially shaded, moist environment. You'll want to boost the humidity for it, too. Dry indoor air will cause those frond tips to turn brown.

Bird Nest Fern gets its name from the bright green fronds that unfurl from the center of the plant, looking like eggs in a nest.

• Botanical name: Asplenium nidus
• Native to Southeast Asia and Tropical Australia
• Bird Nest Fern grows quickly, reaching about 2 ft tall when grown indoors.

Image © Olga Simonova | Dreamstime.com

Cast Iron Plant

If you tend to neglect your houseplants, this one is for you. Cast Iron Plant is extremely slow-growing, so it rarely needs watering, fertilizing, or repotting. In fact, infrequent watering makes it happy; water your plant thoroughly, then allow it to dry out before watering again.

This tough plant can survive extreme heat, dry air, and low light for a long time. Cast-Iron Plant is ideal for a dim apartment or office. 

• Botanical name: Aspidistra elatior
• Native to China
• How big does Cast Iron Plant get? Mature houseplants will reach about 2-3 ft tall.

Chinese Evergreen

An upright foliage plant, Chinese Evergreen tolerates low light better than many other indoor plants. When you know its origins, you'll understand why. Chinese Evergreens grow in nature on the rainforest floor, shaded by a canopy of trees. Too much sunlight will cause the leaves to become pale in color.

Easy to please, the Chinese Evergreen likes average room temperatures and moist soil. And you'll love this... this tropical plant is slow-growing, and grows best when its roots are confined, so it rarely needs repotted.

• Botanical name: Aglaonema commutatum
• Native to Southeast Asia
• How big does Chinese Evergreen get? Mature plants may reach 2-3 ft (60-90 cm) in height.

Image credit © istock

Corn Plant

It's easy to see where corn plant gets its name. It won't grow corn, but this tropical house plant may occasionally produce sprays of white flowers that are strongly fragrant.

Corn Plant will tolerate many abuses, but be careful not to overwater or over-fertilize. Allow the potting mix to dry out a bit between waterings.

• Botanical name: Dracaena fragrans 'Massangeana'
• Native to Tropical East Africa
• How big does corn plant get? This plant easily reaches 20 ft tall, but you can cut it off at any height; it will sprout new leaves from where it was cut.

Peace Lily is easy to please in low light, but put it near a window to make it bloom.

Peace Lily

Peace lily gets its name from the white spathe that surrounds a spadix of tiny, clustered flowers. Its broad, sword-shaped leaves grow around the flower stems. Slow-growing, a single plant will eventually grow offsets, creating a full planter of foliage.

Although this low-light house plant will flourish indoors, you may not see many flowers on Peace Lily without some sunlight. Move it closer to a window, or use a grow light to coax blooms.

• Botanical name: Spathiphyllum
• Native to Indonesia and Central America
• How big do peace lilies get? Dozens of varieties exist, and may range from 6-in to 6-ft (15 cm to 1.8 m) tall.

Image © Dreamstime.com

Pothos

Pothos is an adaptable house plant perfectly content with low light -- however, its leaves may lose their variegation.

Will pothos trail or climb? This handsome tropical has long vines that are often displayed cascading down a shelf or from a hanging planter. However, it has aerial roots that will readily take hold of a moss stick. Pothos is a climber in its native habitat. In fact, its leaves will grow even larger if allowed to climb.

• Botanical name: Epipremnum aureum
• Native to Southeast Asia
• How long will pothos grow? It will grow several feet long, if not cut back. 

Image © Jessamine | Dreamstime.com

ZZ Plant

ZZ Plant practically thrives on neglect. Keep it out of direct sunlight and water only occasionally. In addition to being drought-tolerant, this eye-catching evergreen seems to shrug off pests. The only downside to ZZ plant is that it is toxic, so keep it away from children and pets.

This low light house plant makes a beautiful room accent and asks for little in return. ZZ is worth adding to your indoor plant collection.

• Botanical name: Zamioculcas zamiifolia
• Native to East Africa
• How big does it get? Although slow-growing, ZZ will eventually reach up to 3 ft tall and may sprawl about as wide.

Is YOUR indoor plant getting enough light?

How much light does your house plant need? Get the light right... head over Indoor Plant Lighting for more information about light exposure and intensity.

Want to give your house plants more light? Take a look at these indoor plant lights to make your plants thrive like never before.

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