9 Low Light Plants You Should Grow

Looking to get into horticulture but don’t get much light in your house? You have nothing to worry about because Mother Nature has gifted us with a variety of plants that can thrive in low light. Taking into account how many people all around the country have been in favor of working at home, growing indoor plants can have many benefits, from the destressing that comes with growing plants to the simple sight of greenery in your home.

So, if you’re interested in growing a few plants around the house, there are a ton of options out there for you to try out. These are low-light indoor plants that can very easily grow and thrive even with limited light, adding plenty of natural hues to your interior. 

1. Spider Plant

Spider plants have unique aesthetics like no other.

Even if you have arachnophobia, you can still appreciate the unique look of spider plants. It actually gets its name from the long offshoots that may remind you of spider legs. Now, obviously, the plant itself does not look anywhere near as creepy as spiders. Its wispy, long blades, rich green highlighted with a yellowish-white border, and thick foliage is a great way to bring some much-needed biophilia into any interior.

But aside from the spider plant looking great, it’s also relatively easy to grow. Because of its adaptability and moderate moisture intake, it can grow just about anywhere inside your home. Indoor plants that like shade like spider plants grow do not require more sunlight than that, so they can thrive even in rooms with limited lighting. Thanks to this adaptability, spider plants can be grown on horizontal or vertical surfaces, making fantastic wall decor for those looking to bring some greenery into their lives. 

2. Guzmania

Add some color to your life with guzmania plants.

If your home does not get much direct sunlight, you really don’t have much to worry about when it comes to the guzmania. These indoor shade plants do not like being under direct sunlight and prefer resting in the shade. As long as your interior has some amount of light bouncing around the room, the guzmania will grow and flourish.

Guzmanias are most popular for their rich red hues. The red stem in the middle, with its yellow accent, is surrounded by blades of rich green. And as you probably know, red and green are complementary colors, making the guzmania a naturally attractive houseplant. 

3. Ivy

Growing Ivies indoors is a good choice because they’re very low light houseplants.

If more chaotic plants are your cup of tea, then you can’t go wrong with ivy. There are a metric ton of ivy plants (usually named after a geographical location, English, Himalayan, Algerian, etc) that you can plant indoors and they can flourish, covering your interior with rich green leaves and foliage. Ivies are very low-light houseplants making for good.

Ivy is very forgiving when it comes to sunlight. This means you can also use them on vertical surfaces and ivies are especially popular with hanging pots. As the leaves droop over the pots, they turn your home into a biophilic paradise, like being inside a forest. That’s a mild over-exaggeration, but if you’ve ever grown potted ivy, then you should know how effective they are at livening up the atmosphere.

4. Snake Plant

Add some green vibrance to your interior with a snake plant.

If ivy is a little too chaotic for you and hard to control, then a snake plant might do the trick. Much like the spider plant, these are named after a pretty terrifying animal but are regardless quite attractive. Unlike the spider plant, which has thinner, more flexible blades, the snake plant stands upright, the blades vibrant green sticking out from the pot.

Unlike the spider plant, the blades of the snake plant are more concentrated, so you won’t have to worry about them spilling beyond their containers. Spider plants are just as bold of an accent as any other indoor plant, but they are easier to work with thanks to how tightly grouped the blades are. 

5. Cast Iron Plant

Cast iron plants offer rich foliage to your interior.

Typically when we talk about cast iron, we’ll mention an artisanal gate or a unique piece of decor. But the cast-iron plants get their name not because they are made of metal, but because much like cast iron, they are basically indestructible. Obviously, as with any other plant, they are still susceptible to physical damage and lack of maintenance.

But what gives the cast-iron plant’s reputation is how strong it is, even when grown in minimal to no sunlight. These low-light houseplants prefer partial or complete shade, so even if you put them as far away from the windows as possible, they’ll still grow a healthy dark green.

6. ZZ Plant

Growing a ZZ plant is very low-maintenance.

Enough of spiders, snakes, and cast iron — how about a more playful name with the ZZ plant, which derives from its scientific name, zamioculcas zamiifolia. Obviously, it’s much easier to just say “ZZ”. These shade-loving house plants are very easy to grow and take a moderate amount of water. ZZ plants are generally carefree plant that does not require any sort of special maintenance except for one very important factor you should consider.

ZZ plants are actually toxic to pets. If you have cats or dogs running around the house that like to bite basically anything that they get their paws on, keep the ZZ plant out of their reach. If you have a cat in the house, one that can climb pretty much anything, then there is really no safe palace for the ZZ plant and it is then simply recommended not to plant it. Otherwise, the ZZ plant is one of the best low light plants, as they produce very cute rounded leaves when fully grown, as well as clean the air in the right conditions.

7. Parlor Palm

The more light parlor palms receive, the better they’ll flourish.

When the tropics are on your mind, a palm is something that always comes to mind. Certain palms can be somewhat hard to grow as they are adapted to very specific temperatures, usually warmer ones. But if your home does not get much natural light, then a parlor palm is your number one choice.

Parlor palms make do with little to no light. They even prefer the dim sunlight that you get before in the early morning. Sure, the more light they receive, the more they’ll flourish, but even with limited sunlight, they can still grow to become very attractive houseplants. 

8. Peace Lily

Peace lilies thrive in low-light rooms.

Looking for more than just green from your houseplants? A peace lily may be just the plant you were looking for to satisfy your thirst for horticulture. Not only do these plants produce big, rich-green leaves, but they also have white flowers on top of tall stems that bud once the plant starts to flourish.

As with all the other plants on this list, peace lilies are relatively easy to grow. However, as with the ZZ plant, keep these away from pets. They can be toxic, so if you have a very energetic cat running around, it’d be better to choose something else.

9. Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreens do not like direct sunlight, so low light environments will be optimal for their growth.

When it comes to leaf size, the Chinese evergreen is quite impressive. What starts out as a relatively small low-light plant can grow a green and white canopy. While they do not like direct sunlight, the more indirect sunlight they receive, the richer their colors will be.

As with the ZZ plant and peace lily, Chinese evergreens are toxic to pets. However, if you don’t have any pets running around the house, these plants will really bring home the biophilic element of your interior.