No natural light? No problem!
Houseplants bring a certain quality to your home that’s hard to replicate with other kinds of decor. They serve as pops of color throughout your space, they can make the air inside your home fresher, and they force you to take responsibility while keeping up with watering and trimming them. However, if you live in a dark space that doesn’t get a lot of natural light, it might feel pointless to bring any plants inside since you know they won’t get enough sun. Thankfully, you can try getting low-light houseplants that don’t need a ton of sunlight in order to thrive.
Most low-light indoor plants originate from tropical rainforests or dense woodlands, where they've adapted to survive under tree canopies and in dappled light. That makes them perfect for areas with limited sunlight, like north-facing windows or shadowy corners where other plants might struggle. While not all low-light indoor plants are low-maintenance, many varieties are surprisingly easy to care for, which is great news for beginners or busy people! If you're just getting started, consider hardy options like pothos or spider plants and then move on to more involved types.
Ahead, we’ve curated 37 of the best low-light houseplants to brighten up your space.
Additional copy by Kate McGregor and Melanie Yates.
Water: Once a week
Boasting expansive, T-shaped leaves, the blue star fern is an excellent choice for plant parents looking for a new challenge. While this variety is low-light friendly, it needs a lot of moisture and humidity to stay happy. Digital editor Kate McGregor noticed that misting every day or grouping her fern with other houseplants helped tremendously and kept leaves from drying out.
Water: Every two weeks or so
In shades of white, pink, and green, this colorful specimen has large, variegated leaves. We love this low-light houseplant for its minimal water and light requirements, which make it the ideal choice for houseplant beginners. Plant in a container slightly larger than its nursery pot to allow the roots to spread out.
Water: Every 10 days or when soil is dry.
Named for its angular leaves with white centers, the arrowhead plant is relatively low-maintenance. It thrives best in indirect light with plenty of moisture, and we recommend misting this plant once a day in addition to watering to keep it happy and healthy.
Water: When the soil is dry, or about once a week
A begonia rex plant is an unexpected way to bring color into your indoor garden scheme. This low-light indoor plant loves bright, indirect sunlight, but know that direct sunlight will scald the leaves. It thrives in room-temperature conditions (around 70 degrees) and prefers humid environments, especially in the cooler months.
Water: Every two to three days
If you’re looking for a dash of color in your home, a red anthurium is the perfect choice! The flamingo flower, as this low-light houseplant is sometimes called, has blooms that can last up to eight weeks.
Water: Every 10 days to two weeks
This type of philodendron has leaves that mimic the colors of a stunning sunset, and as it ages, they'll slowly transform into a rich green or copper hue. Best for indirect light or north-facing windowsills, you'll know if this low-light houseplant needs more sun if new leaves are growing without colorful pigmentation.
Water: Once every seven to 10 days
Since this is one of the most durable indoor plants out there—it does well in low light and needs to be fertilized only once or twice a year—it’s ideal for beginner gardeners. In fact, these plants don’t even need natural light to grow; they’ll survive just as well under artificial light. They also do best in dry air, so this is one plant you may not want to display in your bathroom. Sadly, the aglaonema is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so keep it away from your pets.
Water: When the soil is dry, or about once a week
This low-light indoor plant can actually survive on fluorescent light alone and thrives in humid locations, like bathrooms. That’s not why we love bromeliads, though. They can grow on the ground, on rocks, or other plants and trees. How cool is that? They’re also nontoxic to cats and dogs, making them one of our favorite plants around.
Water: Once a week
This low-light indoor plant holds a secret: It’ll bloom green flower spikes and white flowers throughout the spring. Just be sure to keep it out of bright, direct light, as too much light will cause the leaves to scorch and burn. This is a tropical plant, so the warmer (and less drafty) your environment, the better.
Water: Once a week to every 10 days
Whereas most houseplants require ample sunlight to thrive, this Hoya variety prefers high humidity instead. Group it with your other houseplants or place it on a tray filled with water and pebbles to keep it moist. Use plant food or fertilizer once a month to encourage strong new leaves.
Water: Once a week
Ideal for bathrooms and other high-humidity environments, English ivy is a low-maintenance plant that doesn't require bright sunlight to thrive. Because this plant grows wild and fast, we recommend placing it in a hanging planter or using vine supports to help guide the new growth.
Water: Once a week
House Beautiful’s former digital editor, Kate McGregor, opted for a Boston Fern because she knew it had a chance at surviving in her north-facing apartment that gets no direct light. So far, so good: “As long as I remember to mist it to add humidity, this low-light indoor plant does great in my low-light space,” she says. “I prune every few months to keep the fronds from getting unruly.”
Water: Once or twice a week
With stunning variegated leaves and trailing vines, this pothos variety is a great way to break up the many shades of green in your houseplant collection. Provide this low-light indoor plant with indirect sunlight and hang it up high to let the vines really show off.
Water: Every two to three weeks, allowing the soil to dry out between waterings
House Beautiful associate editor Jessica Cherner got a snake plant back in July 2020, and it's still thriving. “I got a plant because I wanted to add a little bit of color and life to my apartment, but I didn’t want to spend more than a few minutes here and there taking care of it,” she says. “I literally water it every six to eight weeks, and that’s more than enough.”
Water: Once a week
With fronds that resemble the shape of a rabbit’s foot (a well-known good-luck charm), the rabbit foot fern thrives in indirect light with plenty of humidity. If you have a window in your bathroom, that’s the ideal spot for this low-light indoor plant, but be sure to keep it off the windowsill since direct sun will scald its leaves.
Water: Every two weeks or when the top quarter of soil is dry
Available in a variety of sizes, the prayer plant is named for its leaves that open and close as the sun rises and sets. While the changing leaves may seem finicky, this resilient, low-light houseplant is surprisingly easy to care for. Plus, it acts as a natural air purifier.
Water: Every one to two weeks
This low-light houseplant, also known as the Victorian parlor palm, is famously resilient. Plus, who wouldn’t love those pretty, feathery leaves that liven up any bland corner of your home? It does well in medium light but can survive in lower light areas as well. Though this palm likes humidity and extra moisture, you can water it sparingly. It’s also nontoxic for your cats and dogs.
Water: Once a week
Said to bring good luck and fortune, lucky bamboo plants crave some light but can fully thrive in shady areas. Its best feature, however, is its ability to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air while also acting as a natural humidifier. Just know that this low-light indoor plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
Water: Two to three times a week
This quick-growing tree adds life to any room in the house. Place it in a deep planter filled with well-draining soil, and give it a big drink when the top several inches of soil are dry. It does well in indirect light, so instead of placing it by a window, opt for a corner that gets plenty of diffuse light. The ficus tree is toxic to cats and dogs.
Water: One cup of water per week
The devil’s ivy golden pothos plant (also known as pothos, which is Greek for “longing”) gets its name from its unique ability to grow vines even under the worst conditions. Because of this superpower, we suggest keeping this low-light indoor plant on its own inside rather than among other plants outdoors, where it can basically strangle the rest of your greenery. Keep it in bright, indirect sunlight and away from your cats and dogs, because it can be fatal if ingested.
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