31 Best Low-Light Indoor Plants and How to Care for Them

Dieffenbachia comes in green, yellow, variegated, and white varieties that brighten your space and purify your air. Also, you can basically put this plant anywhere, since it grows equally well in low light, medium light, and direct light. 

Not only can the snake plant survive with low light, it’s also extremely drought-tolerant—meaning even if you forget to water it, it won’t die. It gets its name thanks to the wavy, striped patterns (reminiscent of a snake) on its leaves. 

Prayer plants are very tolerant of low light conditions but not so much of cold temperatures. Their ideal is 65–80 degrees Fahrenheit, which mimics their native jungle and forest habitats. 

The unique-looking crinkly leaves on this plant give it a cute quirkiness we can’t get enough of. You can pot this plant or mount it to a plank (as you would with a staghorn fern).

This standout plant–also known as the Swiss Cheese Plant–grows wild in Panama, and it belongs to the family of plants called araceae. In Latin, araceae translates to “abnormal.” Well, monstera’s leaves are certainly abnormal—but in the best possible way. Their massive, perforated leaves can grow up to two feet wide in a jungle environment. 

Fill the shady areas of your home with these slow-growing, lush-leaved, low-light plants.

Don’t let this delicate-looking plant fool you: It’s super sturdy, and all it demands is evenly moist soil. Check every few days to see if it needs water.

Also known as the “boat lily” or “Moses-in-the-Cradle,” this plant is incredibly easy to grow and care for. Water once or twice per week to keep the soil moist. Prune any leaves that begin to fade with age. 

Not only does the staghorn fern do well in low light, it also does well in humidity—which makes it a perfect plant for the bathroom. “Plant life in your bathroom adds warmth and fresh oxygen to spaces that can sometimes be sterile,” says interior plant designer Lisa Muñoz of Leaf and June. 

Staghorn ferns can be potted or hung on a wall. “They are stunning and resemble taxidermy hanging on the wall—only this taxidermy is a lush, green, air-purifying plant,” says Muñoz. 

This member of the ficus family is native to the tropics and loves low light and humidity. 

Low-maintenance lucky bamboo is often used within feng shui to attract wealth, health, and abundance. 

Here’s another one of the best low-light indoor plants. Also known as the Chinese evergreen, it is so low maintenance that it can go without water for up to three weeks. It also doesn’t need fertilizer and can survive in fluorescent light—talk about a plant that’s hard to kill!

Not only does English ivy thrive in low light, it’s an air-purifying plant capable of filtering toxins, mold, and fecal matter out of the air. 

Not only does this cascading South African plant grow to great lengths, it also flowers! Don't be surprised if you see small, white blooms emerging from a spider plant’s leaves. 

Heart-leaf philodendron plants can be potted or hung. Adding them to hanging baskets, in fact, is a good idea if you have pets or small children, since these beauties are toxic. Caring for this houseplant is easy: Water it once a week. If the leaves are turning brown, it means the plant could use more water. If the leaves are turning yellow, it means you’re over-watering it.  

Anthurium plants flower throughout the entire year, and each bloom lasts about six weeks. The waxy flowers can be pink, white, or red. This plant does best when watered one to two times per week. Wipe down the leaves with a damp, wet cloth occasionally if you notice a buildup of dust or insects. 

Kokedama, also known as “poor man’s bonsai,” are Japanese moss balls. “Kokedama give you the option to have some planter-free greenery,” Muñoz says. Hang them from the ceiling in low or medium light (with too much light, they’ll dry out). Soak them once a week before rehanging them, and mist as needed. 

Marimo is another type of moss ball, but this one is meant to live in water. It doesn’t like too much light, so make sure to place your vase of marimo in a shady spot. 

The rex begonia’s colorful leaves can grow up to nine inches long and five inches wide. They love indirect light as well as humidity. Water whenever the soil becomes dry to the touch.

The peace lily purifies air, blooms throughout the year, and doesn’t require any special attention. It will do just fine in low light, but you can expect more flowers to bloom if it’s placed in bright, indirect light. 

Jungle cacti are epiphytes, which means that they grow (harmlessly) on tree trunks in their natural habitats—and they look nothing like the harshly spiky cacti you may be picturing. One type, the Hatiora salicornioides, looks more like a long-haired moss, and will produce sweet little yellow flowers when the time is right. Pot using succulent soil, and water when the soil is very nearly (but not quite) bone dry. With their spindly, sometimes floppy branches, it’s easy to see where the dancing bones cactus gets its name.

Good drainage is definitely a must for the Schefflera “Soleil”—never let it sit in a tray of standing water. Its broad leaves often appear lemon-lime in color. The biggest upside of this beauty: With proper care it will grow large—because it’s actually a tree. 

Another shade-loving plant grown for its leaves, jewel orchids aren’t as fussy to care for as their better-known orchid cousins. The leaves are a deep purple and pinstriped, with a velvety texture. Water when the soil is dry. 

Dracaena means “female dragon” in Greek. The low-maintenance plant is so called because of the red resin that forms in the stems of the plant, which was said to resemble dragon’s blood. Dracaena plants hail from Madagascar, and are perfectly at home in a semi-shady spot or in filtered light (for example, through a sheer curtain). Placing these plants in direct sunlight is, in fact, bad for them: The sun can scorch their leaves!

Often grown specifically for their foliage, rattlesnake plants are definitely jungly-looking. Rattlesnake plants feature lance-shaped, ruffly leaves with variegated patterning in dark green, bright green, and purple. They like humidity, so leave a squirt bottle of water nearby and mist it when you’re feeling friendly—and water the soil before it dries out completely.  

We absolutely love the intricate patterns on the leaves of this South American plant. They really make the plant stand out, and the patterns can appear in red, pink, or white (pictured). 

With their shiny, broad leaves and swirling rosette shapes, bromeliads look a bit like giant flowers, and they come in all shapes and sizes. Because their root systems are so tiny, you won’t actually water the soil they’re in—instead, keep a little pool of water right in the center cup of the plant.

Rounding out our list of the best low-light indoor plants is the arrowhead plant (also known as the American evergreen). You can pot it, hang it, or even grow it along a trellis or pole.