The 6 Best Plants I Swear By for Even the Darkest Corners of My Home

A low-lit living room scene with plants that can thrive in low light: zz plant, cast iron plant, bird's nest fern, Chinese evergreen plant, snake plant, bamboo plant, and pothos
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

If you’ve been stuck in your plant journey because your home is lacking in the natural light department, I get it. I’m also here to tell you — from experience — that you can cultivate a thriving indoor jungle even if you don’t have sunlight streaming in every window. The trick is finding the best low-light indoor plants for your home’s setup. Luckily, plenty of gorgeous houseplants grow well in dimly lit spaces.

Before I dive in, I want to emphasize that not all low-light indoor plants are created equal. Many houseplants labeled “low light” merely tolerate low light (i.e., they probably won’t die right away) but are ideally grown in brighter conditions — monsteras, hoyas, and ficus plants come to mind. Trying to force plants to grow in unsuitable conditions will inevitably lead to heartbreak for you and a slow death for your plant.

The Best Low-Light Indoor Plants

To find out exactly what kind of greenery you’re looking for that will actually grow well in those dark, shaded areas of your home, I spoke to three houseplant experts. Together, we came up with six of our favorite indoor plants for low-light growing — based on combined decades of first-hand experience. Check out our picks below.

(Pro tip: Always follow your plant’s specific care tips to boost your odds of success. For example, most plants generally need to be watered less frequently in low light than they do in bright light.)

a pothos plant on a light wood shelf
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

Jade Pothos

Ask any houseplant pro what the best low-light indoor plants are, and most will probably include pothos varieties. Based on my experience, jade pothos (Epipremnum aureum ‘Jade’), specifically, are the true MVPs of low-light growing. Unlike most pothos, the jade pothos is not variegated, which means it requires less light than its variegated (i.e., more colorful) counterparts.

For jade pothos in low light, the watering cadence depends on your specific conditions, but you should wait until the soil has almost completely dried out before watering. This will likely be no more than once a week — perhaps even once every couple of weeks.

I’ve had jade pothos thrive in dark corners of my home where golden pothos, a variegated variety, has previously withered away. Since it’s also generally unfussy about watering, humidity, and temperature levels, jade pothos is one of my all-time favorite houseplants to grow. Sometimes, it’s the simple ones that win the most favor!

A cast iron plant in a black pot next to a wood shelf
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

Cast Iron Plant

This plant’s common name is no coincidence. It’s famous for being seriously tough-as-nails (or iron, I suppose). Native to Japan and Taiwan, the cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) grows naturally in the forest understory — between the forest floor and forest canopy — where it’s accustomed to shaded conditions. 

Indoors, the cast iron plant prefers areas with soft, indirect light but does perfectly fine in low-light areas as well. Interestingly, it gained notoriety in Victorian England for surviving indoors under conditions in which many other plants couldn’t (hence its nickname).

While all plants need some form of natural light to survive, the cast iron plant slows its growth dramatically with limited light, which can help it grow in even the darkest corners of a space, such as a windowless bathroom. Plus, it’s known for growing well under fluorescent lighting!  

Cast iron plants basically thrive on neglect, which is important to remember when watering — the soil should be completely dry when you water it. It’s far better to underwater this plant than to overwater it, since it’s extremely drought-tolerant.

A snake plant in a cream-colored planter on a jute rug
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup/Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup/Maya Borrero

Snake Plant

The experts I spoke to all named the snake plant as a low-light pick. Snake plants (Dracaena trifasciata) are timeless houseplants, and they’re favored for being low-maintenance, easy to find, affordable, stylish, and perfect for low-light growing. 

“We are all familiar with the quintessential snake plant with the long, upward-pointed, strappy leaves, but there are so many colors, sizes, and shapes in this group,” says plantfluencer and blogger Michele Opela. She adds that they can “fit any aesthetic or personality!”

Like cast iron plants, snake plants are drought-tolerant and sensitive to overwatering. The soil should dry completely between waterings, so don’t worry if it sits dry for a few days before you get around to it. I tend to water my snake plants growing in low light every few weeks, depending on the time of year.

After several years of low-light growing, you may notice your snake plant thinning out and looking a bit straggly. This is the perfect opportunity to do a plant swap and give your shade-loving snake plant a much-needed sunny vacation outdoors (if you can), says Opela. 

“I put all my snake plants in the sun during the growing season, and they live their winters in dark corners throughout my house,” she says. Just be sure to acclimate your plant slowly to new conditions.

A zz plant in a black and white planter on a wood shelf
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

ZZ Plant

There’s a good reason you’ll find ZZ plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) on nearly any list of the top low-light plants. These tropical aroids fare remarkably well in low-light conditions, even though they prefer bright indirect light. According to Costa Farms horticulturist Justin Hancock, the dark-leafed ‘raven’ variety is a top pick for low-light growing.

“Zamioculcas, particularly in low light, is a notoriously slow grower and is really drought tolerant, so you can enjoy it without thinking about how big it’s going to get (at least over the next year or two),” he says.

You’ll notice less new growth and a slowed growth rate in low-light areas. That said, I have a large ZZ plant that’s been happily living on the back wall of our bedroom, 10 to 12 feet away from the nearest window, and it still grows a few new stems every year. Just be sure to water it once the soil dries out, and it’ll be happy in its low-light spot!

A bamboo plant in a light green planter on a wood shelf
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

Lucky Bamboo

Lucky bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana) is so resilient in low-light areas that I actually thought I was growing a fake plant for a while in college. Despite its name, the lucky bamboo isn’t bamboo at all — it’s a type of Dracaena, a genus of trees and succulent shrubs. Dracaena plants are notoriously low-maintenance and adaptable, and the lucky bamboo is no exception. 

While it prefers medium to bright indirect light, lucky bamboo grows well in low light, too. However, you’ll probably notice its growth slowing down (hence why I thought I had a fake plant on my hands!). This is notable, because in bright conditions, lucky bamboo is known for being prolific, growing as much as 6 inches in a year.

Lucky bamboo can also grow well in only water. Try growing it in a glass vase filled with water and colorful pebbles for a stylish addition to your space.

A bird's nest fern on a coffee table
Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero Credit: Photo: Alex Lepe; Prop Styling: Tom Hoerup, Maya Borrero

Bird’s Nest Fern

If you’re up for something a bit more challenging than many of the lower-maintenance options we’ve presented thus far, then ferns (Polypodiopsida) may be for you. According to Phoebe Cheong (@welcometothejunglehome), houseplant expert and plantfluencer, ferns are an excellent choice for those low-light areas of your home. 

The good news is that ferns don’t just thrive in low light; they require it. Expose them to direct sunlight, and they’ll die and shrivel up before you know it. 

“One summer, I learned just how sensitive they are to direct sunlight when moving one too close to the window and the fronds were scorched and crispy. With the right humidity and no harsh sun, they’ll reward you with their lush, tropical greenery!” Cheong says.

However, ferns require regular watering and higher-than-average humidity levels to grow indoors. If you’re up for the challenge, endless gorgeous fern varieties will turn even the darkest corner of your home into a lush and tropical indoor jungle. A good option for beginners is the bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus), which grows well in low light and is less finicky about its humidity and moisture levels than others. 

Just be sure the soil never dries out completely. You’ll likely need to water this plant at least once a week to keep it happy in low light. The bird’s nest fern may be tolerant, but it’s still a fern, after all!

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