Low Light Indoor Plants: Easy on the Eyes and Even Easier to Maintain

low light indoor plants

Low Light Indoor Plants: Easy on the Eyes and Even Easier to Maintain

Not every plant needs bright light to thrive, which is great news for people with darker homes or rooms without windows that they want to add some color or life to. Low light indoor plants thrive in various environments, meaning they are quite adaptable, hardy, and versatile.\

 

If you want easy maintenance plants that can survive a few mistakes from new gardeners and have easy care routines, low light indoor plants are for you! These plants provide a touch of life, color, and architectural beauty to your home without much effort on your end. Check out some of our favorite ones!

 

 

What is a Low Light Indoor Plant?

When people picture proper plant care for a houseplant, they often envision two things: Watering and a lot of sun. But there are actually a lot of indoor plants that don’t require sunlight. In fact, there are some indoor plants that thrive in the shade!

 

Low light indoor plants are great for homes that have less access to the sun. Some people have avoided getting their own houseplants because their home is so shady or certain rooms don’t have enough natural light for plants that need more sun. But you can definitely still have a variety of beautiful low light indoor plants that will thrive in shady settings!

 

 

Are Low Light Indoor Plants Easy to Care For?

Low light indoor plants are generally easy to care for. These are plants that aren’t as particular about the environment in your home, whether that’s temperature, lighting, or humidity. Because these plants are more tolerant and versatile, they are often easy to care for compared to other indoor plants.

 

Once you learn the amount of water they need (and how often) and some of their other specific requirements, it’s very easy to maintain these plants and keep them thriving. They are forgiving and can handle a few mistakes, making them great beginner plants. Forgetting to water them or moving their location won’t hurt them as much as more sensitive plants with more specific needs.

 

What Happens if a Low Light Indoor Plant Get Too Much Light?

Too much light can harm any plant but it can be especially damaging to a low light indoor plant. The first thing you’ll notice is that your plant will start to get discolored. This is often due to them just getting sun damage or even burned. You’ll notice singed tips or burnt edges on their leaves.

 

If these signs are ignored, your plant will start to lose leaves if left in the sun too long. Leaves that are too damaged or dead from the sun will curl up, wilt, and eventually fall off the stem. Always make sure your low light indoor plant doesn’t have too many dead leaves in its soil. Too much light can also dry out your plant too quickly. Your plant will no longer have the water it needs to grow properly. This can disrupt photosynthesis as well.

 

It’s important to keep these low light plants away from your window sills and keep them in shaded corners of the room to ensure that they don’t burn, lose leaves, or die.

 

 

succulents and cacti indoors

 

 

What Are the Best Low Light Indoor Plants?

When people think “low light indoor plants” they usually picture ferns and other sort of typical shade dwellers. But low light indoor plants come in a large variety of shapes, color, styles, and varieties. There’s a low light indoor plant that’s perfect for any room and every home.

 

Here are some of the most colorful, fun, and durable low light indoor plants to check out if you live in a shadier area with a darker room that’s looking for a pop of life. 

 

Chinese Evergreen

This plant’s long green leaves often have streaks of white, giving it a very pleasant look that matches any decor. This is a very durable plant that does well in low light. It’s ideal for first-time gardeners since it only needs to be fertilized once or twice a year.

Prayer Plant

This gorgeous plant features dark green leaves with vibrant yellow streaks throughout. It’s called a Prayer Plant because it will often bring its leaves together in a prayer-like position during certain times of the day.

 

This plant is very tolerant of low light. But when choosing a spot for the Prayer Plant, remember to keep it out of cold areas. Avoid putting it near drafty spaces or near vents.

 

Related: Prayer Plant Care: Easy Guide for Growing Exotic Houseplants

 

Cast Iron Plant

This durable plant gets its name due to its indestructibility. This eye-catching plant with tall, green leaves can grow in the shade quite well. It can also take a bit of neglect, although it does thrive with proper watering. If it’s too dry, you can add some humidity to the air or mist it, and the Cast Iron Plant will continue doing its thing!

 

Weeping Fig Tree

This quick-growing tree has a cluster of dark green leaves atop of a tall stem, giving it a mini-tree-like appearance. It’s sure to add life to any room in your home with minimal care requirements. Basically, give this tree regular watering and an occasional trim.

 

Spider Plant

The Spider Plant is one of the most adaptable and durable houseplants out there. It’s very easy to grow, making it one of the most popular indoor plants to add to your decor. It can take a lot of neglect and mistakes, including forgetful watering. It can also thrive in indirect light. Spider plant care is simple, making it ideal for new plant owners!

 

Red Aglaonema

This plant is simply stunning with pink and green leaves. These colors will become more vibrant when kept in brighter light, but the Red Aglaonema can thrive in low light as well. It’s a very low-maintenance plant despite its stunning appearance.

 

 

an indoor calathea plant with vibrant green leaves

 

 

Calathea

This is a brilliant plant with pink and red flecks and a dark purple underside to each leaf. The Calathea will improve the liveliness of any room it’s in. This plant prefers medium to low light.

 

Heart Leaf Philodendron

The heart leaf philodendron plant is also called the Sweetheart Plant. It gets its names from the shape of its glossy leaves, which are a very distinct shade of green. It can thrive in dim rooms, making it great for shadier homes. Just keep in mind that this plant needs pinching to prevent it from growing in long, single stems.

 

Bromeliads

This tropical plant features green leaves encircled in white edges. They even have a red flower in its center. So it’s pretty surprising that they don’t need a lot of sunlight to survive. This houseplant can actually survive on just fluorescent lights. Place it in your bathroom and mist it once in a while to give it humid conditions and watch it thrive.

 

Devil’s Ivy

This plant, also known as Pothos, gets this name since it grows vines even in the worst conditions. For this reason, people often leave it indoors so the vines don’t “choke out” other plants in the garden. It’s light green leaves will stay vibrant even with low light.

 

ZZ Plant

The ZZ Plant has thick, waxy leaves that are sometimes green and sometimes even black. They have long stems full of leaves that are spread out in a very eye-catching way. This plant is an ideal low maintenance indoor plant. It can handle low light (even shade) and doesn’t need a lot of water.

 

Silver Pothos

This heart-shaped vining plant features vibrant silver markings that make it quite eye-catching. While these silver markings will be more prominent in brighter light, the Silver Pothos can endure low light situations. You might notice the silver turning green, however. It will also grow slower but it will adapt.

 

Dieffenbachia

This striking plant features a vibrant green and white pattern with darker green around each leaf’s edge. This beautiful plant does best in filtered light. Put a curtain between the Dieffenbachia and the sun, especially in the spring and summer. That’s when your plant will be producing new leaves.

 

Christmas Cactus

This special cactus isn’t pointy. Its leaves are soft. And it has pink or purple flowers that blossom around the holidays, making them even more unique and beautiful. Don’t place this cactus in your windowsill like many other cactus species. Instead, hang it in the kitchen or keep it in diffused light. Caring for a Christmas Cactus is simple and easy!

 

Parlor Palm

This popular plant is known for its resilient nature. It has very delicate and feathery leaves, adding a touch of elegant to any room its in. The Parlor Palm does well in medium light but can survive in lower light areas, making it the perfect addition to a darker bedroom or office.

 

 

two succulents in shallow terra cotta pots

 

 

Snake Plant

This is one of the easiest plants to care for due to how low maintenance and versatile it is. This hardy plant will grow better in light but it can even handle darkness. The most important thing to keep in mind if you want your Snake Plant to thrive is to avoid overwatering. This can lead to root rot.

 

Dragon Tree

This sproingy and spiky-looking plant has thin green leaves with red outlines that stand upright in a very eye-pleasing way. This is sure to add a touch of architectural genius to any room. Too much direct sunlight can damage this beautiful plant, so make sure to keep your Dragon Tree alternating between some sun and some shade.

 

Dwarf Umbrella Plant

This plant is a glorious choice for darker homes. They dislike bright light and grow slowly, so they can be kept in a shadier spot in the home with no issues. It’s a bit of a larger plant and is sure to add life to any room it’s in.

 

 

Basic Tips for Low Light Indoor Plants

Sometimes it’s difficult for home owners and apartment dwellers to know if their home is bright or shady, especially if you’re new to plant lingo. Here’s a quick guide:

 

High light: South-facing rooms with a lot of windows

Medium light: An east or west-facing room

Low light: Rooms with no windows

 

Even if the plant you choose can survive in low light rooms with no windows, it’s often noted that you should leave on the lights about 12 hours a day. You can also rotate low-light indoor plants between naturally lit rooms and darker rooms with no windows for a few weeks at a time.

 

If you notice that your plant is dull or losing color in lower light, try moving your plant to a room with indirect light for a week or so just to give it a boost. But always check on them frequently to make sure that you don’t let them burn or dry out.

 

Each low light indoor plant requires its own basic care, which all slightly vary from each other. This includes different watering routines, humidity requirements, temperature necessities, and feeding routines.

 

But you’ll notice most low light indoor plants have very minimal care requirements that are easy to get the hang of. These are often very low maintenance plants that are very durable and versatile. These are all plants that you can easily add to any room to add a touch of color and life to any decor.

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