13 Low-light houseplants 🌑
If a room only gets weak or indirect light, these are the houseplants most likely to keep going without sulking. Every plant here is one whose own care notes say it tolerates low or shady light, rather than one that merely limps along before stretching and fading.
Low light means slower growth and less watering for almost any plant. "Tolerates" is not the same as "thrives" - even these will grow fuller nearer a bright, indirect window.
Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium nidus)
The Bird's Nest Fern - Asplenium nidus - is one of the most welcoming ferns you can bring indoor…
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
The Cast Iron Plant earned its name honestly: it is famous as the toughest, most indestructible…
Haworthia (Zebra Plant & Window Plants)
Haworthia is the small, tough, charming succulent that fits almost anywhere - a desk, a windowsi…
Homalomena (Queen of Hearts)
The Homalomena - sometimes sold as "Queen of Hearts" - is one of those quietly excellent housepl…
Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
Lucky Bamboo is the green stalks you see growing in a vase of water and pebbles on desks, shop c…
Ludisia discolor (Jewel Orchid)
The Ludisia discolor - the Jewel Orchid - is an orchid grown for the one thing most orchids are…
Nerve Plant (Fittonia)
The Nerve Plant is a small, vivid, dramatic little houseplant - its olive-green leaves are laced…
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum / Devil's Ivy)
Pothos is the friendliest trailing vine in the houseplant world - fast, forgiving, beautiful, an…
Selaginella (Spikemoss / Resurrection Plant)
Selaginella - known as Spikemoss, and in some forms as the Resurrection Plant - is one of the mo…
Snake Plant (Sansevieria / Dracaena trifasciata)
The Snake Plant is the plant for people who think they cannot keep plants alive.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
The Spider Plant is the cheerful, generous, almost foolproof classic of the houseplant world.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)
The ZZ Plant is the houseplant for the darkest, most neglected corner of your home.
ZZ Raven (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven')
The ZZ Raven is the dramatic dark cousin of the classic ZZ Plant - a striking cultivar whose new…
Prefer to filter yourself? Try the Plant Finder to narrow all houseplants by light and watering.
Choosing a plant for a home with pets? We keep toxicity off Plantvale on purpose - see Pawholt's pet-safe plant list.