Best Plants for Low-Light Conditions

There isn’t any need to fret if your home doesn’t have a ton of bright, natural light — you can still grow houseplants. You just need to be a little more selective when choosing which ones to bring home. Many houseplants, including some that are easy for beginners, grow well in low-light settings.
Be forewarned, though, while some plants will thrive in lower light, they usually grow slower than plants grown in brighter light. They might also stay smaller overall.
What Is Considered Low-Light?
Let’s take a minute and discuss what is classified as low-light. Typically an area is considered low-light if it doesn’t get direct natural sunlight because of shade from neighboring buildings, trees, or fences. Or, a spot is considered low-light if it is more than 7 feet from a window that gets bright light. In both cases, the light bounces off other surfaces to reach its final spot.
If you’re familiar with light measurements, low light is 25 to 300 foot-candles during the brightest time of day. In low light, your hand won’t cast a significant shadow, but you should be able to read a newspaper without a lamp.
Why Do Plants Need a Minimum Amount of Sunlight?
Many houseplants are native to tropical areas, where they grew under the canopy of rainforest trees and were only exposed to shaded or dappled sunlight. But this doesn’t mean you can put a plant in a dark corner and expect it to survive.
All plants need at least some sunlight so they can create the energy they need to grow — a process called photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants take water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to make oxygen and chemical energy, later used for their metabolic pathways.
What Are the Best Plants for Low-Light Areas?
If you have what is considered “low-light” in your home, some of the best houseplants for these conditions are:
 
  • ZZ plant
  • Cast-iron plant
  • Chinese evergreen
  • Snake plant
  • Arrowhead plant
  • Pinstripe plant
  • Weeping fig
  • Swiss cheese plant
  • Pothos
  • Lucky bamboo
  • Corn plant
  • Spider plant
  • Ponytail palm
  • Asparagus fern
  • Elephant’s ear
  • Dumb cane
  • Paper plant
  • Peace lily
  • Peperomia