9 Best Indoor Plants for Low Light (That Aren't Boring)

What "low light" means for a houseplant

Low light still means daylight. It's a spot that gets bright, indirect light for part of the day and no direct sun: a few feet from a north-facing window, or 6 to 10 feet back from an east or west window. Measured with a light meter, that's roughly 50 to 250 foot-candles.

A windowless bathroom or an interior hallway falls below that range. No plant on this list will grow there long term without a grow light.

To check your spot, hold your hand a foot above where the plant will sit around midday. A soft, fuzzy shadow means low to medium light. If you can barely see a shadow, it's too dark.

Every plant below evolved on a forest floor or under a rainforest canopy, so it can photosynthesize on very little light. The trade-off is slow growth. A plant growing slowly uses little water, which is why overwatering kills more low-light plants than anything else.

Quick picks: the best low-light plants at a glance

The easiest low-light houseplants are the cast iron plant, ZZ 'Raven' and snake plant 'Moonshine'. All three tolerate dim rooms and missed waterings. For homes with cats or dogs, choose the cast iron plant, parlor palm or bird's nest fern.

If you remember one thing: in low light, water less often than you think. Check the soil with a finger before every watering instead of following a calendar.

9 low-light plants worth growing

The list runs from easiest to most hands-on. Each plant is sold at garden centers or large online nurseries, but they're a step past the usual pothos and peace lily.

1. Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Ease: 5/5 · Light: low to medium, no direct sun · Pet safe: yes

The cast iron plant earned its name in Victorian homes, where it survived dark parlors and gas-lamp fumes that killed everything else. Glossy, paddle-shaped leaves rise straight from the soil to about 2 feet. It grows slowly, sometimes only a few new leaves a year, so buy the size you want.

Want something less common? Look for 'Milky Way', which has cream speckles. Speckled and striped forms need slightly more light to hold their markings.

Water when the top 2 inches of soil are dry. Wipe the leaves once a month, because dust on broad leaves blocks light the plant can't spare. Our Leaf Shine Wipes make that a two-minute job.

2. ZZ plant 'Raven' (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven')

Ease: 5/5 · Light: low to bright indirect · Pet safe: no (mildly toxic)

'Raven' is the black-leaved form of the classic ZZ. New shoots come up bright green and darken to a purple-black over several weeks, so a healthy plant often shows both colors at once. Under the soil, potato-like rhizomes store water, which lets it go a month or more between drinks.

Let the soil dry all the way through before watering. In a dim room in winter, that can mean every 4 to 6 weeks. Plant it in a fast-draining mix like our Succulent Gritty Mix so the rhizomes never sit wet.

ZZ plants contain calcium oxalate crystals. Chewing a leaf irritates a pet's mouth and can cause drooling or vomiting, so keep it out of reach.

3. Snake plant 'Moonshine' (Dracaena trifasciata 'Moonshine')

Ease: 5/5 · Light: low to bright indirect · Pet safe: no

'Moonshine' has upright, pale silver-green leaves that brighten a dark corner more than the standard striped snake plant. Botanists moved snake plants from Sansevieria into Dracaena in 2017, so the nursery tag may use either name. In very low light the leaves shift toward a darker green; more light keeps the silver.

Water only when the soil is dry all the way down, and empty the saucer afterward. Soft, mushy leaf bases mean rot from too much water. The same gritty mix that suits a ZZ works here too.

4. Chinese evergreen 'Silver Bay' (Aglaonema 'Silver Bay')

Ease: 4/5 · Light: low to medium · Pet safe: no

'Silver Bay' has long leaves with silver centers and dark green edges, and it grows into a full, bushy clump. It's one of the most shade-tolerant Chinese evergreens. A useful rule for the whole genus: the more green and silver in the leaf, the better it handles low light. Pink and red varieties need a brighter spot.

Water when the top 1 to 2 inches are dry. Aglaonemas dislike cold, so keep this one away from drafty doors and winter windows where temperatures drop below 60°F.

5. Heartleaf philodendron 'Brasil' (Philodendron hederaceum 'Brasil')

Ease: 4/5 · Light: low to bright indirect · Pet safe: no

'Brasil' is a heartleaf philodendron with a lime-and-yellow stripe down each leaf. It's the fastest grower on this list and can trail several feet from a shelf or hanging pot. In very low light, new leaves come in smaller and farther apart, and the stripe may fade toward solid green. A small clip-on grow light brings the color back.

Water when the top 1 to 2 inches are dry and use an airy mix such as our Houseplant Chunky Mix. Trim long vines to keep it full. The cuttings root in a glass of water within a few weeks, and a wall propagation station turns them into decor while they do.

6. Satin pothos (Scindapsus pictus 'Argyraeus')

Ease: 4/5 · Light: low to medium · Pet safe: no

Despite the common name, satin pothos isn't a true pothos. It belongs to Scindapsus, a related genus with thicker, matte leaves that look brushed with silver. The silver spots reflect light, so the plant reads brighter than it is in a dim room.

It tells you when it's thirsty. The leaves curl inward slightly when the soil dries out and flatten again within a day of watering. Let it trail from a high shelf, or give it a moss pole and the leaves will grow larger as it climbs.

7. Dracaena 'Janet Craig' (Dracaena fragrans 'Janet Craig')

Ease: 4/5 · Light: low to medium · Pet safe: no

If you need height in a dim room, this is the plant. 'Janet Craig' grows glossy, dark green strap leaves on upright canes and reaches 3 to 6 feet indoors. For a tabletop, look for 'Janet Craig Compacta', which stays under 2 feet.

Water when the top 1 to 2 inches are dry. Brown leaf tips usually come from fluoride and salts in tap water, so switch to filtered or rainwater if they show up. For a floor plant in a truly dark corner, a telescoping grow light on a timer keeps it growing evenly.

8. Parlor palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Ease: 3/5 · Light: low to medium · Pet safe: yes

The parlor palm grows wild in the shaded understory of rainforests in southern Mexico and Guatemala, so a dim living room suits it. It has soft, feathery fronds and stays 2 to 4 feet tall for years. Nurseries usually plant several seedlings in one pot for a fuller look, and they're best left together.

It prefers more even moisture than the plants above. Water when the top inch is dry and don't let it dry out completely. Dry winter air from the furnace invites spider mites, so check the undersides of the fronds for fine webbing. Rinse the plant in the shower or treat it with an organic insecticide if you find them.

9. Bird's nest fern (Asplenium nidus)

Ease: 3/5 · Light: low to medium · Pet safe: yes

In the wild, bird's nest ferns grow in the forks of trees, catching leaf litter in their center rosette. The fronds are thick and glossy, so they don't crisp up the way a Boston fern does. 'Crispy Wave' is a findable variety with stiff, ruffled fronds.

Water around the edge of the pot when the top inch of soil is dry. Never pour water into the center of the rosette, because standing water there rots the crown. It likes humidity, which makes a bathroom with a small window the ideal spot.

How to keep low-light plants alive

Most low-light plants die from water, not darkness. Soil in a dim room dries slowly, especially in winter, and roots that stay wet suffocate and rot.

• Water by touch. Push a finger into the soil before every watering and skip it if the soil feels damp.
• Use pots with drainage holes. A self-watering pot with a liner, like our Happy Roots ceramic pot, lets the plant drink from below without soggy soil.
• Feed lightly. A plant making little energy needs little fertilizer. Use a liquid feed such as Arber Organic Plant Food at half strength once a month in spring and summer, and stop in fall and winter.
• Rotate the pot a quarter turn every two weeks so the plant doesn't lean toward the window.
• Watch for fungus gnats. Small flies around the soil mean it's staying wet too long. Let it dry out more between waterings, and use yellow sticky traps to catch the adults.

If a room is darker than the shadow test suggests, add light instead of swapping plants. A Halo grow light set on a timer for 8 to 12 hours a day is enough for one tabletop plant.

Yellow leaves or brown spots you can't explain? Snap a photo in our Flora app and it will identify the plant and flag the likely cause and fix.

Low-light plant FAQ

What is the best indoor plant for low light?

The cast iron plant is the most tolerant of deep shade, followed closely by the ZZ plant and snake plant. All three survive in rooms with only a north window and can go two weeks or more without water.

Can a plant live in a room with no windows?

Not for long on daylight alone. Without a window, give the plant a full-spectrum LED grow light for 8 to 12 hours a day, and any plant on this list will do well.

Which low-light plants are safe for cats and dogs?

The cast iron plant, parlor palm and bird's nest fern are considered non-toxic to cats and dogs. ZZ plants, snake plants, Chinese evergreens, philodendrons, satin pothos and dracaenas can all irritate a pet's mouth or stomach if chewed.

How often should I water a plant in low light?

Usually every 2 to 4 weeks, and less often in winter, but the soil decides. Water when the top inch or two is dry for most plants, and when the pot is dry all the way through for ZZ and snake plants.

Is a north-facing window low light?

Yes. In the Northern Hemisphere, a north window gets soft indirect light all day and no direct sun, which suits every plant on this list.

Do low-light plants purify the air?

Not enough to notice. The idea comes from a 1989 NASA study done in small sealed chambers, and a 2019 review of the research found you'd need hundreds of plants per room to match what normal ventilation already does. Grow them because they make a room feel alive.