Indoor Plants for Low Light – 12 of the Best

Indoor house plants are always a great addition to any home or office space. In many ways, they offer the best of both worlds: the pleasure of gardening, just without most of the hard work. So realistically, it’s not whether or not you should get an indoor plant, but rather, which indoor plant to get. And this brief list should help you find some great indoor plants for low light.

That’s why we have taken the time to compile this list of 12 amazing indoor plants that grow beautifully in low light environments. The great thing about indoor plants is they provide some much needed greenery, and a sense of nature in your space. On top of that they are scientifically known to help provide cleaner and fresher air indoors.

So whether you are pretty good at forgetting to nurture and water you plants and need something hardly and virtually indestructible or prefer something dainty that you can spend time cultivating and reaping the benefits, this great list will give you an idea of some great low light plants that should thrive whatever the circumstance.

If you want to learn more about caring for your indoor plants check out this post: 9 Great Books for the Indoor Gardener

1. Delicious Monster

The name alone evokes curiosity, but one look at this stunning plant should convince you of the beauty this indoor plant will offer any homely space. With its beautiful broad, deep green leaves and very distinctive patterns, the Delicious Monster stands out in any dull drab corner. These plants should be well positioned in a warm room, away from direct sunlight, light watering, generally once a week will keep this plant happy and healthy. A side note to bear in mind is that the Delicious Monster is mildly toxic if ingested by either humans or pets.

2. Peace Lily

A long-time favorite for any plant lover, the peace lily(Spathiphyllum), also known as closet plants, is a stunning low-maintenance houseplant, surprisingly one of the easiest to care for. The lush deep emerald green leaves, adorned with wonderful bright white flowers. A great bit of info about Peace lilies is that they remove ammonia from the air, which makes them a great addition to any indoor space, NASA even listed them on their “Top Ten Household Air Cleaning Plants.”. They will grow just fine in low light indoor settings, however flowering more often with some indirect, filtered sunlight.Watering normally once a week, when in doubt rather under water than over water these great plants.

3. Lucky Bamboo

Technically not a Bamboo at all, Lucky bamboo is actually a type of Dracaena. Lady luck is destined to be on your side when you add the lovely and simple Lucky Bamboo to your home. Very easy to identify as it can grow up to one metre high, showing off its beautifully curly stems with rich emerald green leaves. If you are feeling creative you can even style your stems in a fashion that suits you. A nearly indestructible indoor plant that is happy in lowlight indoor locations, happy to grow in just plain water or just about any type of soil you have available, tolerating varied conditions, even some neglect. Accordingly, Lucky Bamboo is extremely resilient. Thriving in these conditions makes it a great low light indoor plant to add to your indoor jungle.

4. Zanzibar Gem

A lengthy and attractive low light indoor plant, which is perfect for improving the air quality in your home, being able to reduce pollutants, CO2 and carbon monoxide. It is a slow growing plant with incredible glossy green leaves. Due to the face that the Zanzibar Gem is a slow grower, it is unlikely that this wonderful indoor plant will ever become truly overgrown or take over your home. This plant is an incredibly hardly plant, rumoured to be virtually ‘unkillable’. Although not entirely true, it does mean you can get away with some forgotten watering and a bit of neglect, yet still enjoy its beauty, and avoid causing its untimely demise, being able to survive for weeks, if not months, with little to no water or sunlight.

5. Cactus

Now, personally this is a favourite of mine. Maybe it brings back memories of trips to the nursery as a child, I always got to choose a small cactus to take home for my collection. It really is a true indoor classic, as beautiful as they are unique, there’s a lot to enjoy about these often prickly and sometimes misunderstood plants. Being that Cacti come in such a wide variety of styles and aesthetics, you won’t have too much trouble finding one that speaks to your design sense and personality. Being quite resilient against low water and warmer temperatures, they should suit most people’s busy lifestyles. Needing only a weekly water and a warm room away in low light from direct sunlight to keep growing happily.

6. Rubber Fig

With its strong glossy green-purple leaves, it’s not hard to see how this plant got its name, looking almost fake at first glance, and with an unmistakably rubber feeling texture these beautiful and eye-catching indoor plants make a great statement in any room, even if it has low light. They will grow to fit any pot you place them in, making them great for any room, from the smallest office to the biggest living space. Another near indestructible plant for your indoor jungle, needing nothing but indirect sunlight, sporadic watering (only when the soil is dry) and a light pruning in Spring to help it look its best.

7. Bamboo Palm

Looking to add that tropical flair to your wonderful home and indoor plant jungle, look not further than these stunning bamboo palms.Being one of the larger indoor plants you can buy, you will need to ensure your indoor space is large enough for your Bamboo Palm to truly flourish. With the right conditions these Palms will reward you with gorgeous wavy palm leaves and a true tropical vista to enjoy. These plants like to be kept watered, enjoying some fresh water 1-3 times a week. Kept out of direct sunlight and occasionally needed to be repotted if they outgrow their pot.

8. Weeping Fig

Standing out as a stunning joyful addition to any home, the name should not put you off. The Weeping Fig may be small, but it brings a huge amount of striking and unmissable greenery into your indoor jungle. Another wonderfully low maintenance option for those who don’t have the greenest of thumbs. This plant does enjoy some bright indirect sunlight and a bit of water once or twice a week for optimum conditions.

9. Snake Plant

A smaller plant but no doubt still a sensational addition to your indoor plant jungle, the Snake Plant gets its name from its thick, yellowy-green leaves which grow vertically out of the medium they are grown in. Great for absolutely any room in your home, the Snake Plant’s understated charm will most certainly mesmerise you and your guests just as a stunning cobra might.
A really no fuss addition to your collection, the snake plant is a succulent and as such very tolerant to underwater, but can conversely very easily be killed by over watering, rather avoid watering if you are not sure.

10. African Violet

If your collection seems a little bit too green, and you really want to add some more colour with arguably one of the best indoor plants you can get hold of, then look no further than the lovely African Violet. One of the select few flowering plants that are extremely easy to care for, these make beautiful indoor plant additions with their striking purple blooms which brings a great pop of colour to any indoor jungle. As touched on, these African Violets are very easy to look after, a simple once a week water regime will keep it looking tip top enjoying some filtered sunlight to ensure you receive those lovely blooms.

11. Pothos

Devil’s Ivy as it is also known, Pothos is a beautiful, fast growing plant with lovely vine-like waxy heart-shaped leaves. It is a great plant to plant in a hanging basket,  but versatile enough that you can slip it into a glass vase with some water for a more modern appearance. Let it climb or let it cascade, perhaps a simple small addition to your benchtop, Pothos can add a smile to any area.

Being very resilient and low-maintenance, you can get away with watering every 1-2 weeks, depending on the season. As a matter of fact, Pothos prefers its soil to completely dry out between watering’s, meaning no big deal if you forget to water it once in a while (Come on, admit it, we have all done this a few times). This indoor plant prefers indirect sunlight, although it can accept some degree of direct light, but happier in low light situations. An amazing plant which helps remove unwanted toxins such as benzene, formaldehyde and carbon monoxide from the air. Grow a few of these around the house, they are great indoor plants for low light.

12. Fiddle-Leaf Fig

Iconic in modern interior design circles, you’ve seen them in every stylish photo on Instagram and Pinterest, with its lovely, lustrous, wide, violin-shaped leaves and hearty veins, this upright leafy tree will create a noticeable backdrop of luxurious fresh green foliage in your home or garden. Keep in mind, however, that these are large spreading evergreen trees which can reach heights of between 15-30m in the right conditions outdoors. This is one of the most trendy indoor plants for low light.

They will happily grow to around 2-3m tall, or until the ceiling gets in the way while planted indoors. They do in fact produce fruit, but very seldom seen on indoor specimens unless grown in a greenhouse. The best spot for you new indoor plant , your fiddle-leaf fig wants somewhere bright or at least with a nice morning sun position, this will avoid the harsh afternoon sun scorching those lovely green leaves. Overwatering is possibly the most common problem with a fiddle leaf fig in cool or low-light indoor conditions. If those leaves start to yellow and fall, then this is likely the issue, but don’t stress, just get your plant back into a bright warm area and reduce watering to nurse it back to health again.