5 Best Low Light House Plants

Nowadays, more and more people are filling their homes with houseplants. When you browse home design magazines, Pinterest boards and home design Instagram feeds, you’re likely to see countless examples of homes with interesting and beautiful plants scattered around the space. This is understandable. Not only do houseplants look great, but they can actually help to filter the air in your home too, providing significant health benefits. Of course, before choosing plants for your home, it’s important to consider your living conditions and your needs and requirements. You should consider plant toxicity (particularly if you have children or pets) and other factors such as humidity levels and light levels. For now, let’s focus on light. You may think that you need a lot of natural light in your home to grow impressive and strong plants. But this isn’t always the case. Different plants have evolved to survive in a host of settings, including low light settings out in nature. If your home has limited natural light, or you want plants in a room that doesn’t get much sun, you simply need to search around for species that thrive in dimly lit rooms. Of course, all plants need some level of natural light in order to photosynthesise, but some will bear darker environments better than others. Here are 5 examples that you might want to take into consideration!

Prayer Plant

The prayer plant is native to Brazil. Its name originates from the fact that its leaves are out and open during the day, but close up to look like praying hands in the night. While it is a slow grower, properly cared for, it will eventually grow to between 6 and 12 inches tall and 6 and 12 inches wide indoors. You can find the prayer plant on Amazon from Rooted.

Cast Iron Plant

Cast iron plants get their name from the fact that they are almost impossible to kill. This is a great plant for beginners, as it is hardy and can survive almost any conditions. They originate from China and Vietnam, where they would grow beneath larger trees in less than optimal conditions. You can find the cast iron plant on Amazon from the American Plant Exchange.

Lucky Bamboo

Said to bring good luck and fortune to those who own them, lucky bamboo plants were originally native to Africa. They are commonly given as gifts and can withstand low light conditions while still thriving. While it appears like bamboo, and it’s name clearly suggests that it’s bamboo, it is actually closer to being a succulent. These plants are sometimes braided (like this one from JM Bamboo) together to form a visually pleasing arrangement.

Devil’s Ivy

Devil’s ivy (or pothos plant) is an extremely versatile plant. It looks great in a hanging pot, on a shelf, on a desk or anywhere else in your property. Originally from the forests of South East Asia, growing up the trunks of large trees, devil’s ivy evolved to adapt to shady conditions. It’s a great beginner’s plant and only requires infrequent watering. They’re also a great choice for a Kokedama. You can find the Pothos or Devil’s Ivy plant on Amazon through Costa Farms.

Chinese Evergreen

The chinese evergreen thrives in low light conditions and shade. Given the proper growing conditions, it will require little effort to maintain. Allow the plant to dry out between waterings and water it moderately. You can find a chinese evergreen from California Tropicals on Amazon.

These are just five examples of ideal plants for low light conditions. There are others, but hopefully, the above suggestions will help to get the ball rolling on your plant journey!