Indoor plants for minimal light: 18 that grow in dim rooms

Five plants grow in true low light: snake plant, ZZ plant, cast iron plant, Chinese evergreen, and parlor palm. Thirteen more grow in medium light, a step brighter.

Most “low light” lists mix the two groups. That is why a calathea bought for a dark corner fades in a month. Measure your light first, then pick from the right list.

Measure your light with the shadow test

Do this at midday on a clear day. Hold your hand 30 cm (1 ft) above the spot where the plant will sit.

Shadow	Light level	Where you find it
No shadow, or a faint one	Low	A north window, or 2 m (6 ft) or more from any window
A soft, blurry shadow	Medium	Near an east window, or 1 to 2 m (3 to 6 ft) back from a south or west window
A sharp shadow with clear edges	Bright	In or beside a south or west window

Light drops fast as you move away from the glass. A plant 2 m (6 ft) back gets a small share of the light at the sill. Sheer curtains, a porch roof, and a tree outside all lower it more.

True low-light plants

These five are rated low light in their care guides. They hold their shape and color in the dimmest rooms.

Plant	Pet safe	Difficulty	Size
Snake plant	No	Easy	Leaves 60 to 120 cm (2 to 4 ft) tall
ZZ plant	No	Easy	60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) tall
Cast iron plant	Yes	Easy	60 to 90 cm (2 to 3 ft) tall
Chinese evergreen	No	Easy	30 to 90 cm (1 to 3 ft) tall
Parlor palm	Yes	Easy	60 cm to 1.2 m (2 to 4 ft) tall

All five are easy. All five die from too much water sooner than from too little light.

Medium-light plants that tolerate dim rooms

These want a soft shadow. They survive in less, with slower growth.

Easy

• Peace lily. It blooms in less light than most flowering plants.
• Dracaena. The dark green ‘Janet Craig’ handles the least light.
• Arrowhead plant. Green types cope best.
• Peperomia. Small, and pet safe.
• Dieffenbachia. Big leaves for a dim corner.
• Lucky bamboo. It grows in a vase of water.
• Bird’s nest fern. The easiest fern, and pet safe.
• Kentia palm and lady palm. Tall, and pet safe.
• Jewel orchid. Dark velvet leaves with gold lines.

Moderate to fussy

• Prayer plant
• Calathea
• Nerve plant
• Maidenhair fern

These four need humid air and steady water along with medium light. They are not beginner plants for a dark room.

What about pothos and philodendron?

Pothos and heartleaf philodendron grow best in bright, indirect light. Both stay alive in low light. The vines get long and bare, and the leaves get smaller.

Grow them in a dim room if you are happy to trim them. Cut bare vines back to a leaf, and root the cuttings by a brighter window.

Pet-safe plants for minimal light

Cast iron plant, parlor palm, peperomia, bird’s nest fern, kentia palm, lady palm, prayer plant, and calathea are all non-toxic to cats and dogs. See the full list of pet-safe houseplants.

Care changes in low light

1. Water by touch. Soil in a dim room is slow to dry. Push a finger into the soil before every watering. Read how often to water houseplants in winter, since winter makes dim rooms dimmer.
2. Choose plain green leaves. Green leaves have more chlorophyll, so they make more food from less light. White, pink, and yellow patches fade or turn green in low light.
3. Clean the leaves and the window. Dust on either one blocks light.
4. Turn the pot. A quarter turn at each watering keeps the plant from leaning.
5. Skip winter feeding. Feed at half strength in spring and summer only.
6. Buy the size you want. Growth is slow in low light. A small plant stays small for years.

When minimal light is too little

Watch the new growth. Small, pale leaves and long gaps between leaves mean the plant is short on light. Soil that stays wet for more than two weeks is the other sign.

Try these fixes in order.

1. Move the plant closer to the window.
2. Open the blinds all day.
3. Swap it with a plant from a brighter room every two weeks.
4. Add a grow bulb on a timer for 10 to 12 hours a day.

For rooms with no window at all, read houseplants that do not need sunlight.

Quick answers

What is the best indoor plant for a dark corner? Cast iron plant or ZZ plant.

Do low-light plants need a window? They need a window or a lamp. No plant grows in the dark.

Is a north window low light? Right at the glass, a north window gives medium light. A meter (3 ft) back, it is low light. Read the best houseplants for a north-facing window.

Why did my low-light plant die? Too much water is the usual cause. Dim light slows drying, and wet roots rot.