Major Shade: 6 Houseplants For Low Light Areas In Your Home
If the window light situation is less than ideal in your home, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on growing gorgeous houseplants! There are plenty of indoor plants that grow in low light, so they’re great for livening up the scenery in a room with small windows.
Keep in mind, houseplants that thrive in low light still need a bit of window light—they just don’t need to be placed directly in a sunbeam like other plants. Keep reading to find our guide to determining how to identify the different light levels in your home, so you can find a comfortable spot for your houseplants.
Brighten Things Up With These Houseplants For Low Light
If your windows are shaded by trees, or if they’re north- or east-facing and don’t get loads of bright sun, these low light houseplants will actually do really well in that environment. They’re perfect for adding vibrant color and a sense of vivacity to dimly lit rooms that are lacking in excitement. You’ll be surprised at how much a lush, healthy plant can totally transform the energy of your room!
Sansevieria
If you’re on the hunt for houseplants for low light, you gotta get a sansevieria, no question. These attractive plants have tall, upright leaves that give them a distinctive sculptural quality that feels modern and artsy. And honestly, they’re almost as low-maintenance as a sculpture! Water your sansevieria about once every two weeks—enough time for the water to evaporate from the soil—and it should be quite content with only a modest amount of filtered light.
Philodendron Birkin
This tropical beauty grows wild in rainforests, so it’s accustomed to living underneath the shade of a tree canopy. While there are many different kinds of philodendrons with their own distinctive features, Philodendron Birkin is truly an underrated star. White variegated leaves are super trendy right now, and this variety totally nails the look while still looking so unique and original. Each leaf is covered in hundreds of thin white stripes that look like they were drawn on with a pen, creating incredible dimension and artistic appeal that really makes it stand out from the rest.
Cordyline
This low-light houseplant will do well in dimmer areas of your home, but it's ultra-vibrant foliage will certainly help to perk things up. Its leaves tend to splay out like a burst of fireworks, adding a fun, energizing decorative accent to your space. Many cordylines come in various neon rainbow colors, but even the Cordyline Glauca, which is fully emerald green, still has an invigorating quality that brings a carefree spirit to your home decor.
Dracaena
The dracaena has long, flat, shiny leaves like the blade of a sword. The foliage is bound together quite tightly, creating plenty of volume without taking up an excessive amount of space. The great thing about having so much densely packed foliage on one plant is that it can really make a difference in air quality since its leaves naturally purify the air and filter out toxins. Some varieties like Dracaena Craigii Compacta are fully green and have a more narrow shape to help them fit in corners. For a little extra burst of color, opt for a dracaena with sunny yellow striped leaves.
Senecio
While many succulents prefer an abundance of direct sunlight, senecios—a family of trailing succulents—prefer bright indirect light, such as the light from an east- or west-facing window. Plus, there are so many ridiculously adorable varieties, it’s kind of impossible to just choose one. Senecio String of Pearls has round leaves that grow along vining stems just like beads on a string, making it perfect for hanging planters and floating shelves. Senecio String of Dolphins never fails to delight, with its leaves that literally look like cute miniature jumping dolphins.
Green Queen Pothos
Pothos is one of the standard must-have low-light plants for beginners, but it’s far from boring or basic. The deep green leaves of Green Queen pothos add lush liveliness to the dimmer rooms of your home! This tough plant can also stand up to a little neglect, and its trailing habit gives you lots of creative options to display it. Let them hang down like vines, or train them to grow up along furniture fixtures like mirrors, shelves, or window frames.
What Is Considered Low Light For Houseplants?
It’s virtually impossible to find a plant that needs no light at all, so when we talk about houseplants for low light, we’re referring to plants that need some diffused light coming in from the window. However, they don’t need to be placed especially close to the window—they can be several feet away. Bathrooms, bedrooms, and basements with smaller windows will make perfectly fine spots for most of these low-light houseplants.
Looking for more houseplants that do well in the low light? Plant Decor Shop has an impressive assortment of low-light houseplants, and our collection is constantly being updated! Check our full catalog online to see all the incredible new houseplants for sun or for shade that are ready to be shipped to your door.
