Plants need light to live, but some far less than others. If you want to keep houseplants in a room or home without lots of natural light, there are options that will thrive in any environment. Here are some of the best low-light-tolerant houseplants to consider:
Pothos
Pothos are commonly on lists of houseplants that are hard to kill, and for good reason. These beautiful vine plants are so low-maintenance that they tend to thrive on neglect. While some varieties of pothos need lots of sun to maintain special coloring, the deep green jade pothos will flourish in any low-light environment.
Snake Plants
Snake plants are another excellent choice for areas with low light. These plants have tall, sword-shaped leaves that help purify the air in your home. They come in several different interesting leaf patterns and can add a bit of greenery to any room in your home regardless of natural light exposure.
Ferns
Ferns are understory plants in the wild, meaning they'll grow perfectly well in lower-light environments. However, ferns also require high humidity to flourish. Ferns make great bathroom or kitchen plants, as they can benefit from the extra steam and moisture. Otherwise, you may want to use a small humidifier to keep your ferns lush and happy.
ZZ Plants
ZZ Plants are another frequent addition to "hard to kill" houseplant lists. Not only do ZZ plants thrive in low light, they can actually flourish in only artificial light. They're a common choice for office buildings and other locations without windows, as they can use fluorescent and LED light to photosynthesize. ZZ plants are highly toxic if eaten by humans or animals, however, so keep them away from pets and children if you choose to grow them at home.
Maranta
Maranta are also called "prayer plants" because of their changing leaf position throughout the day. An incredibly efficient plant, marantas will lower their leaves to absorb the maximum amount of light during the day and then fold upright at night to conserve energy. In addition to being interesting living decor, prayer plants are wonderful for lower light environments. Similarly to ferns, they like high humidity, so consider keeping one in your bathroom or close to a humidifier.
About the Author
Kyung Kim
Hi, I'm Kyung Kim. I immigrated from South Korea to the United States in 1968 when I was 7 years old. I have seen my mom struggle with the English language and work hard to raise her four kids by herself. Still to this day, I don't know how she pulled it off, but she bought her first home in 1979 for $70,000 and because of that decision, she was able to live without worrying about her financial future. I want that for everyone, to feel the pride of home ownership and to build their financial wealth using real estate as part of their financial portfolio. I feel so blessed to play a small role in helping others reach this goal.
I live in Beaverton with my husband, Richard. My mom, who lived with us for several years, passed away in our home in February 2022. Her first home purchase in 1979 made it possible for her to live to the very end, without worrying about her finances. As of August 2022 with a little downpayment assistance, our four children own their own homes. Being in real estate, I quickly realized that if they didn't buy now, they may be priced out of the market in the future. Whether that would have been the case, we will never know, but what we do know is that they are all realizing some good, healthy appreciation in their home values.
As passionate as I am about people owning their homes, I'm also passionate about giving back to our community. I support Compassion First, a non-profit organization that provides aftercare for sex trafficked girls in Indonesia. My husband and I also feel called to financially support social injustice organizations.
I'd love to assist you. Whether you're in the research phase at the beginning of your real estate search or you know exactly what you're looking for, you'll benefit from having a real estate professional by your side. I'd be honored to put my real estate experience to work for you.
