While not all parts of your house can be well lit, that shouldn’t stop you from adding plants to every corner and nook to create the perfect home oasis. Shade-tolerant houseplants include flowering plants, large ferns, small succulents, indoor palms, and a wide variety of greenery.
Having hanging plants in a room decreases carbon monoxide and improves air quality, research has found. They also look great, but they do a lot more than that. Psychological and emotional well-being have also been found to be improved by houseplants.
Take a look at these 11 great indoor plants for low light.
Prayer Plant (Maranta leuconeura)
In the American tropics, these plants are also known as rattlesnake plants or red-veined prayers, and they thrive in greenhouse-like conditions with high humidity, warmth, and gentle air flow. Additionally, they prefer warm, filtered water.
Japanese Sago Palm (Cycas revoluta)
Japan is the origin of the Sago palm, which grows in a slow rate (one leaf a year sometimes), thereby making it the perfect houseplant since it almost never needs repotting. However, you should purchase mature sago palms instead of propagating your own. There are fossil records proving that these plants co-existed with dinosaurs hundreds of millions of years ago. Those who have dogs or children in their homes should not have Sago palms around them.
Jewel Orchid (Ludisia discolor)
Jewel orchids are native to Southeast Asia, northern India, and China. They have large, velvety reddish-green leaves, and they have delicate white flowers. In contrast to other orchid varieties, this one enjoys shade and high humidity, and grows well in bathrooms with their humid air and fluorescent lighting.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Snake plants have sharp, angular leaves that are typically striped with green and yellow. Snake plants are easy to care for houseplants. Long-leaved and hardy perennials that spread by underground stems that appear with new growth. In addition to being tolerant of a home’s natural humidity, snake plants also prefer a room-temperature environment.
Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia seguine)
Known for its thick, large leaves with patterns of green and yellow, dumb cane has been a popular houseplant since the Victorian era. Herbaceous perennial plants native to the Caribbean and South America, these plants reach a height of 10-12 feet outdoors, though they seldom grow that tall indoors.
Ingestion of the plant’s sap causes swelling of the throat and tongue, impairing speech, thus earning it the name dumb cane.
Red Peacock Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema widuri)
Peacock plants are native to tropical and subtropical regions of Asia and New Guinea and have brightly contrasted, glossy red and green leaves. Due to its tolerance of low light, dry air, and drought, this houseplant is thought to be exceptionally durable. However, as a tropical plant, it thrives in warm and humid conditions. Children and pets should not be exposed to this plant.
Arrowhead Plant (Syngonium podophyllum)
Arrowhead plants are native to Central and South America, and are named for their distinctive leaves that look like arrowheads. The plants tend to vine as they age, making them ideal for tall or hanging planters, but they can also be trimmed to maintain their shape. A lush and fast-growing plant, arrowheads thrive in humid environments with regular misting and should be protected from direct sunlight. When working with the plant, wear gloves because the sap is poisonous but not lethal.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
Contrary to its name, peace lilies are not members of the lily family; instead, they are related to philodendrons and aloes. A genus of tropical herbaceous perennial evergreen plants native to Central America, they include 40 species. A grouping of peace lilies can grow up to 3 feet tall indoors, producing an impressive display.
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
A native of Central and South America, the parlor palm is an ever-popular shade-tolerant houseplant. They don’t require frequent watering, and they enjoy low light, so they’re great plants for beginners. The bamboo-like stems of parlor palms make them sometimes called bamboo palms, and their non-edible fruits are rare in interiors (though fruiting occurs occasionally).
Lucky Bamboo (Dracena sanderiana)
Bamboo, known as lucky bamboo, is known for being incredibly hardy and capable of growing in water alone. Its hollow interior and flexibility represent adaptability in the face of hardship as well as an openness to the spirit of life in feng shui. If you grow your lucky bamboo in water, it should be changed every few weeks and given a bit of liquid fertilizer occasionally, with enough water in the container to cover the roots completely. Plants like this are not toxic for humans, but cats and dogs should not consume them.
Staghorn Fern (Platycerium bifurcatum)
Due to their distinctive fronds that resemble antlers, platycerium ferns are also called elkhorn or staghorn ferns. The species are native to tropical and temperate regions of South America, Africa, Australia, and Southeast Asia, which is why they do best mounted on substrate, where they attach themselves with roots and absorb nutrients through their fronds, rather than from soil.