Recently I’ve grown to love and appreciate the perhaps less popular, traditional houseplants that can survive almost any condition. While I often buy a plant depending on how it looks, the trendy and often more fussy plants generally end up taking up all my window space with their high light requirements!
Lately I’ve been more interested in finding plants that will suit my space, rather than just for the sake of having a plant. And we all have those low-light areas that are in need of a touch of greenery! So to help out, here’s my list of low maintenance, low light houseplants that are the true heroes of dark corners.
You’ll find all shapes of plants in this list, depending on what style you’re aiming for – climbing and trailing, large tree like plants, and more bushy plants too. Read on for the list of low light houseplants!
Climbing & Trailing Plants
Grape Ivy
A Grape Ivy (or similar, oak leaf ivy), is a climbing plants that grows tendrils of oak-shaped leaves. It is an evergreen plant that won’t mind the darker areas of your home, and will even put out new growth!
These plants are quite hardy and don’t require much care, apart from a weekly (ish) water and maybe a monthly dusting. Use a trellis if you’d like yours to climb, or let its limbs wander where they wish.
Devils Ivy
The Devils Ivy is another trailing/climbing plant that has a few different varieties, such as yellow variegated leaves. It is quite fast growing and will grow practically anywhere!
Heart Leaf Philodendron
The Heart Leaf Philodendron is a popular houseplant which is actually surprisingly low maintenance. Of course, they will grow well in brighter areas but they will manage ok in less light too. Keep in mind that their leaves will grow larger when climbing upwards, although they make stunning trailing plants off a shelf or cupboard.
Large, Tree-like Plants
Rubber Plant
The Rubber Plant is the Fiddle Leaf’s less glamorous cousin, but it’s also a whole lot less fussy! Being in the Ficus family, this plant is happy to hang out in most areas and can grow quite large under the right conditions.
Similar to a Fiddle Leaf, they can be found in a bush-like shape or more of a taller, tree style.
Dracaena (Dragon Plant)
A Dracaena will bring some character to your home with its spiky top and bare trunks. There’s also quite a few varieties to choose from, where their ribbon-like leaves can range from dark green, to yellow and even pinkish red hues. They can bring a casual, coastal vibe to your home and can grow to fill a space too.
Palms
Palms naturally don’t need a lot of light, and make for a forgiving houseplant. There’s also a tonne of varieties to choose from, to suit your space. A parlour palm has a traditional palm-like shape, while a ponytail palm (although actually a succulent!) has ribbon-like leaves and a caudex, bulb-like base.
Bushy & Small Plants
Calathea
There’s so many varieties of Calathea plants to choose from and the good news is that they will do just fine on a shelf or coffee table! These plants are shade lovers and are relatively fast growers, so you may find yourself needing to repot them sooner than you think.
Be aware that they do like humid conditions, and can be sensitive to tap water which shows up as crispy brown leaf tips.
ZZ Plant
A ZZ plant is the ultimate low-light, low-maintenance plant and great for beginners. These plants can need watering as little as once a month (great for forgetful plant owners!). They’ll grow in a bushy fashion and will forgive you for a little neglect.
Snake Plant
Snake plants are well known as one of the toughest houseplants, that has structural, upright foliage. They can also go by the name Mother in Law’s Tongue, or Sanseveria, and again there’s lots of varieties that range from yellow to blue-green, depending on your taste.
Got any more low light houseplants that should make the list? Let me know in the comments below! Or find me on Instagram where I share regular plant tips & updates.
