6 Low Light Plants that Want to Grow in Your Home

Indoor Plants of all sizes, colors, and species have been receiving more and more attention over recent years and the wave of global lockdowns. However, if you don’t receive bright, natural light into your home, does that mean you’re doomed to kill every plant you bring home? Not at all! We put together a list of multiple plants that can survive and thrive the dim and shady spots in your home so you can find the perfect new match for your space.

These are our recommendations for six low light plants that want to grow in your home!

Variegated Ivy

Our first plant on this list is the Variegated Ivy, also referred to by its botanical Latin name, Hedera helix. If you have ever lived in a state in the northern half of the United States, you will often see an ivy growing along the surface of the soil with maple-like leaves covered in contrasting variegation; there is a remarkably good chance that is a Variegated Ivy plant you are seeing!

Because this plant is accustomed to growing on the understory of American forests, under the cover of thick needled trees, it has already adapted to thriving regardless of the low levels of light it receives. Let this plant’s vines drape around a room or give it a stake or trellis to wrap its tendrils around and you will have a happy Hedera helix in your home.

Snake Plants

The Sansevieria genus of plants is extremely popular around the world and many are even grown by those that don’t consider themselves the classic “plant people.” You will recognize these plants by the upright, sword-like shaped leaves that just out of the soil and straight into the sky. This genus can come in countless shapes, sizes, colors, and patterns depending upon the particular species and growing conditions.

Most Snake Plant varieties are very hardy and can withstand low levels of light (artificial or natural) for long periods of time without showing any sign of dissatisfaction or disease. However, we always check the care requirements for the specific species of Sansevieria that you are looking at before bringing it into the care of your home.

Swiss Cheese Vine

The Swiss Cheese Vine is a cousin to the ever famous and Instagrammable Monstera deliciosa, and one of our personal favorites to grow in the dim corners of our home! This plant’s leaves are often characterized by the frequent holes, also known as fenestrations, making it look like its namesake, Swiss Cheese. In the wild, this plant can be found climbing up the trunks of trees with its strong vines.

In your home, you can place your Monstera adansonii on a trellis or moss pole to replicate its natural habitat. Place this plant in any corner of your home that receives medium to low light with the occasional bright, indirect light to help it maintain healthy photosynthesize processes.

Devil’s Ivy

Also known as the Golden Pothos or Epipremnum aureum, this plant is one of the most popular specimens grown indoors, mostly due to its low light requirements and all-around low maintenance personality. This fast-growing vine displays a striking yellow and green variegation and when found in its natural habitat of Southeast Asia, its leaves can grow to three times the size of a human head and develop fenestrations!

Known by many as a nearly indestructible plant, the Devil’s Ivy is a plant that can put up with low light, low levels of humidity, infrequent watering, and even the occasional mistreatment. Add a moss pole to a standing container or allow this plant to drape over the sides of a hanging pot and you will quickly have a centerpiece not matter where you grow it in your home.

Burgundy Rubber Tree

Also known by its botanical name, Ficus elastica, this houseplant is famous for its dark, shiny leaves and tall, upright nature. If you’ve ever wondered, these trees were given their name because the sap they secrete from their broken stems is the main ingredient in creating rubber! Both the Burgundy its lighter cousins grow wild in rainforests across India, Southeastern Asia, and South America.

At home, you can keep your Burgundy Rubber Tree in places with medium to low light and the occasional bright light exposure. This is a plant that can quickly adapt to changes in temperature and light, so there’s no need to worry about moving this one around with the changing of the seasons. Instead, just inspect the leaves for signs of sunburn each week to make sure it’s healthy and thriving

Hindu Rope

Many people are first introduced to the Hoya genus of plants through the beautiful, twisting succulent rope that is the Hoya carnosa compatca. While the compacted version of this Hoya was cultivated by botanical growers over the years and has never been found growing naturally in the world, its parent plant, the Hoya carnosa, is often found in parts of Southern India and other Southwest Asian countries. When found outside, this plant displays a classic epiphytic nature and thick, succulent leaves for storing moisture.

When growing your own Hindu Rope inside, you can rest easy knowing that this plant doesn’t need high amounts of bright light. While this species will be more likely to grow quicker and flower in bright, indirect light, it can still live a long, full life in the dimmer corners of your home, too.

Do you already have one of these plants growing in your home, or are you looking for the perfect new addition for your collection? Browse our extensive list of exotic and unique houseplants and be sure to check out our other helpful blogs on how to grow the indoor plants of your dreams!