8 Best Low Light Indoor Plants
A lot of people are getting into houseplants right now, and winter is upon us. I figured that right now is the perfect time to talk about low light-tolerant houseplants. A few quick reminders about low light: Low light does not mean no light.
So just because these plants can thrive in low light does not mean that they are going to be fine with absolutely no light. Also, keep in mind that these plants are probably not going to grow much while kept in low light. So, low light-tolerant just means that they’re not going to die; it does not mean that they are going to thrive in low light.
And lastly, make sure that you cut back on watering. If a plant is in lower light, it’s going to be absorbing less water and drying out a lot slower. Okay. So, with all that being said, let’s talk about low light-tolerant plants.
Table of Contents
Syngonium
Syngonium, again are low light-tolerant plants, and it’s no secret that I absolutely love them. The one thing I’m going to say about Syngonium is that if you’re looking for low light plants, specifically, definitely go with a more simple pattern single-hand.
So, this is mostly green and under decent light, you’ll get a little bit of the pink veining, but it will, you know, be fine in low light. If you are getting a syngonium with more striking coloration or variegation, you are probably going to have to give it a little bit more light to keep those colors.
But if you’re okay with it just losing a little bit of its vibrancy, then this is a perfect contender for low light; it’s going to do just fine. I definitely recommend Syngonium ‘Berry Allusion’ as a syngonium that would do well in low light.
Lemon Lime Philodendron
So, this is kind of a classic, but a lot of times in low light-tolerant lists, you’ll see the regular heartleaf philodendron, which is the more dark green kind, and that’s probably going to do a little bit better in low light. But I don’t have that, first of all, and second of all, I think that this variety would do just fine in low light.
If you get the lemon lime over the regular heartleaf philodendron, you might just notice that some of its vibrancy fades with time and its leaves will get kind of smaller, especially if you’re not staking it up.
I just find that this is a little bit more fun than the regular green variety and adds like a slight pop of color, and I don’t know, I just wanted to mix things up.
ZZ Raven
Okay. Next plant, the ZZ Raven and be regular old ZZ, this is a regular kind. Both of these plants are notorious low-light tolerant plants, and I’m not going to argue that at all. These are one of the few plants that actually grew in low light for me. So not any crazy growth, but they did actually put out some new foliage in low light between the two.
Maranta
Okay. So next up, we have the Maranta. I found this plant to actually prefer lower light than being under any grow lights. So it was doing really well in low light. Then I put it under some grow lights, and it actually started to decline a bit and burn, and its leaves were not opening and closing normally, which was a good sign for me, well, about a sign, it needs less light.
So I pulled it back, and I put it in an East facing window, and it’s bouncing back a little bit. As long as you’re giving it high humidity and keeping the soil a little bit moist, this plant’s gonna do just fine with very medium-pillo, indirect light.
Justina
Okay. And now we’re going to talk about Justina, and don’t tell me that the snake plant areas, leave me alone. I always make that joke, but you guys are so nice to me. I’ve never gotten yelled at yet. It’s incredible, you guys are amazing.
Dracaena
Anyway, so let’s talk Dracaena. So, this poor plant is constantly get neglected just because its growth pattern is kind of sprawled out, I never have a good place for it, so it kind of just lives in a hanging macrame hanger on my ceiling in a lower light area.
And now this plant is doing the best it’s ever done. I water it once a week, and it gets pretty low light. It’s not anywhere near a roller. I actually just gave this a grow light, but this growth was completely from low light and it also kept its slight variegation.
So it has a little bit of white and pink variegation. And that did not fade in low light. So I’ve been really loving the flexibility of this plant and how little I have to do for it.
Lucky Bamboo
And then also, the Dracaena sanderiana is how you say it or the lucky bamboo, which is actually not bamboo. It is a Dracaena, and this plant is also just shoved into a super low lay area of my room, and it’s not particularly thriving, but it’s also because I am keeping it in this nasty water that has to be changed. So this is on me, but the light has been completely fine for this plant.
And because it sits in water, it’s also very low maintenance. Um, you can put this in pebbles and even soil, but I’ve never done mine. And at this point, I think it’s a little too late to acclimate this plant to a different potting medium, but with all that being said, this plant has been doing just fine in low light as with all the other plants that I’ve been talking about.
And I think this is a super easy beginner plant. Okay?
Golden Pothos
And lastly, we are going to add on a very, very classic low light-tolerant plant. And it is the golden pothos, and I’ve actually been keeping it close to a sub-facing window, But yeah, this plant is super, super okay with being a low light; it’s such a low maintenance plant that I absolutely, obviously recommend it for beginners.
Note: Don’t put this in your South facing window.
 *(Include an image of droopy leaves)* Some plants, such as calatheas, prefer moist soil at all times; otherwise, they develop that signature brown tissue damage on the leaves. The annoying thing here is that the damage cannot be reversed and can only be cut away, leaving you with a damaged plant. If the soil of your plant is bone dry, you'll notice that it's pulling away from the sides of the pot. This is because the soil has shrunk due to a lack of moisture, so make sure you are not letting this happen by watering a little more frequently. #### Signs Your Plant is Overwatered (darkgreen) Overwatering plants is a really common way that people kill their plants. Beginner plant enthusiasts often have a common misconception that houseplants need lots of water, but the reality is that these plants are native to hot climates where they may get periods of drought followed by large rain which rehydrates them. **Yellowing leaves** (red) can indicate an overwatering problem as well as an underwatering problem. If you are watering your plant too often and the soil is always wet, this can lead to root rot, which will begin to affect the leaves of your plant. **Limp and mushy leaves** (red) also indicate that you are overwatering your plant. This is particularly true with succulents such as Echeverias. Echeverias store water in their thick leaves and have difficulty storing excess water if you are watering your plant too often. This leads to mushy plants that eventually fall off.  *(Include an image of yellowing leaves)* Philodendron and Pothos plants tend to get mushy leaves that fall off if the soil is consistently soggy. My Philodendron Birkin recently developed some new brown leaves that fell off because I was overwatering it. Whereas crispy brown edges on leaves indicate an underwatering problem, if the whole leaves are turning brown, this tends to mean that the plant tissue is rotting due to too much water. You may also notice some water droplets on the ends of the leaves of some of your plants. This is the plant perspiring excess water through its leaves and can indicate that you are giving the plant too much water. Now, this tends to happen on plants that prefer drier soil, and I notice it quite often on my Philodendron Birkin and my Tradescantia Nanook. **Increased presence of fungus gnats** (red) can also be a sign that your plant is too moist. Fungus gnats like a moist top two inches of soil to breed and lay their eggs, so if your soil is wet, it creates a breeding ground for gnats. If you see lots of flea-like flies jumping around the top of your soil, I would just dial back on the watering and let the top two inches of the soil dry out before watering again. #### Watering Tips (darkgreen) It is important to allow the soil of your houseplant to dry out between waterings. This prevents the possibility of over-watering, which is one of the most common reasons people kill their plants. **Check the soil moisture** (red) before watering your plant by sticking your finger two inches into the soil. If it feels wet, leave it a few days and then check again. An even better way to check the soil moisture is to invest in a moisture meter. This device needs no batteries and tells you exactly how much moisture is in the soil, giving you control over watering your plants.  *(Include an image of a moisture meter)* When you identify that your plant needs water, make sure you give it a thorough soaking. Take your plant to a sink area and soak the soil four or five times until water drains out of the bottom each time. This ensures that all the soil in the pot gets moistened and there are no dry patches. **Bottom watering** (teal) is a method that has changed the health of my plants since I implemented it a couple of years ago. Place your plant in a container of water and let it absorb moisture from the bottom up. This method prevents water from getting on the leaves, which can cause leaf tissue damage. I hope this article was helpful. Now you know when to water your plants and when not to. Apply this knowledge to your plants and see the growth. Happy gardening! --- Incorporating these visual and formatting enhancements will make your article more attractive and engaging for your readers.](https://growinggaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/pexels-artempodrez-7242495-scaled.jpg)
