The 14 Best Low-Light Plants for an Apartment

Finding the perfect plants for your apartment can be a challenge, especially if your home doesn’t get much light. However, there are still many plants that will thrive in your low-light home.

The best low-light plants for an apartment are tropical plants that grow under the canopy of the rainforest, such as the peace lily, dieffenbachia, and monstera. Other good plants include the ZZ plant, snake plant, and several varieties of hanging plants.

Read on to learn more about 14 of the best low-light plants for your apartment. We’ll discuss their general care needs, which plants are good for small spaces, and how much light they require.

1. Snake Plant

The snake plant, also known as “mother-in-law’s tongue” and dracaena trifasciata, is a flowering succulent native to West Africa in areas ranging from the Congo to Nigeria. There are many varieties of snake plants, although only a few of them flower indoors.

These plants have large, stiff leaves that boldly stand upright. They grow slowly, and their vertical growth pattern makes them perfect for apartments. They store a lot of water in their thick leaves, and their gradual growth means these plants only need to be watered infrequently. Snake plants prefer to dry out between waterings.

Snake plants are known for their hardiness. They can survive in houses with almost no light. However, since these plants grow so slowly, it’s a good idea to buy the plant in the size you want, as it won’t grow very much.

2. Devil’s Ivy

This flowering plant is native to the islands of Polynesia, where the warm temperatures and high humidity allow this plant to thrive. Ivy grows quickly and produces long vines with broad, spade-shaped leaves.

There are many different versions of devil’s ivy, often named for their color variations. Silver pothos, golden pothos, and marble queen pothos are all brilliant varieties that can happily survive in your low-light home.

Devil’s ivy is named as such because it’s nearly impossible to kill, making it one of the best plants for beginners. It thrives in high humidity, so it will be even happier in your bathroom or kitchen, but it will likely survive anywhere in your home.

This plant trails, so if you’re looking for an impressive plant for your upper shelf or entryway, devil’s ivy is perfect for you. Just remember to water it at least once a week, and you’ll have a low-maintenance indoor plant.

3. Spider Plant

Spider plants are plants that burst with green foliage and have large, vibrant leaves that grow outward. These plants grow freely in southern and tropical parts of Africa, where soil and moisture are abundant.

A spider plant often grows in semi-shady areas in nature, making it perfect for a low-light apartment. However, this plant is thirstier than the previous two. It requires a bit more care and would greatly benefit from being watered once or twice a week.

When spider plants are happy, they flower and sprout small white blossoms that can extend along long branches that can reach up to 30 cm (12 inches) tall. The plant needs a bit more than low light to successfully bloom.

4. Dracaena

The dracaena is a drought-tolerant plant that prefers medium to low light conditions. It is native to Madagascar but has since spread as an indoor plant all over the world. Outdoors in temperate climates, this tree can grow up to 20 feet tall, but it is easily-sized when kept in a smaller pot.

This tree would happily live in a corner of your apartment near a window where it can grow slowly. The leaves of this plant are bright green with red edges and happily sprout outward. The mini tree trunk is thick and stores a lot of water, making it drought-tolerant.

5. ZZ Plant

The ZZ plant is the real plant that is so easy to care for, you might think it’s fake. The leaves sprout in zigzag lines from the long stalks and become thick and rubbery, giving it the appearance of an artificial plant.

These plants prefer not to be touched or disturbed much, and they thrive better with dry soil rather than wet. The ZZ plant and snake plant both tend to be overwatered, and if you’re unsure if the soil is dry, it’s better to wait a few days and check again.

Another characteristic of these plants is their slow growth and ability to thrive in semi-dry areas. The thick leaves store water during drought times, which means they are robust plants for the busy urban dweller. A weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly care day for this plant is sufficient.

6. Peace Lily

Peace lilies are broad-leaved green beauties that abundantly grow in tropical rainforests throughout South America. They grow beneath the rainforest canopy along the forest floor in shady, moist areas. While they love high humidity, they need well-draining soil for water to drain from their roots.

Peace lilies can grow quickly in spring and summer, but their growth will be severely limited in a low-light situation. Their deep green leaves provide texture and color to your apartment that won’t be affected by a lack of light.

7. Philodendron

The vine-like philodendron is closely related to pothos in genus and appearance and grows quickly in its native tropics. The plants grow fast, climbing up tree trunks and trailing along their branches. In your apartment, these plants can grow on the edge of a fireplace mantle and cascade lushly from a tall shelf.

If you don’t desire a trailing plant, these plants are also easily propagated. You can trim the stems and leaves of the philodendron and place the stems in a glass of water for a few weeks. The stem will continue to grow roots. Once the roots are a few inches long, they can be planted.

Plant the new roots in small pots to give as gifts, or plant them in the same pot as their parents to create an extremely lush plant with low light.

8. Dieffenbachia

The dieffenbachia plant is another tropical beauty for low light that adds plenty of color to your apartment. These bushy plants are highly leafy, with speckled patterns on their leaves. The leaves have dark green borders, while the leaves’ centers are patterned with a cream and emerald green pattern.

These enjoy a tropical rainforest but tend to be overwatered. In a low-light environment, all your plants need much less water than when outdoors, where they receive adequate air circulation and their soil drains quickly.

Your dieffenbachia is a good test plant – if the top layer of soil between waterings doesn’t dry out, your apartment may be too cold. You can counteract this excessive moisture by purchasing a dehumidifier and placing it near your plants. This machine extracts moisture from the plant’s soil to assist in drying it out. You can always add more water, but it’s harder to remove it when it sits on the roots of the plant.

9. Dwarf Umbrella Tree Plant

The dwarf umbrella tree plant is a vibrant little plant with round arrangements of leaves that burst out in umbrella-like patterns. The leaves can be a uniform green or light and dark green.

Umbrella trees in their full-size can grow up to 50 feet tall in the wild, but the dwarf varieties only reach about 1-2 feet tall indoors. The dwarf umbrella trees are popular for bonsai hobbies, as they can be pruned and shaped over time.

10. Peperomia

The peperomia is a plant that resembles a succulent bush. It has thick, waxy leaves that are slightly curled inward and often have yellow edges. The inner part of the leaves varies from light to dark green and has slightly darker veins in the middle. Although these plants aren’t technically succulents, they store a lot of water in their thick leaves.

The plant is often called the baby rubber plant due to its fleshy leaves. The leaves of the plants are always thick, but there are many different types of how the plants grow. Some varieties grow upwards, with alternating levels of leaves. Some grow with trailing branches outward. There are also hanging bushes with small leaves that fatten and can grow up to 5 feet long.

11. Staghorn Fern

You’ll often see this elegant fern in DIY projects and versatile design landscapes. Staghorn ferns are often mounted on driftwood or cork and then hung on the wall. The plants are epiphytic, meaning they have shallow roots that help them hang onto a tree trunk and obtain nutrients from the air rather than being buried under dense layers of soil.

These ferns prefer indirect light, and while they would prefer it to be bright, they can also survive in low-light situations. They are named after their elongated leaves with multiple indentations and curves resembling a deer’s antlers. These ferns are not only a rare indoor plant, but also a living piece of art on your wall.

You can also mount your staghorn fern directly in your shower if your bathroom has a window. The plants will thrive on the moisture in the room, with their epiphytic roots grabbing onto the plentiful nutrients. In this location, you barely have to think about them – just enjoy them every time you shower.

12. Bird’s Nest Fern

The bird’s nest fern is another fern named after the shape of its leaves. The leaves are thin and wide and grow in slightly curly patterns. The tangle of dry leaves sprouts outward and resembles the irregular appearance of a bird’s nest. They also have the wavy appearance of algae, except on land.

These plants prefer low light. Bright light can easily burn the delicate leaves, and they seek the protection of trees above them. Like the staghorn ferns, bird’s nest ferns are epiphytes, growing on the trunk of another plant and obtaining nutrients from the air.

13. Monstera Deliciosa

The monstera deliciosa is considered an invasive species in many areas of the world. These plants grow extremely fast, with leaves unfurling every few weeks. Naturally, they won’t grow as quickly in a low-light situation, but you can expect them to survive quite happily.

The name “monstera” stands for the massive size of the plant, which can reach over 9 meters (30 feet) tall with leaves that are three feet wide. The “deliciosa” in the name refers to the edible fruit that grows on the plant in the wild. While these plants don’t produce fruit indoors, they can still grow quite large.

Monsteras are known for their split leaves that appear when the plants are mature. The splits in these leaves are speculation, with many different theories behind their occurrence.

Some plants create splits to help the leaves survive against wind and rain in tropical storms. Others may make splits so water can reach the plant’s roots below, which is especially beneficial for the monstera, whose leaves are so massive.

14. Marimo Moss Ball

The marimo moss ball is a unique little plant that will be unlike any other in your home. “Marimo” is a Japanese word that translates to “algae ball.” These plants are round algae balls that naturally occur in freshwater lakes in Scotland, Iceland, Australia, Japan, and Estonia.

The gentle rolling motion of the algae along the lake’s bottom is believed to form the sphere of the “plant.” As you can imagine from the fact that they live at the bottom of lakes, they are uniquely adapted to low-light environments. Unlike the other plants on this list, they also do well in cold conditions.

Taking care of your marimo moss balls is as simple as taking care of your other plants. For starters, you don’t need any soil at all. Instead, your marimo balls live in a small glass fishbowl. As long as your tap water is drinkable, your marimo balls will be more than happy being submerged in it.

Every few weeks or months, you’ll need to clean the bowl for your moss balls. Mild soap is enough to remove any cloudiness on the rim of the bowl, and you can simply refill it with tap water. When cleaning the bowl, you might also want to remove the dirty water from the moss balls.

Take the moss balls out of the bowl and gently squeeze out the water from them. You can rinse them a few times with room temperature water. After the bowl has been cleaned and refilled, just place the moss balls back in the bowl. If the balls float, they just need time to reabsorb their water, and they’ll sink back down over time.

Since your marimo balls won’t be rolling on the bottom of a lake, they can lose their round shape. You can gently roll the ball between your palms to reshape the algae balls. You can also pull them apart and reshape them to “spread” them out in some way. However, the balls only grow a few millimeters each year, so buy the size of the plant you prefer.

Caring for Low-Light Plants

Low-light plants are called such not because they don’t need light, but because they can survive in low-light conditions. All the plants on this list need some amount of sunlight to grow, and it’s helpful to place them near a window. If you really want to brighten up a dark corner of your room with a plant, investing in a grow light will go a long way in making all the plants in that area happy.

Another thing to keep in mind is that plants grow through a process called photosynthesis that requires light, water, and carbon dioxide to complete. If your plant doesn’t get as much light, it won’t consume as much water. A plant in a low-light situation is at high risk of root rot if you overwater it.

You’ll need to keep an eye on your indoor plants when you first bring them into your apartment. Plants that usually need to be watered every few days may only need to be watered once a week in a darker situation. For plants like snake plants and ZZ plants, this could be even less, such as once a month.

Summary

Some of the best low-light plants for your apartment come from the tropics, but there are also others from cold lakes and dry deserts.

Marimo moss balls are unique and perfect for small spaces. Snake plants and ZZ plants prefer to be left alone and need to be watered infrequently. Devil’s ivy or a philodendron will live long and prosper for the lover of a trailing plant. If you want to keep your plants off your apartment floor, the epiphytic staghorn or bird’s nest ferns are perfect.