10 Low Light Indoor Plants For Your Home And Office
Here are five plants you can grow at home and five that are great for office spaces, as well as short care instructions for each of them!
What Are Low Light Plants?
In short, low light plants are the plants that are fine with little light. You can place them by a north-facing window, keep them on your desk or nightstand, or in a corner. They are the ideal plants for someone who wants to use leafy decorations and who likes simple things. These are also the plants that require the least care, and in most cases, you can pretty much forget about them.
Some of these have been featured on our list of plants that are virtually impossible to kill. However, each entry comes with a short care guide because little care doesn’t mean no care at all! Check out this list of large plants you can grow in a dark corner for more ideas on what low light plants you can grow!
Low Light Plants For At Home
1. ZZ Plant
The ZZ plant is a large, tree-like plant that grows as big as you let it. You can keep it small in a small pot, or let it grow! It is one of those plants that need so little care you can actually forget about it. It needs almost no water at all, low light (that should be easy), and rich soil. Here is a more detailed guide to taking care of it!
2. Peace lily
This lovely leafy plant grows in almost any conditions. Again, it needs little water, so allow the soil to dry out completely before watering again. Use well-draining soil to avoid letting the roots sit in water and always plant it in a draining pot. While it needs bright indirect light and fertilization to flower, it will grow and thrive in low light as well. Keep away from pets, though, as it is mildly toxic.
3. Peperomia plant
There are thousands of types of peperomia plant and most make great houseplants! They are a little more pretentious than the previous two, though, and do require some care. But with a little effort, you will be the happy owner of a shiny cluster of fleshy leaves! You can even get multiple kinds of peperomia and grow them in a wide planter to create a patchwork of different colored leaves!
4. Swiss cheese plant
We talked about the swiss cheese plant, also known as Monstera, on many occasions. It is a large plant, and it can grow to fill a whole corner of a room without much problem. Pair it up with a ZZ plant in the other corner and your dark room is now a lush green indoor garden! Have a look at how to take care of it and remember to wear gloves when handling it because the sap can irritate the skin.
5. Arrowhead plant
The arrowhead is a type of philodendron, usually grown as a houseplant, native to Central and South America. It can grow quite tall, the vines needing support, or you can grow it as a hanging plant. It doesn’t need much light, but it does need rich, peaty soil and plenty of water. Keep the soil moist all the time and mist the leaves occasionally.
Low Light Indoor Plants For The Office
6. Heart-leafed philodendron
This is yet another hanging or climbing plant, depending on how you train it. You can grow it to be a decoration for exposed wood beams or have it climb on a string to create a miniature vertical garden right in your office! It also looks great just flowing off your desk. Keep it in rich soil and away from direct sunlight and it will be a very happy little plant indeed! Water only when the soil has dried out.
7. Flowering low light plants: Bromeliads
These are probably the only flowering low light indoor plants you will find readily available. With proper care, bromeliads will bloom and sprout pups so you can keep growing them! There are a few tips for bromeliads: fill the top tank with water when misting, never use a metal container to store or deliver water and never let it sit in the sun. Happy growing!
8. Spider plant
Spider plants get their name from the offshoots they grow. They sprout downwards on long, single vines and form another cluster of leaves at the bottom, which makes them look like spiders at the end of a web. Much like their namesakes, spider plants are happy to live in your corner. Water regularly and they will thrive. Have a look here for more details on how to take care of the spider plant!
9. Marimo moss ball
These are definitely unusual plants. You might call them the counterparts of air plants, because they do not require soil of any kind, but live fully underwater. You can call them elemental plants if you want. To take care of them, all you need to do is replace the water in their tank every week and keep them away from direct sun. They are a great, funky addition to your desk!
10. Snake plant
Last but not least, the snake plant. This low light indoor plant is a favorite decoration in offices, but also at home because it is so easy to take care of it! You can practically forget about it and it will be perfectly fine. The straight, fleshy leaves and their white stripes make a great addition to your workspace without crowding it or making it look messy.
General Tips For Low Light Plants
There are a few things that apply to all low light indoor plants, across the board. In terms of care and placement, here are a few guidelines you can follow:
- No direct sun: these plants will scorch and die in the sun. Use thin curtains to cover your windows if nothing else works.
- Still give light: low light doesn’t mean no light at all! Make sure that these plants still get filtered light. No keeping them in closets!
- Use your corners: most of these plants are great corner plants, be it suspended, or on the floor, or on plant stands. This will assure the necessary light and the plants will not take over your space.
- Love your plants: treat them like lovely bonuses and decorations, not like a chore. They will not like that and you will end up abandoning them. Only take on plants if you want to look after them!
In The End…
All that matters is that you enjoy your low light indoor plants! I can’t wait to hear from you, what plants do you have, what plants you want to adopt, and where will you put them? The comments section is your playground, have fun in it. Happy growing and green thumbs on both hands!
