10 Low-Light Indoor Plants the Can Thrive in Your Home and Office

Every indoor space should have at least one houseplant. Indoor plants can help purify the air, add life to drab spaces, and serve as decorative accents.

Plus, most indoor plants are exceptionally low-maintenance. But what if you work in an office that doesn’t have a lot of access to natural light?

What if you’d like to keep a houseplant in an area of your house that doesn’t get direct sunlight? 

The answer is simple: go out and get some low-light plants that thrive with minimal exposure to sunlight!

Low light plants are some of the most beautiful plants you can grow. This means you can adorn your corner cubicle with the wonders of nature! 

Luckily, the low-light plants on this list can also withstand some neglect and many of them don’t need much water at all.

If you’d like to adorn your workspace or an area of your house with vibrant plants, then read on for a list of the best low-light indoor plants.

Best Low-light Indoor Plants

1. Pothos Plant

If you’re looking for an indoor plant that’s easy to care for, it doesn’t get any easier than the pothos plant. This low-light indoor plant can take some serious neglect!

If you’re new to gardening, I recommend getting a start with a photos plant, also known as Devil’s Ivy.

Pothos plants are known for their low-maintenance qualities and beloved for their heart-shaped leaves that grow in vines.

They’re also known to grow for decades! You can find deep green varieties or green and cream variegated varieties.

For an in-depth guide on growing this low-light indoor plant, read my post about How to Care for a Pothos Plant.

2. Snake Plants

The snake plant actually belongs to the succulent family. It stores water in its leaves, which makes it quite resistant to drought.

If you’re worried about leaving a plant at your office over the weekends, opt for a drought-resistant plant like this one. 

Snake plants can grow up to 3 to 8 feet tall. You’ve likely seen snake plants used as decor in chic restaurants and retail spaces because of their unique aesthetic and low-maintenance needs.

Snake plants are perfect for offices or darker areas of your home that don’t get direct sunlight. In fact, full sun on a hot day can actually burn the leaves!

Learn more about how to care for this houseplant by reading my post How to Care for Snake Plants.

3. English Ivy

English ivy is one of the prettiest house plants you can grow. People fall in love with its mix of green and cream-colored foliage and its heart-shaped leaves that drape down and grow as a beautiful vine.

Thankfully, English Ivy is a low-light plant that’s extremely easy to grow so you can place it in practically any area of your home or office.

Try growing this low light indoor plant in a hanging basket, above your kitchen cabinets, or in a corner of your bathroom. 

4. Ferns

There are many different varieties of ferns so make sure to choose one that’s meant to be grown indoors.

Ferns need shelter from the sun, which is what makes them great houseplants. I actually learned to love ferns because of the show Friends. 

 The fern that Monica kept next to her television screen in the living room made the space look so modern and effortless!

Ferns are perfect for adding texture and an added layer of interest to otherwise plain rooms – they can really liven up any space with its bushy foliage.

Try to keep it a few feet away from a window, as direct sunlight might sunburn its leaves. 

You can find ferns in small or large pots, so purchase one that fits the space you have.

Asparagus ferns are especially popular for office spaces that get little to no exposure to natural sunlight.

Use it as home decor or try placing it next to your television screen, the way Monica did!

5. Peace Lily

If you crave a flowering plant that you can’t take your eyes off, then you need to get your hands on a Peace Lily plant!

Peace Lilies produce long-lasting blooms (usually white) that grow among glossy and deep-green foliage.

Unlike Anthuriums, which need plenty of indirect sunlight to produce blooms, Peace Lilies do best in shady areas.

White Peace Lily’s can blend in with any decor, which makes them an easy plant to grow in a low light office or house.

6. Spider Plants
Spider plants are low-maintenance and beloved for their long, arched leaves.  

They can adapt to different growing conditions and are really easy to keep alive, so they’re perfect for beginners.

The green leaves on a spider plant are variegated with a creamy white, which makes them even more aesthetically interesting.

If you have a modern home or office space, spider plants are a perfect choice, along with snake plants and ferns.

Spider plants are low-light plants that enjoy moist soil that is never soggy, but well-drained, so make sure you keep a watering can handy. 

7. Bromeliads

If you love tropical plants, get yourself a Bromeliad! Bromeliads love low light conditions so they’ll thrive in an office environment and serve as beautiful decorative accents.

Place them around darker areas of your home to liven up drab spaces.

You can find bromeliads in colors ranging from orange and yellow, to pink and red. This low-light indoor plant will make you think you’re on a tropical vacation!

8. Dumb Cane (Diiffenbachia)

If you want a houseplant that features beautiful, glossy leaves that grow upright, try your hand at a dumb cane plant.

It’s an absolutely beautiful plant that can fill in boring spaces with its round shape and deep-green color.

Dumb canes won’t clash with your decor and can they’ll blend seamlessly in virtually any space.

If you want to keep it simple, opt for a dumb plant and a pothos plant. 

9. Palmer Palm

If you’re a fan of palms trees, then you’ll be happy to know that you can grow a small palm variety indoors!

Palmer plants are native to rainforests so they’re perfect for low-light conditions. It’s almost hard to believe that such an exotic-looking plant can thrive indoors, but it can.

Your home will provide perfect conditions for this low light indoor plant.

Plant a palmer palm in a white pot to make it an even more striking decorative piece in your home! 

10. Weeping Fig Ficus Plant

Ficus plants are one of my favorite houseplants. I love that it thrives in low light conditions because it means I can stick it in areas of my home that aren’t right next to a window.

My mom has a large weeping gif ficus plant that she’s been growing for years in a corner of her office.

She grows it in her office kitchen, several feet away from direct sunlight and the plant has been thriving for at least a decade now! 

Ficus plants make for beautiful indoor plants and they’re very adaptable. They look delicate but boy are they resilient!

This list should give you all the low-light indoor plant ideas you need to fill and decorate your home or office with live plants that won’t wither away after a few weeks.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll never be able to keep a plant because you have little access to sunlight!

With proper care, these low-light indoor plants can thrive for several years, even decades. 

For more information on indoor posts, head over to these posts: 

How to Grow a Pothos Plant
How to Grow Anthuriums
How to Grow a Snake Plant
Succulents 101: How to Properly Care for Succulents