30 Houseplants That Can Survive Low Light

The split-leaf philodendron only needs a couple hours of indirect light each day, making it a great contender for livening up a darker corner of your space. It also comes with health benefits: These plants are natural humidifiers and detoxifiers, so your new greenery will literally help you breathe better.

Looking for something small to spruce up your desk decor? Try this bamboo plant. It comes in a chic ceramic pot and barely requires any water or light to grow tall and strong.

With its lighter color and smaller size, this version of a peperomia makes an easy styling piece for a mantel or bookcase. Because it’s low-maintenance (it doesn’t need constant watering or direct light), you can use it to fill an empty, hard-to-reach corner without worrying about it drying out.

If you’ve ever dreamed of having a palm tree as part of your decor, look no further. It might not be quite as tall as the ones in Beverly Hills, but it’s way cuter (and easier to maintain).

Nicknamed the “happy plant,” the aralia can be counted on even in the low light of winter. Just make sure it avoids direct sunlight and water it weekly.

This pet-friendly, low-maintenance, and basically beginner-proof plant is perfect for rookie plant parents—it thrives in shade so you won’t even need to free up space in front of the window.

This plant (a.k.a. Pothos) gets its name from the fact that it grows vines even in the worst conditions. That can be bad if it’s planted outdoors where it can choke out other plants, but for growing inside, it’s perfect.

Nerve plants, or fittonia, prefer brighter light, but they can handle low light quite well—although more colorful varieties might look a little less bright with less sun, according to Costa Farms.

This whimsical, Dr. Seuss-like plant can be an adorably small tabletop plant or a full-on tree, but in any case, it’s adaptable enough to survive in just about any light levels.

Don’t let the sad name turn you off. This quick-growing tree adds some life to any room in the house, and requires little more than the occasional trim and some regular watering.

Didn’t expect to find a tropical plant on this list? This houseplant can actually survive on florescent light alone (!) and thrives in humid conditions, like bathrooms.

Since this plant is one of the most durable indoor plants (it does quite well in low light) and only needs to be fertilized once or twice a year, it’s ideal for beginner gardeners.

This succulent is pretty tame (read: easy!) when it comes to maintenance. More light will help it grow, but it can tolerate darkness—just watch out for root rot caused by overwatering.

According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, these beautiful, flowering tropical plants are very tolerant of low light, they just won’t flower as much without as much sun.

This cute little plant with its thick, spoon-shaped leaves is both pet-friendly and low-light tolerant. In fact too much intense sunlight can hurt this variety.

This pretty, pink-and-green plant is as low-maintenance as they come, and while its colors will show even more in brighter light, it’ll thrive in low light, too.

Like some of the other colorful plants on this list, the oyster plant thrives—and will show its purple hue—more in brighter light, but it’s a low maintenance plant that can handle lower light, too.

This plant, also known as the victorian parlor palm, is famously resilient. Those pretty feathery leaves liven up any bland corner of your home. It does well in medium light, though can survive in lower light areas. It’s cousin, the majesty palm, is another great option.

Filtered light is best for this plant. Try using a curtain as a barrier between it and the sun, especially during the the spring and summer when the plant is producing new, tender leaves.

With thick, waxy green leaves, the ZZ adds colors and lushness without being too high maintenance at all.

Spiky leaves that grow upwards and have a red outline make these plants totally stunning. But too much direct sunlight can damage them, so give this plant some sun and some shade.

The sweetheart plant (a nickname given because of the shape of its glossy leaves) can stand dim rooms, but requires pinching to prevent it from growing in long, single stems.

This plant’s adaptability makes it super easy to grow and therefore, super popular. Plus, it’s easy to breed and share with others. It can stand up to a lot of neglect and will thrive in indirect light.

The staghorn fern thrives in high-humidity environments with indirect light. This makes them great shower plants.

The fun ripple edges give the bird’s nest fern a unique, fun look. It’s also a pet-friendly plant. It thrives in medium indirect light but can usually tolerate low indirect light.

With light and dark flecks, the colorful calathea adds an extra punch to you indoor plant lineup. They like medium to low light. Not to mention, it’s nontoxic and pet safe.

If you want a larger indoor plant that can handle medium indirect light, opt for the money tree. The braided tree trunk sets it apart, too.

Full, bright, and wide neon leaves, this option is a lovely low-maintenance indoor plant. And it offers more than just good looks, removing benzene, formaldehyde, xylene, and toluene from the air.

Though these are more vibrant and colorful with deep red, purple swirls throughout the leaves when in direct, bright light, they can still survive in lower light conditions.

As mentioned earlier, ferns are flexible, easy going plants. They can survive in a variety of conditions, from low to bright indirect light. And this variety can get quite large, but still keep its shape.