Low Light Houseplants: 24 Plants for a Dim Room or Corner
Snake plant, ZZ plant, cast iron plant and peace lily top five low-light lists from extension services and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Low light means a north window or a spot bright enough to read a newspaper (University of Minnesota). Water less in dim rooms, and check the ASPCA listing if you have pets.
Sources: University of Minnesota Extension, University of Maryland Extension, Illinois Extension, Chicago Botanic Garden and 5 more. See the sources we used. How we source our guides
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The low light houseplants extension services name most often are snake plant, ZZ plant, cast iron plant and peace lily, followed by pothos, philodendron and Chinese evergreen. Most are foliage plants from shady forest floors. Low light still means some light: the University of Minnesota's rule of thumb is a spot bright enough to read a newspaper, such as a north window.
We read five low-light lists from university extension services and a botanical garden, then counted how often each plant comes up. This guide covers what counts as low light, the plants the lists agree on, watering and feeding in a dim room, the signs a plant wants more light, grow lights, and which of these plants the ASPCA lists as toxic to pets. It also covers dieffenbachia, and it links our care guides for pothos, wandering jew plant and money trees.
What counts as low light?
Low light is a spot with little or no direct sun, not a dark one. The University of Minnesota Extension places low-light plants in a north-facing window or a dim corner of a room, and notes that low light is often defined, loosely, as enough light to read a newspaper by. It adds that these plants evolved as understory plants, growing beneath the branches of larger ones. Maryland Grows, a University of Maryland Extension blog, makes the same point from the other side: the dim floor of a jungle still gets far more light than most homes do.
The sources do not draw the line in the same place. The table sets their definitions side by side.
| Source | Low light means | Measured as |
|---|---|---|
| University of Minnesota Extension | A north-facing window or a dim corner; little to no direct sun | 50 to 250 foot-candles |
| University of Maryland Extension | North-facing windows, or rooms lit by lamps | 25 to 100 foot-candles |
| Maryland Grows (University of Maryland) | Medium to low light in a north-facing window | Not given |
| Illinois Extension | Near an east or north window, or several feet back from any window without direct sun | Not given |
| Chicago Botanic Garden | A drab corner; winter sun through glass is weaker and shorter than in summer | Not given |
For scale, the University of Maryland Extension puts the peak of direct outdoor sun at about 10,000 foot-candles. The real disagreement is the east window: Illinois Extension counts the space near one as low light, while Minnesota and Maryland both class east windows as medium light. Our reading: a north window, a room lit mainly by lamps, or a spot several feet back from any window is low light by every source here.
Shade from outside counts too. Illinois Extension notes that big shade trees, a porch roof or overhang, curtains and blinds, or a building next door can leave a window with little to no sunlight.
Which houseplants grow in low light?
Five lists, five slightly different answers. The University of Minnesota names 16 low-light plants; the other four name fewer, and three of them add a plant or two the others leave out. The table counts which list names which plant, ours being a simple tally, not a ranking by any of the sources.
| Plant | Named for low light by | Lists |
|---|---|---|
| Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata, formerly Sansevieria) | Minnesota, Maryland, Maryland Grows, Illinois, Chicago Botanic | 5 |
| ZZ plant (Zamioculcas) | Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, Chicago Botanic | 4 |
| Cast iron plant (Aspidistra) | Minnesota, Maryland, Illinois, Chicago Botanic | 4 |
| Peace lily (Spathiphyllum) | Minnesota, Maryland, Maryland Grows, Illinois | 4 |
| Pothos (Epipremnum) | Minnesota, Maryland Grows, Illinois | 3 |
| Philodendron | Minnesota, Maryland Grows, Illinois | 3 |
| Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) | Minnesota, Maryland Grows, Illinois | 3 |
| Parlor palm (Chamaedorea) | Minnesota, Chicago Botanic | 2 |
| Kentia palm (Howea) | Minnesota, Chicago Botanic | 2 |
| Lady palm (Rhapis excelsa) | Minnesota, Chicago Botanic | 2 |
| Dracaena | Minnesota, Maryland Grows | 2 |
| Spider plant (Chlorophytum) | Illinois, Chicago Botanic | 2 |
| Peperomia | Illinois, Chicago Botanic | 2 |
| Dumb cane (Dieffenbachia) | Minnesota | 1 |
| Ponytail palm, English ivy, Homalomena, arrowhead plant (Syngonium) | Minnesota | 1 |
| Bamboo palm, prayer plant, staghorn ferns, spiderwort | Illinois | 1 |
| Resurrection plant (Selaginella) | Maryland | 1 |
| Fishtail palm (Caryota) | Chicago Botanic | 1 |
Two of these sit on the line between low and medium light. The University of Minnesota lists spider plant and peperomia as medium-light plants, along with rubber plant, and the University of Maryland Extension puts Chinese evergreen and dracaena in its medium-bright group for east or west windows. Expect those to grow better a little closer to the glass.
The University of Minnesota also notes that most low-light plants earn their place with leaves rather than blooms. Peace lily is the exception the Maryland Grows blog points to, as one of the few houseplants that blooms in a dim room.
Snake plant
Illinois Extension describes snake plant as tolerant of neglect and tough conditions, typically three to four feet tall, and able to cope with a room that gets very little daylight as well as a bright one. Let the soil dry out completely between waterings. The Chicago Botanic Garden says it grows slowly in dim light, tolerates being root-bound and dry conditions, and that its most frequent problem is too much water.
ZZ plant
The Chicago Botanic Garden gives ZZ plant a height and spread of 2 to 4 feet and explains that its fleshy rhizomes store water, which makes it highly drought tolerant. In winter it gives a deep watering once or twice a month, letting the soil dry between waterings. Illinois Extension grows it in low, indirect light or under fluorescent lights where a room has little natural light, waters it once dry, every two to three weeks on average, and warns that every part of the plant is poisonous.
Cast iron plant
The Chicago Botanic Garden calls cast iron plant a favorite of Victorian parlors that thrives in low light and shrugs off neglect, a fit, it says, for an indoor gardener who might be a bit forgetful. Newer cultivars carry gold, cream or yellow speckles.
Peace lily
Maryland Grows says peace lily can reach 2 to 4 feet tall indoors and singles it out as a rare houseplant that blooms in low light. It drinks more than most houseplants and wilts fast when left dry for too long. The University of Maryland Extension adds a caution: a peace lily wilts when it needs water, but plants can also wilt when overwatered, so check the soil before you pour.
Pothos and philodendron
Both are trailing vines. Maryland Grows says philodendron does best in bright light yet tolerates low light, and that pinching the tips regularly keeps it compact. Pothos has yellow or off-white variegation, but in very dim light that yellow fades and the leaves turn green, by the same blog's account. Our pothos care guide covers light, watering, pruning and rooting cuttings.
Chinese evergreen and dracaena
Maryland Grows likes Chinese evergreen for its silver or gray-green markings and cuts back overgrown stems to keep the plant compact. It describes most dracaenas as under four feet tall, though some can reach eight, and says they like their soil kept on the dry side and are very tolerant of lower light.
Palms
Most tropical palms need bright light, Illinois Extension says, but bamboo palm is the exception; it grows best at 65 to 75 F with high humidity. The Chicago Botanic Garden adds kentia, parlor, lady and fishtail palms for low-light corners. Its writer keeps a spray bottle nearby to mist the palms once or twice a week, and waters when the soil's top inch or so has dried.
Spider plant and peperomia
The Chicago Botanic Garden says all spider plants tolerate low light indoors, and the baby plants on their arching stems can be cut off and rooted in water or soilless mix. Peperomia, the radiator plant, tolerates hard conditions and does especially well in a humid bathroom; keep its soil on the moist side but never soggy.
Dieffenbachia (dumb cane) in low light
Dieffenbachia is on the University of Minnesota's low-light list, and NC State Extension's plant database says it prefers indirect light and needs protection from direct sunlight and cold drafts. NC State describes an upright plant that reaches 3 to 8 feet in height and spreads 2 to 3 feet, grown for large leaves blotched with cream, white or yellow; as a houseplant it rarely flowers. Water thoroughly, then let the top 1 inch of soil dry completely before watering again, which NC State says helps prevent root rot. It propagates by division or by stem or root cuttings.
Handle it with care: NC State rates its poison severity high, a step above pothos (medium). The common name dumbcane, NC State explains, refers to the numbing, paralyzing effect of its sap on the vocal cords of people and pets that eat it. NC State warns it may kill pets and livestock, and the NYBG warns the swelling it causes can stop breathing. The ASPCA lists dieffenbachia as toxic to dogs and cats. Wear gloves when you handle or cut it, and keep it out of reach of children and pets.
Dieffenbachia is easy to confuse with Chinese evergreen. NC State's tip is to count the main side veins on a leaf: Aglaonema usually shows 5 to 8, while dieffenbachia shows more than 8, usually around 20 to 30. Pests to watch for, NC State says, are aphids, fungus gnats, scale, spider mites and whiteflies; see our guides to fungus gnats and aphids.
Watering and feeding in low light
Less light means less water. The University of Minnesota says plants in low light grow slower and need less water, and it avoids overwatering by feeling the soil. Maryland Grows says the same and adds that all houseplants use less water in winter. In our reading, a dim room plus winter is when most low-light plants get overwatered.
The sources check the soil at different depths. The University of Maryland Extension pushes a finger about two inches into the mix, and if it is dry, the plant probably needs water; it never waters on a schedule. UW-Madison Extension feels about one inch down. Either way, water until it drains from the bottom, let the pot drain, and empty the saucer: Maryland says never let a houseplant sit in water, and UW-Madison drains the saucer after 10 to 20 minutes.
Salts build up from fertilizer and from the minerals dissolved in tap water. The University of Maryland suggests leaching every four to six months by running at least twice the pot's volume of water through the mix, and lists brown leaf tips and dropping lower leaves among the symptoms of salt buildup.
Feed lightly, if at all, in a dim room. The University of Maryland Extension skips fertilizer in winter, when reduced light and cooler temperatures slow growth, and feeds from March through September; it says a monthly diluted liquid fertilizer in summer will keep most plants healthy, and that too much fertilizer brings salt buildup and leggy growth. UW-Madison feeds only during active growth, which for most plants is spring to fall, and as a general rule once every one to two months.
Signs a plant needs more light
A low-light plant still needs light, and it shows when it is short. The University of Minnesota lists the signs:
- leaves can turn pale green, then yellow, then white;
- stems go leggy, long and thin, and stretch toward the light, with long gaps between leaf nodes;
- leaves may drop, especially older ones;
- a variegated plant may revert to solid green.
The University of Maryland Extension adds that a plant lit from one side can develop a lean and that leaf color can fade, and warns that houseplants that start out healthy can still fail when the light is too weak. Illinois Extension notes the slow growth of low-light plants makes it harder to confirm the light is right, so in our reading, judge new growth over weeks, not days.
Too much sun does damage as well. The University of Minnesota says too much light may scorch and bleach leaves, and the University of Maryland says leaves turn pale, brown and die under too much direct light; it shades summer sun with a sheer curtain or more distance from the glass.
If you must keep a plant somewhere too dim, Maryland Grows suggests rotating it: leave it in a bright spot for most of its time and give the dim spot no more than a couple of weeks at a stretch. The University of Minnesota also points out that a plant may tolerate low light yet need more to grow dense foliage.
Two popular houseplants on our guide list want more light than the plants above. Wandering jew plant (Tradescantia zebrina) can lose its lower leaves and some of its color in low light, NC State and UW-Madison say. Money tree (Pachira aquatica) puts up with some light shade by the NYBG's account, but may slowly decline in poor light. Their guides below say where each grows best.
Grow lights for a dark room
When a room has too little daylight, a grow light fills the gap. The University of Minnesota likes LEDs for being very energy efficient, long-lasting and cool-running. For foliage houseplants it sets the light 12 to 24 inches above the leaves and, where daylight is short, gives them 12 to 14 hours of total light, switched by a timer. The NYBG's figure, for most plants that also see some daylight, is the same 12 to 14 hours, and it says some plants can need more than 16 hours when natural light is scarce; it uses full-spectrum bulbs made for plants. The University of Maryland caps the total at 16 hours a day, since most plants need a period of darkness.
Our pick for a low-light plant on a shelf or desk
Best for: A snake plant or ZZ plant on a shelf
SANSI Clip-On Grow Light with Two Heads
- Mounts: Clip-on
- Bulbs: Two 10 W heads
- Height above the leaves: 12 to 24 inches
Two lamp heads on one clip, bent toward the plant 12 to 24 inches above it.
For one or two low-light plants on a shelf or desk, we pick a SANSI clip-on grow light with two 10 W heads that bend on goosenecks toward the plant. Keep it 12 to 24 inches above the leaves, the range given above for foliage houseplants.
Are low light houseplants safe for cats and dogs?
Many are not. Several plants on these lists contain insoluble calcium oxalates, which the ASPCA links to mouth irritation, drooling and vomiting in pets. The table gives the ASPCA's listing for the plants we could check and adds the NYBG's list of houseplants that are poisonous to people.
| Plant | What the listing says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Spider plant | Non-toxic to dogs and cats | ASPCA |
| Parlor palm | Non-toxic to dogs and cats | ASPCA |
| Cast iron plant | Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses | ASPCA |
| Peperomia (baby rubber plant) | Non-toxic to dogs and cats | ASPCA |
| Money tree | Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA); a problem for cats, with mild to moderate stomach upset (NC State) | ASPCA, NC State |
| Snake plant (mother-in-law's tongue) | Toxic to dogs and cats (saponins) | ASPCA |
| Peace lily | Toxic to dogs and cats (insoluble calcium oxalates) | ASPCA, NYBG |
| Golden pothos | Toxic to dogs and cats (insoluble calcium oxalates) | ASPCA, NYBG |
| Heartleaf philodendron | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (insoluble calcium oxalates) | ASPCA, NYBG |
| Chinese evergreen | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (insoluble calcium oxalates) | ASPCA |
| Dieffenbachia | Toxic to dogs and cats (insoluble calcium oxalates, proteolytic enzyme) | ASPCA, NYBG |
| Inch plant (Tradescantia fluminensis) | Toxic to dogs, cats and horses (dermatitis) | ASPCA |
| Arrowhead vine (Syngonium) | All plant parts contain calcium oxalate | NYBG |
| English ivy (Hedera) | Hederin, a saponin, in the leaves and berries | NYBG |
| ZZ plant | Every part of the plant is poisonous | Illinois Extension |
Of the low-light plants the lists agree on most, cast iron plant is the one the ASPCA lists as non-toxic; spider plant, parlor palm and peperomia join it. If a pet may have eaten part of a plant, the ASPCA's advice is to ring its Animal Poison Control Center, (888) 426-4435, or a veterinarian; it says a consultation fee may apply. The NYBG lists 1-800-222-1222, the national poison control number, for people.
Our low light houseplant guides
- Pothos care: the trailing vine three of our five lists name for low light, with watering, pruning, propagation and the varieties that hold their color in dim rooms.
- Wandering jew plant (inch plant): a fast trailing plant with striped leaves that wants bright light indoors and roots easily from cuttings.
- Money tree care: the braided Pachira aquatica, which wants bright, filtered light and can drop leaves after a move or a cold draft.
What you'll need for low light houseplants
Picks on Amazon
- SANSI Clip-On Grow Light with Two Heads Check price on Amazon
Sources we used
We saved each of these pages on the day we read it, October 29, 2026; the plant tally above is our own count of the five low-light lists.
- "University of Minnesota Extension: Lighting for indoor plants and starting seeds" (reviewed 2026)
- "University of Maryland Extension: Lighting for Indoor Plants" "Watering Indoor Plants" and "Fertilizer for Indoor Plants" (all updated 2023)
- "University of Maryland Extension, Maryland Grows: Houseplants for Low Light Conditions" (2017)
- "Illinois Extension: Brighten up dim interiors with low-light houseplants" (2023)
- "Chicago Botanic Garden: Denizens of the Dark: Indoor Plants for Low-Light Spaces"
- "UW-Madison Extension: Houseplant Care" (revised 2024) and its Tradescantia zebrina page
- NC State Extension Plant Toolbox: "Dieffenbachia seguine", "Tradescantia zebrina" and "Pachira aquatica"
- New York Botanical Garden: "Artificial Light for Houseplants FAQ", "Common Poisonous Houseplants" and "Money Tree (Pachira)"
- ASPCA Animal Poison Control plant listings: golden pothos, dieffenbachia, money tree, inch plant, spider plant, parlor palm, cast iron plant, baby rubber plant, peace lily, mother-in-law's tongue, heartleaf philodendron and Chinese evergreen
- The maker's page for the SANSI 2-head clip-on grow light (its own specifications)
Related guides
- Pothos care, the low-light vine three of our lists agree on.
- Wandering jew plant, a trailing houseplant for a brighter window.
- Money tree care, a braided houseplant for bright, filtered light.
- Fungus gnats, the small flies that breed in damp houseplant mix.
- Starting seeds indoors, with more on grow lights and timers.
- Herbs, for a sunny windowsill rather than a dim one.
- Grow lights for indoor plants, six picks by room, with how far to hang each and for how long.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best low light houseplants?
In our count of five extension and botanical garden lists, snake plant appears on all five; ZZ plant, cast iron plant and peace lily on four; and pothos, philodendron and Chinese evergreen on three. Each suits a north-facing window or a dim corner. Of those seven, cast iron plant is the only one we found on the ASPCA's non-toxic list.
What counts as low light for a houseplant?
The University of Minnesota Extension says low light is often described, loosely, as bright enough to read a newspaper: a north-facing window or a shadowy corner, at 50 to 250 foot-candles. The University of Maryland Extension puts it at 25 to 100 foot-candles: north-facing windows or rooms lit by lamps. Low-light plants need little to no direct sun.
Can a houseplant live in a room with no windows?
Some can with help. The University of Maryland counts rooms lit only by lamps as low light, and Illinois Extension says ZZ plant grows under fluorescent lighting where a room has little natural light. For a dark room, the University of Minnesota has grow lights on a timer for 12 to 14 hours of light a day, 12 to 24 inches above foliage plants.
How often should you water low light plants?
Less often than plants in bright light, and by feel rather than by date. The University of Minnesota says low-light plants grow slower and need less water. Feel the mix first: the University of Maryland checks about two inches down. Illinois Extension waters ZZ plant once it is dry, every two to three weeks on average.
Is dieffenbachia a low light plant?
Yes. The University of Minnesota lists dumb cane (Dieffenbachia) among its low-light plants, and NC State Extension says it prefers indirect light, away from direct sun and cold drafts. Let the top inch of soil dry between waterings. It is toxic: the ASPCA lists it as toxic to dogs and cats, and NC State rates its poison severity high.
Which low light houseplants are safe for cats and dogs?
Of the plants on these lists, the ASPCA lists cast iron plant, spider plant, parlor palm and peperomia (baby rubber plant) as non-toxic to dogs and cats. It lists snake plant, peace lily, pothos, philodendron, Chinese evergreen and dieffenbachia as toxic. If a pet chews a plant, call the ASPCA poison control line or your veterinarian.
Do low light plants need a grow light?
Not if they sit in a north window or a spot bright enough to read in. The University of Minnesota notes that a plant may tolerate low light yet need more to grow dense foliage. For a dark corner or a windowless room, an LED grow light on a timer fills the gap; the NYBG notes that with little natural light, plants can need more than 16 hours.