Some of the most colorful and easy-care indoor plants thrive in low-light conditions. Use them to add color and life to every room in your home! Check out our top picks for darker rooms and stuffy offices.
Philodendron, Heartleaf
One of the most popular houseplants in the world, heartleaf philodendron is super tolerant of dark interiors. This fast-growing vine works amazingly well in hanging baskets. All you have to do to keep this hearty plant alive is water it when the soil feels dry to the touch. Look for newer varieties featuring vibrant colors such as ‘Brasil’ with stunning gold-and-green variegated foliage or ‘Micans’ that has purple flushed leaves and a gorgeous satinlike texture.
ZZ Plant
Are you looking for a houseplant that tolerates dark corners and neglect? Check out ZZ plant, Zamioculcas zamiifolia. This African native will do just fine even if it’s only getting fluorescent light in an office or especially low-light room. It also tolerates dry conditions, so it’s ideal for someone who travels frequently. ZZ plant looks great, too; it produces upright, slightly arching stems covered in shiny, dark green leaves. Water ZZ plant when the top inch of soil dries out.
Parlor Palm
A popular plant since the Victorian era, parlor palm, Chamaedorea elegans, is a slow-growing plant that does well in low-light situations. It grows 4 feet tall and makes a bold statement in any room. Parlor palm only needs to be watered when the soil feels dry to the touch, but it does help to mist the plants once in awhile during the winter.
Boston Fern
Boston ferns, Nephrolepis exaltata, have played a long-time and key role in interior design. These gorgeous plants grow bright green fronds that look great in urns or baskets. Boston ferns thrive in partially shady indoor and outdoor locations away from cold drafts or heat ducts. Water plant whenever the soil feels dry to the touch, and mist often during the winter to minimize leaf drop.
Gloxinia
While Gloxinia can’t survive in a completely dark room, it will bloom great in rooms it can receive bright, indirect light away from full sun. Simply water whenever the soil feels dry to the touch. Use warm water and avoid getting the foliage wet. You can also help it survive by feeding once a month with a houseplant fertilizer while the plant is in bloom.
Corn Plant
Corn plant, Dracaena fragrans, produces strapping leaves that bear a strong resemblance to, you guessed it, sweet corn. The plants grow 3-6 feet tall and thrive in low light. Corn plants are sold both in bush form or on tall, architecturally interesting bare canes.
Peace Lily
Peace lily is the queen of easy and elegant houseplants. This low-light houseplant has pure white flower spaths on tall stems. Peace lily also has shiny green foliage that looks great even out of bloom. Often sold under its botanic name, Spathiphyllum, peace lily makes a relatively easy to care for houseplant. It does, however, require regular watering and will wilt dramatically if allowed to dry out completely.
Ponytail Palm
Perfect for any room in your home or business, ponytail palm, Beaucarnea recurvata, is virtually indestructible! It’s a fascinating and unusual plant with long curling leaves sprouting from a wide and interesting-looking base that gives this plant it’s other common name, elephant’s foot palm. If you travel a lot, ponytail palm is ideal because the plant stores excess water in its large base, so it can go for several weeks without being watered. Best of all, ponytail palms are sold in a variety of heights from tabletop to tree-size.