Our Favorite Low Light Plants
/Live in a cave? Want to add greenery to darker corners of your home? Or maybe you’re a vampire?
Whatever the reason- Let’s talk plants that work best in low light areas of your home
First, let’s go over what Low Light means here! All plants need some light, there isn’t a plant that can survive in total darkness for a long time so if you want a plant for your windowless office or bathroom keep in mind, you’ll need to move the plant into the light once in a while so it can soak up some rays. Low Light plants need less light, and less harsh light.
Morning sun is okay for a lot of low light plants or what we like to call “dappled” sun, “bright shade” or “indirect light.” Basically all of these are ways of saying the sun is not directly hitting the plant.
The picture here shows what Bright Indirect Light looks like.
The left side of this photo is getting some direct morning light from the window, while the other side is still getting a lot of light, just not directly.
Take a look at the photo below for some good examples of lighting. If you want to get real serious about it, you can even use the compass app on your phone to see which direction your windows face to determine if you get morning light or afternoon. East facing means morning light, while West of course would mean afternoon sun which is a bit harsher.
If you are having trouble determining what your light situation is, take some photos and send us a message! We’re happy to help!
Not my photo but wonderfully illustrates light
Okay, now that you can identify what kind of light you have in your home let’s get to the good stuff! Our favorite low light plants! In no particular order, these are the most common ones we recommend mostly based on the amount of care required. We try to stick to easy, low maintenance plants because life is hard enough and we don’t got that kind of time.
Snake Plants - Sansevieria
Ivy - Hedera
Nerve Plants - Fittonia
Snake Plants - Sansevieria
Pothos - Epipremnum aureum
Ferns - Polypodiopsida
ZZ Plants - Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Prayer Plants - Calathea
Philodendrons
Spider Plants - Chlorophytum comosum
Polka Dot Plants - Hypoestes phyllostachya
Snake Plants are often called Plants of Steel. I don’t fully subscribe to that. We should call them; “Plants You Can Forget To Water”
You can most certainly kill a Snake Plant, they are not death proof. Over watering is the biggest reason these babies succumb. We recommend watering these guys about once a month. If you are someone who forgets about your plants all the time, this is the dude for you.
Marbled Pothos
Philodendron - Heart Eyes for Heart Shaped Leaves
Want Something That Vines? Try A Pothos or a Philodendron
Both of these beautiful vining plants come in varieties with awesome variations like the Marble Pothos. While there are 100’s of Philodendron varieties, the smaller heart shaped leaves of these vines just make me swoon. These pretties don’t need a lot of fussin’ - water them about once every 7-14 days. The leaves will start to curl or droop when they need water.
ZZ Plant - Zamioculcas zamiifolia
Meet ZZ Plant! Another one known for being hard to kill. Just like the Snake Plant, you can easily kill these guys with over watering. Another plant that’s great for us forgetful folks. Water this baby about 1-2x a month.
Fittonia - Nerve Plant
Talk about a DIVA PLANT! This beautiful, high maintenance fancy pants Fittonia is actually perfect for new plant parents.
Need a plant with training wheels? This is her.
Fittonias or Nerve Plants need water pretty often but it’s needs will depend on where’s she’s at in your home. For example, ours is located right under a vent so we have to water this lady about every 2-3 days. The nice thing about this diva is that she will let you know EXACTLY what she wants. Drooping leaves= more water. Loosing color= less light. She comes in beautiful pinks and red colors as well.
Still got questions? Don’t fret- we’re here for it.
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