The Best Plants for Low-Light Indoor Spaces

Not all of us have a home full of south-facing windows. If your home or that particular room gets little light, don't give up: some plants truly tolerate shade and still look good. Here are the best ones and how to care for them.

The low-light champions

Plant	Why it copes
ZZ plant	Rhizomes that store water; nearly indestructible
Snake plant	Tough; tolerates dark corners
Pothos	Climbs and adapts to almost any light
Peace lily	One of the few that blooms in low light
Fern	Used to the shade of the forest floor
Dracaena	Elegant and shade-tolerant

What "low light" means (and doesn't)

Important: low light isn't darkness. No plant lives without some light. "Low light" is:

• 6-10 feet from a window.
• North-facing windows.
• A bright room without direct sun.

If you couldn't read a book there during the day, it's too dark even for these plants. There, the solution is an LED grow light.

Tricks to keep them alive in low light

• Water even less: in low light, the plant grows slowly and uses little water. Overwatering is the biggest risk here.
• Clean the leaves often: in low light, every ray counts (see how to clean leaves).
• Rotate the pot for even growth.
• Rotate the plants: move one to a bright spot for a while and back to the dark area, alternating.

With the right plant and careful watering, even the shadiest corner can have greenery. Yours stretched or pale? It's usually a lack of light: try the AI diagnosis.