Low Light Houseplants

What is low light, really?

Low light for houseplants means 25–100 foot-candles of illumination. Most interior US home spaces fall in this range, but many rooms — especially windowless bathrooms, hallways, and rooms more than 10 feet from any window — measure below 25 foot-candles, which is too dim for any houseplant to grow without supplemental lighting.

“Low light” is one of the most misunderstood terms in houseplant care. It does not mean “away from direct sunlight” or “in the back of the room.” It is a measurable quantity.

You can measure light in your home for free using a smartphone app. Search “light meter” on iOS or Android and download any of the top results. Hold your phone face-up at plant level and take a reading. A reading of 50 foot-candles means your spot is in the middle of the low-light range. A reading of 10 foot-candles means even the toughest low-light plants will struggle to grow there.

Understanding these numbers changes how you shop for and place houseplants:

Most “low light” plant labels sold at US garden centers assume 50–100 foot-candles. Below that, even the most tolerant plants stop growing and eventually decline.

The most tolerant low-light houseplants

These plants are verified to survive and grow at 25–100 foot-candles in US extension service and university indoor plant trials.

Snake plant (Sansevieria/Dracaena trifasciata)

Snake plants are the standard against which all low-light tolerance is measured. They survive at 25 foot-candles for months. Growth is very slow — one to two new leaves per year — but the plant stays alive and maintains its appearance.

They also tolerate irregular watering, making them ideal for low-traffic rooms where watering is easy to forget. Water every 2–3 weeks in low light conditions, even less in winter. Root rot from overwatering kills more snake plants than inadequate light does.

Varieties for low light: ‘Laurentii’ (yellow-edged), ‘Moonshine’ (silver-gray), ‘Black Gold’ (dark green with yellow margins). Compact varieties like ‘Hahnii’ (bird’s nest snake plant) are well suited for tabletop displays.

ZZ plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

ZZ plants are the other top-tier low-light performer. Their waxy, dark leaves reflect available light efficiently. They grow from thick rhizomes that store water, making them extremely forgiving of missed waterings in low-light environments.

Growth in low light is slow — typically 2–4 new stems per year. In medium light, the same plant might produce 8–12 new stems. But unlike many other houseplants, ZZ plants in low light look good even when growing slowly. They do not become leggy or drop leaves in the way pothos and philodendrons do.

ZZ plants are toxic to humans and pets if ingested — wear gloves when handling and keep them away from pets and children who might chew on plants.

Pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

Pothos tolerate low light well but show the compromise more visibly than snake plants or ZZ plants. In low light, pothos produce smaller, paler, less variegated leaves. The golden or marble variegation in ‘Golden Pothos’ and ‘Marble Queen’ fades to mostly green in low-light conditions — the plant requires more chlorophyll to compensate for reduced light.

That said, pothos grow even in low-light offices and windowless rooms under fluorescent lighting. They are reliable and fast-growing enough in medium light that even a slow-growing pothos in low light stays attractive.

For full care instructions including watering schedules and propagation, see our Pothos: Care and Growing Guide.

Cast iron plant (Aspidistra elatior)

Named for its toughness, the cast iron plant genuinely tolerates the lowest light of any common US houseplant. It survives at 15–25 foot-candles — the absolute floor of what supports plant life. Growth is extremely slow even in optimal conditions (one to two new leaves per month), and in low light it may produce only a handful of new leaves per year.

Cast iron plants are not dramatic or fast-changing — they are maintenance-free, long-lived, and tolerant of conditions that would kill other plants. A well-positioned cast iron plant can live for decades with minimal attention.

Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)

Chinese evergreens tolerate low light and offer the widest range of leaf colors of any low-light plant category. Varieties range from all-green to variegated green-white, silver-green, and in medium light, pink or red-tinted cultivars.

One important caveat: the pink and red Aglaonema cultivars (‘Red Siam’, ‘Siam Aurora’, ‘Pink Moon’) need medium to bright indirect light to maintain their color. In low light, the color fades to green. If color retention matters, choose green or silver varieties for low-light spots.

Aglaonemas prefer temperatures above 60°F. They are not suitable for drafty rooms or near air conditioning vents — cold air causes brown leaf edges.

Medium-light plants often labeled as “low light”

Many plants labeled “low light” in US garden centers actually require medium light (100–500 foot-candles) to grow well. They survive in low light but decline over time — slowly replacing old healthy leaves with smaller, weaker ones.

Peace lily (Spathiphyllum): Often recommended for low light, and it does survive there. But peace lilies bloom only in medium to bright indirect light. In low light, a peace lily stays green but never flowers. If you want it to bloom, place it within 4 feet of a window.

Philodendrons: Heartleaf philodendron (P. hederaceum) tolerates low light better than most philodendrons. Larger-leaved varieties like Philodendron gloriosum need medium to bright indirect light. In low light, most philodendrons grow slowly and develop smaller, paler leaves over time.

Dracaenas (Dracaena marginata, D. fragrans): These tolerate low light better than average, but “low light” for dracaenas means the high end of the range (75–100 foot-candles). Below that, they decline slowly.

Monstera deliciosa: Monsteras are medium to bright indirect light plants. They survive in low light but do not produce fenestrations (the characteristic holes in the leaves) without adequate light. In low light, new leaves are small and unfenestrated. For full Monstera care, see our Monstera Adansonii guide.

Low-light plants for specific situations

Best plants for north-facing windows

North-facing windows provide consistent indirect light — typically 100–300 foot-candles depending on window size and time of year. This is the ideal range for most low-light plants and comfortable for medium-light plants.

Best choices: pothos, Chinese evergreens, snake plants, ZZ plants, peace lilies, and cast iron plants. All of these perform well at a north window and look their best in that light range.

North-facing windows in US homes face away from direct sun but receive sky light throughout the day. This is not “low light” in the strictest sense — it is better described as medium-low light, where the widest range of houseplants can succeed.

Best plants for offices with fluorescent lighting

Office fluorescent lighting typically measures 50–150 foot-candles at desk height — low to medium light for houseplants. Snake plants, ZZ plants, pothos, and Chinese evergreens all perform well under standard office fluorescent fixtures.

Placing plants within 3 feet of overhead lights increases the effective light level. Compact plants that sit on desk surfaces closer to ceiling lights get more light than floor plants.

For productivity spaces where plant maintenance needs to be minimal, snake plants and ZZ plants are the most forgiving of irregular office watering schedules.

Best plants for dark bathrooms

Dark bathrooms without windows typically measure 5–20 foot-candles — below the threshold for sustained houseplant growth. To keep plants alive in a windowless bathroom, you need a grow light.

A simple solution: place a full-spectrum LED grow bulb in an existing lamp fixture. A 9W LED bulb positioned 12 inches above plants provides approximately 50–100 foot-candles directly beneath it — enough for snake plants and ZZ plants to survive.

If you want plants in a bathroom with a window, choose based on the window direction. East-facing bathroom windows often provide 200–400 foot-candles in the morning — medium light, suitable for most houseplants. For a guide to what plants work in different bathroom conditions, see our Best Indoor Plants for Air Quality guide, which includes bathroom-specific recommendations.

Why overwatering kills low-light plants

Plants in low light photosynthesize slowly and grow slowly. Slow growth means slow water use. A pothos in a bright window might need water every 7–10 days. The same plant in a low-light spot might need water every 18–21 days.

The mistake: watering on a fixed schedule regardless of light conditions. Water given faster than the plant uses it stays in the soil, creating anaerobic conditions that promote root rot fungi.

How to water low-light plants correctly: Check the soil before every watering. Insert a finger 2 inches into the soil. Water only when the top 2 inches are dry. For low-light plants, this may mean watering every 2–3 weeks in winter and every 10–14 days in summer, depending on pot size, soil type, and room humidity.

Terracotta pots help — they breathe and allow soil to dry faster than plastic or ceramic, reducing the risk of root rot in low-light situations.

Low-light plants compared: a quick reference

For more on which common houseplants are safe or toxic to pets, see our Monstera Adansonii guide and our Easy Plant guide for a broader houseplant overview with pet safety notes.

The University of Vermont Extension provides one of the best publicly available guides on indoor plant light requirements, with specific foot-candle recommendations for dozens of common houseplants — a useful reference for anyone setting up a low-light space.