Not all parts of the world are as blessed as the tropical or southern parts of the world when it comes to sunlight! Some countries have gray and gloomy weather almost all year round. In some parts of the world, nights can last as long as 18 hours in certain months (like December in Oslo). But, should the locals give up on their houseplant hobbies? Of course not!
Even if you live in a relatively sun-rich part of the world, you might still miss out on direct sunlight due to high-rise buildings all around you, a lack of tall windows, or simply living in the basement. Sometimes, you’ve just got to make the best out of what you’ve got.
If you can relate to such scenarios, this chapter is for you! It lists 10 plants with exceptional low-light tolerance! They are;
- Lucky Bamboo
- Sago Palm
- Nerve Plant
- Dumb Cane
- King Begonia
- Baby Rubber Plant
- Staghorn Fern
- Swiss Cheese Plant
- Boston Fern
No matter where you live, you still see trees and greenery outdoors – right? That’s because life always finds a way to thrive, and so do these plants! Regardless of how little light you get inside your room or home, you can still grow plants indoors and reap their countless health and wellness benefits. Sure, you’ll have slightly limited options to choose from, but we’ve gathered an impressive list of low-light plants to make sure you don’t feel left out!
Let’s look at each of these special plants in detail.
1. Lucky Bamboo (Dracaena sanderiana)
The Lucky Bamboo plant originated in Africa and is now commonly found in businesses, offices, and homes all around the world. It’s rumored to bring the bearer some good fortune, hence the name “Lucky Bamboo.” While the plant could always use some indirect light, it can still survive and thrive in partial and complete shade. It’s the ideal companion for your work desk, whether or not it gets enough sunlight (if at all).
General Care
✿ Light
Prefers partial shade but also thrives in shady conditions.
✿ Soil
Well-drained soil or water.
✿ Watering
Use distilled or bottled water for your lucky bamboo and keep the soil moist. If growing in water, change your vase water at least once a week.
✿ Temperature
63 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the plant away from any potential sources of cold or hot drafts (windows, AC units, refrigerators, etc).
✿ Humidity
Average ambient humidity is fine for lucky bamboo.
✿ Fertilizer
Using only one drop of a liquid fertilizer every month is sufficient.
2. Sago Palm (Cycas Revoluta)
Ever thought you could fit a palm tree inside your home? Well, you can – at least a cuter, miniature version. Say hello to the Sago Palm! The plant is native to warm areas of southern China and Japan, and they’re commonly grown as houseplants in places with cooler climates. The plant is great at tolerating low-light conditions, which is why it deserves second place on this list.
General Care
✿ Light
The Sago Palm could use lots of direct sunlight but also comfortably thrives in partially shady conditions as well.
✿ Soil
Well-draining sandy soil.
✿ Watering
The plant has decent drought tolerance but prefers slightly moist soil. Feel free to top it off with some water whenever the soil feels a bit dry. Cut back on watering in the winter months.
✿ Temperature
65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Fertilizer
Use an 18-8-18 ratio liquid fertilizer once a month from spring to fall – i.e. the plant’s growing season.
✿ Pruning
Prune away leaves that have fully turned brown and leave the yellow ones intact.
3. Nerve Plant
Nerve plants love their sunlight, but are highly adaptable and also handle low-light conditions well. This plant’s most common variant is white, but it also comes in green, red, and pink varieties. Growing no taller than 3 to 6 inches, this plant is perfect for your desk – even if it gets little to no sunlight.
General Care
✿ Light
Part shade or filtered indirect sunlight.
✿ Soil
Well-drained, moist soil.
✿ Watering
The nerve plant has little to no drought resistance and can die from underwatering relatively easily. Make sure to keep the soil moist at all times and perform daily finger-poking tests on the soil to make sure that the top inch or two doesn’t dry out.
✿ Temperature
Around 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
60% to 70%.
✿ Fertilizer
Feed your nerve plants weekly during the growing season with a 50% diluted dose of a 5-5-5 tropical plant liquid fertilizer.
Pruning
The nerve plant is a fast grower, especially when it gets exposed to the right conditions. Remember to check for leggy stems and regularly pinch off the tips to maintain full and bushy foliage growth.
Propagating
The simplest and most common way to propagate this plant is by replanting some healthy leaf cuttings. We’ve discussed this method in detail before so make sure to follow those steps carefully!
# Pro Tip: Using a rooting hormone can encourage root growth and heighten your chances of success while propagating a nerve plant.
Potting and Repotting
You should re-pot your nerve plants annually during early summer or spring. Use a pot with large enough drainage holes at the bottom, and fill it up with some conventional gardening potting mix. Replant your nerve plant gently into it and you’re done!
4. Dumb Cane (Dieffenbachia)
The Dieffenbachias have ovate, pointed leaves that come in white, cream, and green colors – depending on the variety you purchase. They’re known to reach dimensions of 10 feet in height, and 20 inches in length. The plant prefers lots of filtered light for optimal growth of new, tender leaves, but the plant still thrives in partly shady conditions.
General Care
✿ Light
Indirect light or part shade.
✿ Soil
Well-drained potting soil, preferably with peat as one of the major components in the mix.
✿ Watering
The Dieffenbachias do not like dryness, especially in the peak season for growth. Make sure to regularly enrich their soil with moisture, with a frequency as high as twice a week. Cut back watering during the winter months as the plant uses up less moisture out of its growing season, and the residual moisture dries out slower due to cold temperatures.
✿ Temperature
60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit – with no exposure to cold drafts.
✿ Humidity
60%.
✿ Fertilizer
Feed the plant once every 4 to 6 weeks with a balanced 20-20-20 fertilizer with diluted strength.
5. King Begonia (Begonia Rex)
Low-light tolerant plants can look awesome, and the Begonia Rex is living proof of that! It’s one of the most dramatic-looking plants out there, having leaves with a deep shade of red as its most common form. The attractive shades of purple and maroon get even more vibrant as the plant is exposed to more bright light, but it still comfortably survives in low-light conditions.
General Care
✿ Light
Part shade to full shade.
✿ Soil
Porous soil mix that’s light, airy, and well-drained.
✿ Watering
Regularly water your King Begonia plant, but be careful not to overwater it. Don’t water it unless the surface of the soil is dry to the touch.
✿ Temperature
60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
Around 50%.
✿ Fertilizer
Use a half- or quarter-strength liquid fertilizer on a fortnightly basis to ensure optimal nutrition for your King Begonia.
6. Baby Rubber Plant (Peperomia obtusifolia)
The Peperomia Obtusifolia – or the Baby Rubber Plant – is another great low-light tolerant indoor plant. It has South American origins and is known for its upright, thick stems with round leaves. The glossy, vibrant green shade of leaves – paired with a unique shape – makes this plant a highly decorative element inside your home.
General Care
✿ Light
Prefers indirect light (medium to bright), but thrives in low light as well.
✿ Soil
The best soil is aerated, well-drained soil with components like coconut coir, perlite, worm casting, activated charcoal, and orchid bark.
✿ Watering
Water once or twice a week, giving the potting mix enough time to dry out in between.
✿ Temperature
65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
40% to 50%.
✿ Size
This plant stays manageably small indoors, especially in low-light conditions. It won’t grow any taller than two feet, making it the perfect work desk companion.
7. Staghorn Fern (Platycerium)
The Platycerium’s foliage has a peculiar resemblance to the antlers of an elk or a deer, earning it the name “Staghorn.” The plant is native to Australia and Asia. It grows relatively slowly, but doesn’t stop until it’s one of the largest indoor plants in your home collection!
As long as you provide the Staghorn Fern with sufficient humidity, it won’t complain about the lack of daylight. Guess where this plant naturally fits inside your home? Yep – your shower!
General Care
✿ Light
Prefers partial shade.
✿ Soil
Being an epiphyte, the Staghorn Fern needs a starting lump of moss, compost, peat, and other organic matter – with no additional soil required.
✿ Watering
This plant demands frequent watering, but enough time in between for at least the base to dry out. This can take about a week in the summer months and up to three weeks in the winter.
✿ Temperature
80 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, but thrives in anything over 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
70% to 80%. It’s advisable to place these in your shower.
✿ Fertilizer
Feed the plant on a monthly basis with a water-soluble, balanced fertilizer.
8. Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera)
The Swiss Cheese Plant – or “Monstera” – is native to the massive Central American rainforests. In its natural habitat, this plant grows to be bold and massive. Being a climbing evergreen that’s super easy to grow, it’s a pretty popular choice amongst houseplant enthusiasts. Its classy appearance can also add loads of visual appeal to any interior design plan, and the manageable growth rate of 1 to 2 feet a year also helps its viability as a domestic plant.
General Care
✿ Light
Prefers indirect bright sunlight, but also thrives in part shade.
✿ Soil
Well-drained, peat-based potting mix.
✿ Watering
The plant doesn’t need too much water to thrive. In spring, water it once or twice on a fortnightly basis, giving it lots of time to dry out in between.
✿ Temperature
60 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
Anything above 40%.
✿ Fertilizer
Top the plant off with a 20-20-20 balanced fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during spring and summer.
Pruning
The Monstera Deliciosa needs occasional trimming to get rid of aerial roots. If you don’t like snipping your plants unless necessary, you can also tuck these roots into the plant’s pot.
9. Boston Fern (Nephrolepis Exaltata)
The Boston Fern is cheap, awesome-looking, and not-so-needy when it comes to lighting needs. Hang a few of these in a basket and they’ll make any interior look ten times better! The plant is also known as “Sword Fern” and is a pretty popular species of fern, naturally occurring in tropical regions globally. It’s commonly grown as a houseplant in North America since it doesn’t need much light and is relatively easy to maintain.
General Care
✿ Light
Prefers lots of indirect bright light, but thrives in shady conditions as well.
✿ Soil and Drainage
Boston Fern requires loamy, well-drained soil that’s high in organic matter. Adding components like peat, compost, and perlite makes the ideal potting mix for this plant.
✿ Watering
Always keep this plant’s soil slightly moist, but be careful not to overwater it. You’ll probably have to water it once a week, or more frequently in warmer conditions.
✿ Temperature
65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
✿ Humidity
Anything above 50%.
✿ Fertilizer
Doesn’t require much feed. Feed indoor ferns with a liquid houseplant fertilizer having a 20-10-20 composition in summer and spring, with no added fertilizers during fall and winter.
