Top 5 Unique Low-Light Houseplants
Some sunny corners of our houses and offices are obvious places for indoor plants. But you might be wondering if there are any plants that will tolerate some of the dimmer indoor places. The truth is there are plenty! Check out our list of favorites below.
1. Aglaonema - This popular house plant comes in a wide variety of leaf color and patterns and is also known as Chinese Evergreen. They thrive in bright rooms without direct sunlight. They prefer standard room temperatures, moderate to low humidity, and moderate water, but are tolerant of wide ranges in these areas. They do well in environments humans are comfortable in and are not as finicky as other plants when it comes to soil moisture. Also, like humans, they don’t appreciate drafts. It is best to keep them away from forced air vents or windows and doors that are often open.
2. Rex Begonia - These types of begonias are grown for foliage which is breathtaking. They come in a wide range of dramatic colors and leaf patterns. The delicate leaves will get damaged with too much bright light. They like indirect light and do fine with artificial indoor lights. They can be a bit finicky when it comes to water. They like evenly moist, but not wet soil. They also like moderately high humidity, but not so humid that water condenses on the leaves. The bold leaves make the extra care worthwhile.
3. Prayer Plant - These plants have beautiful and intricate patterns on their leaves. They are best for indoor spaces with indirect light. The delicate leaves will burn if they receive too much direct light, but they will not do very well in very dim rooms. A room with a large north facing window would be ideal. They are known for folding their leaves up like a prayer book at night, and opening again in the morning light. Prayer plants thrive with humidity and evenly moist, but never waterlogged soil.
4. Philodendron - This lush tropical plant is a popular house plant because of its shiny foliage and low care requirements. Some varieties are upright, others are vining and need a support structure. They thrive indoors because they naturally occur in jungle understory and are adapted to filtered light conditions. Pinching these plants occasionally will result in more branching and a denser plant. These plants can live for many years and appreciate having their leaves gently wiped of dust from time to time. Wiping the leaves improves appearance by returning their shininess. Like the other houseplants, they prefer evenly moist but never soggy soil. These are toxic to humans and animals if ingested so keep away from small children and pets.
5. Tradescantia - This plant also has delicately patterned leaves and it trails beautifully which makes it perfect for indoor hanging baskets. There are many varieties of this plant each with a unique leaf pattern and color. The varieties with lighter leaf colors tolerate lower light conditions better while darker leaved varieties can tolerate higher light conditions. Like most plants that do well with lower light, bright direct light can scorch their delicate leaves. These plants also prefer moderate humidity and evenly moist, but not waterlogged soil.
