Most of the plants require proper sunlight, air, and regular watering for healthy growth, but what if your home doesn’t have a sunny window with southern or western exposure? It doesn’t mean that you can’t grow indoor plants because there are several houseplants that can thrive even in less or no light. This blog discusses houseplants that can grow in dark apartments.
Low-light Indoor Plants for Dark Apartments
There are many indoor plants that can thrive in minimal or no sunlight. If you live in an apartment with less light, here are multiple options to choose from for your home.
Prayer Plant (Maranta Leuconeura)
It is an indoor plant that grows well under warm and humid conditions. It is a low-growing plant that grows between 6 and 12 inches tall and wide and produces oval and round tricolor leaves. It is best suited for areas with bright indirect light because direct sunlight can burn their foliage.
Polka Dot Plants (Hypoestes Phyllostachya)
It is a fast-growing plant preferred for its easy and low-maintenance features, and also due to its beautiful foliage. Polka dot plants have green foliage with pink dots, but there are also varieties with purple, white, or red foliage. It can thrive in east or west-facing windows and grows between 1 and 2 feet tall and wide.
Pothos (Devil’s Ivy)
It’s a beautiful plant known for its air purifying qualities and easy-to-care-for feature. It has cascading vines and heart-shaped leaves that thrive in indirect light. All it needs is watering when the soil dries, and then you can enjoy the sight of flourishing pothos.
Snake Plant (Dracaena Trifasciata)
It is tolerant of low light and grows best in the corner with no or little light. It can be grown in small pots or a large planter. It looks extremely beautiful with its cool and modern pointed colorful leaves. It needs watering only when the top layer of the soil completely dries, which takes around two to three weeks.
Bromeliads (Bromeliaceae Genera)
It is a houseplant that thrives in bright indirect sunlight under high humidity and moist soil. It can grow up to 2 feet tall with soft, flexible growth in less light and those with stiff and hard leaves in bright indirect light. It can be grown in an orchid mix soil in a heavy pot that can reach up to 2 feet tall and wide.
Bird's Nest Fern (Asplenium Nidus)
It’s a slow-growing plant that grows up to 2 feet tall and wide with long, erect, bright green foliage emerging from a central rosette. It thrives in humid conditions because it is native to the surrounding rainforest. It is an easy-to-grow and low-maintenance plant that needs bright indirect light to grow well.
Philodendron (Philodendron Hederaceum)
It’s a fast-growing houseplant that grows in indirect light with occasional watering. It’s a climbing plant with tropical leaves, admired for its resilience and adaptability to low light. If you have a busy daily schedule, Philodendron is the right option for you.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Reginae)
It’s a low-light indoor plant that adds tropical beauty to homes with its large leaves. The plant takes around five years to bloom. Birds of paradise can thrive with little care, but the soil should be damp and not soggy. The plant requires watering only when the top layer of soil looks dry.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)
ZZ plants can grow well in low light and inconsistent watering schedules. It makes the dark room bright with its shiny and dark leaves that reflect light. If you have a hectic schedule, this is a good choice as it can bear irregular watering schedules.
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum Comosum)
It is native to Africa and Asia, and grows well in low light conditions and needs the bare minimum maintenance. Their arching leaves and small offshoots resemble spiders, hence it has been named “Spider Plant”. Along with its air purifying qualities, it is also known for its aesthetics. As it requires less watering, it can grow best in a hanging basket.
Lucky Bamboo ( Dracaena Sanderiana)
Lucky bamboo is a versatile plant that can grow in water or soil up to 1-5 feet tall and 1-2 feet wide. It is best suited for homes as well as for offices. It is a slow-growing plant that is believed to be indestructible. Though lucky bamboo prefers bright indirect light, it can thrive even in fully shaded areas.
| Some Tips | Avoid placing it in drafty areas of your home. |
Silver Inch Plant/Zebra Plant (Tradescantia Zebrina)
It is native to Mexico and Guatemala, and grows between 2 to 3 feet tall and wide with variegated foliage. It is mostly grown as a houseplant because it’s not winter-hardy. This creeping inch plant requires bright indirect light because strong light can wash out the leaves' color, and low light can also discolor their leaves.
Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans)
Corn plants, also known as “False Palms," resemble palm trees due to their similarity in growing habits. Corn plant is identified with its thick canes or stems from which narrow upright leaves emerge. It thrives in bright indirect sunlight because when it is exposed to direct sunlight, the leaves burn and wilt. It grows up to 6 feet tall and is easy to maintain.
Monstera (Monstera Deliciosa)
Monstera is a tropical plant well known for its split leaves and better adaptability to low light conditions. A distinct feature of Monstera is that it doesn’t create extra holes during its lifespan; all the gaps already exist during foliage. A small amount of indirect light and occasional watering is sufficient for Monstera to thrive.
English Ivy (Hedera Helix)
It is a timeless plant that grows well in low light conditions and occasional watering. This climbing vine is preferred by people because it can improve the indoor air quality and can be grown in hanging baskets.
Silver Pothos (Scindapsus Pictus)
Silver pothos, also known as satin pothos, is best suited for areas with bright indirect sunlight, but the plant can survive in a dimmer location too. It has matte green leaves speckled with silver. It can grow between 4-10 feet long on a moss pole, a trellis, or in a hanging planter. To achieve the best results, keep the plant in a humid room or use a humidifier.
Mother Fern (Asplenium Difforme x Dimorphum)
It’s a versatile houseplant that produces dark green and waxy leaves in medium indirect light. It is an Australian native fern often displayed on a desktop or a bathroom sink. All it needs is a north-facing window, average moisture, and well-drained soil to grow well.
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra Elatior)
It is an easy-to-grow plant, well known as an indestructible houseplant. The large, arching, and shiny green leaves look beautiful. It’s a slow-growing plant that can tolerate irregular watering and lack of light. The best place for cast iron is the north-facing window.
Peace Lily
It is a popular indoor plant that can thrive in low light conditions and can grow between 1-4 feet tall and wide. It produces unique white flowers and large dark green leaves. It needs consistently moist soil because if the soil gets dry, it may result in wilting.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema Spp.)
Chinese evergreen is known for its oval-shaped and shiny green leaves on short stems that are available in multiple color combinations with shades of green, silver, white, red, purple, and cream. It requires bright indirect light to achieve the best color. The only con is that it rarely produces flowers.
Conclusion
Living in dark apartments or spaces with less light doesn't limit your choice of houseplants. This is because there are many indoor plants that can grow well under low or no light conditions. Most of these houseplants are low-maintenance and need less frequent watering.
