These 35 Low Light Plants Are Nearly Impossible to Kill in 2025

Mar 12, 2025

They're all incredibly resilient.

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Though the days are slowly starting to get longer and the weather has warmed up a bit, we’re not fully out of the woods when it comes to the winter blues just yet. The trees are still bare and only cold-loving flowers are in bloom—however, our low-light houseplants are thriving. As we inch closer to spring and you find yourself in need of some greenery to liven things up, we suggest taking advantage of the lack of sunlight and low humidity levels of this cold season and investing in a few low-light indoor plants.

Many low-light indoor plants are tropical varieties native to rainforests or forest floors, where they naturally receive filtered light. These types thrive near north-facing windows or in consistently shaded areas where other indoor plants won't. While low-light requirements don't automatically imply that a plant is also low maintenance, choosing low-light indoor plants that require minimal care can be particularly beneficial for new plant parents or those who live in basement apartments or darker spaces. We suggest starting with an easy-care plant like a spider plant or pothos to gain confidence before expanding your indoor garden.

Read on to learn more about the 35 best low-light indoor plants that will thrive pretty much anywhere.

Additional copy by Kate McGregor.

Water: When soil is dry, about once a week

Getting a begonia rex plant is an unexpected way to bring both green and red into your holiday color scheme. This low-light indoor plant loves bright, indirect sunlight as direct sunlight will scald the leaves. It thrives in room-temperature conditions (around 70 degrees) and prefers humid environments, especially in the cooler months.

Related Story: How to Care for a Begonia Rex Plant

Water: Every two to three days

If you’re looking for a dash of color in your home, a red anthurium is the perfect choice! The flamingo flower, as this low-light indoor plant is sometimes called, has blooms that can last up to eight weeks.

Water: every two weeks or so

In shades of white, pink, and green, this colorful specimen has large, variegated leaves. We love this low-light indoor plant for its low water and indirect light requirements, which make it ideal for houseplant beginners. Plant this one in a pot slightly larger than its nursery pot to allow the roots to spread out.

Water: Every 10 days to two weeks

This type of philodendron has leaves that mimic the colors of a stunning sunset. But as it ages, the leaves will slowly transform into a rich green or copper hue. Best for indirect light or north-facing windowsills, you'll know if this low-light indoor plant needs more sun if new leaves are growing without colorful pigmentation.

Related: How to Grow and Care for a Philodendron Plant

Water: Once every seven to 10 days

Since this is one of the most durable indoor plants on offer—it does quite well in low light and needs to be fertilized only once or twice a year—it’s ideal for beginner gardeners. In fact, these plants don’t even need natural light to grow; they’ll survive just as well in artificial light. They also do best in dry air, so this is one plant you may not want to display in your bathroom. Sadly, the aglaonema is toxic to cats, dogs, and horses, so keep it away from your pets.

Water: When soil is dry, about once a week

This low-light indoor plant can actually survive on fluorescent light alone and thrives in humid conditions like bathrooms. That’s not why we love bromeliads, though. They can grow on the ground, on rocks, or on other plants and trees. How cool is that? They’re also nontoxic to cats and dogs, making them one of our favorite plants around.

Related: 10 Best Types of Bromeliads to Grow

Water: Once a week

This low-light indoor plant holds a secret: It’ll bloom green flower spikes and white flowers throughout the spring. Just be sure to keep it out of bright, direct light as too much light will cause the leaves to scorch and burn. This is a tropical plant, so the warmer (and less drafty) your environment, the better.

Water: Once a week to every 10 days

Whereas most houseplants require ample sunlight to thrive, this Hoya variety prefers high humidity instead. Group it with your other houseplants or place it on a tray filled with water and pebbles to keep it moist. Lively Root recommends using plant food or fertilizer once a month to encourage strong new leaves.

Water: Once a week

Ideal for bathrooms and other high-humidity environments, English ivy is a low-maintenance plant that doesn't require bright sunlight to thrive. Because this low-light indoor plant grows wild and fast, we recommend placing it in a hanging planter or using vine supports to help guide the new growth.

Related: 15 Indoor Climbing Plants to Make Your Home Look Lush

Water: Once a week

House Beautiful’s digital editor, Kate McGregor, opted for a Boston Fern because she knew it had a chance at surviving in her north-facing apartment that gets no direct light. So far, so good: “As long as I remember to mist it to add humidity, this low-light indoor plant does great in my low-light space,” she says. “I prune every few months to keep the fronds from getting unruly.”

Water: Once or twice a week

With its stunning variegated leaves and trailing vines, this pothos variety is a great way to break up the many shades of green in your houseplant collection. Provide this low-light indoor plant with indirect sunlight and hang it up high to let the vines really show off.

Related: How to Grow and Care for Pothos Plants

Water: Every two to three weeks, allowing soil to dry out between waterings

House Beautiful associate editor Jessica Cherner got a snake plant back in July 2020, and it's still thriving. “I got a plant because I wanted to add a little bit of color and life to my apartment, but I didn’t want to spend more than a few minutes here and there taking care of it,” she says. “I literally water it every six to eight weeks, and that’s more than enough.”

If you have pets, you may want to keep them away from your snake plant because, although it's not fatally poisonous, your cats and dogs can get sick if they ingest even a few bites.

Related: How to Care for a Snake Plant

Water: Once a week

With fronds that resemble the shape of a rabbit’s foot (a well-known good-luck charm), the rabbit foot fern thrives in indirect light with plenty of humidity. If you have a window in your bathroom, that’s the ideal spot for this low-light indoor plant. But be sure to keep it off the windowsill since direct sun will scald its leaves.

Water: Every two weeks

Available in a variety of sizes, the prayer plant is named for its leaves that open and close as the sun rises and sets. While the changing leaves may seem finicky, this resilient plant is surprisingly easy to care for. Plus, it acts as a natural air purifier. Water it when the top quarter of the soil is dry.

Water: Every one to two weeks

This low-light indoor plant, also known as the Victorian parlor palm, is famously resilient. Plus, who wouldn’t love those pretty, feathery leaves that liven up any bland corner of your home? It does well in medium light but can survive in lower light areas as well. Though this palm likes humidity and extra moisture, you can water it sparingly. At least every two weeks is more than enough. It’s also nontoxic for your cats and dogs.

Water: Once a week, enough to cover the roots

Said to bring good luck and fortune, the lucky bamboo plant craves some light but can fully thrive in shady areas. Its best feature, however, is its ability to remove benzene, trichloroethylene, and formaldehyde from the air while also acting as a natural humidifier. Just know that this low-light indoor plant is toxic to cats and dogs.

Water: Two to three times a week

This quick-growing tree adds life to any room in the house. Just make sure you’re giving it enough water. Place it in a deep planter filled with well-draining soil, and give it a big drink when the top several inches of soil are dry. It does well in indirect light, so instead of placing it by a window opt for a corner that gets plenty of diffuse light. The ficus tree is toxic to cats and dogs.

Water: One cup of water per week

The devil’s ivy golden pothos plant (also known as pothos, which is Greek for “longing”) gets its name from its unique ability to grow vines even in the worst conditions. Because of its superpower, we suggest keeping this low-light indoor plant on its own inside rather than among other plants outdoors, where it can basically strangle the rest of your greenery. Keep it in bright, indirect sunlight and away from your cats and dogs because it can be fatal if ingested.

Water: Once a week

Maranta red prayer plants prefer brighter light, but they can handle low light just as well. The only downside to minimal light is lackluster leaves, which isn’t indicative of any issues; it’s just a side effect of low-light conditions. These plants are a bit on the temperamental side because they require a lot of humidity to thrive. However, they're safe to have around cats and dogs.

Water: Once a week

Spiky leaves that grow upward and have prominent red outlines make these plants pretty striking, but too much direct sunlight can damage them. Keep their leaves healthy by placing them far from the window that gets the most sun; this low-light indoor plant will do best in a spot that gets plenty of bright indirect sunlight. Though Madagascar dragon trees aren't known to cause any issues in dogs, they can induce drooling, vomiting, weakness, incoordination, and dilated pupils in cats.

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