13 Best Indoor Shade Plants for Low-Light Rooms

If you garden, chances are you’ve wondered whether you can grow plants in your home even with poor lighting. It can be frustrating to sort through vague advice that doesn’t help much.

These 13 indoor shade plants all require minimal lighting and maintenance, and most of them are easy to find at any garden center.

Before picking a plant, it helps to know what kind of light you’re working with. If a room has lots of windows and faces south, it has high light. Rooms that face east or west have medium light. And rooms that face north, or that simply don’t have any windows, are considered low light.

If you want to grow plants in a windowless room, you have two options: leave the lights on for about 12 hours a day, or rotate the plants between that room and a room with natural light every few weeks.

Lucky Bamboo

Not only is lucky bamboo decorative, but it’s also one of the best options for homes with little light. Keeping it alive is simple. It needs shade, relatively low temperatures, and fluoride-free water. Avoiding direct sunlight is important, as it can harm the leaves and turn them yellow.

Keep it in a dimly lit corner and give it occasional indirect sunlight. Water it frequently with normal tap water. If the leaves start to yellow or brown, it usually means the plant has had too much sunlight or fluoride, or the roots are outgrowing their container. And if you want to have a little fun with it, play with the direction that the light hits the stem. This can cause it to change shapes over time.

Crotons

Crotons (not to be confused with croutons) can be found at most plant or flower shops. They’re known for beautifully colored leaves and flowers that require little sunlight to blossom and bloom.

Almost as soon as you purchase one and get it settled, you’ll notice it starting to shed its multicolored leaves. New leaves should start to replace the old ones within a few days. It’s a normal response to a change in environment.

Kalanchoe

Once you see a kalanchoe, it’s hard not to love the bright colors and the interesting leaf shapes. If you like variety, this is a great choice. They come in red, pink, yellow, and white.

Kalanchoes are about as low-maintenance as houseplants get, requiring very little sunlight and water. If you want to put in a little extra effort and encourage faster growth, mix some fertilizer into the soil and cut off the flowers once they’re done blooming.

Orchids

White orchids are one of the best indoor shade plants around. But when purchasing one, keep in mind that you want a fresh stem with at least 12 to 14 buds on it. Make sure the leaves look healthy, are shiny, and don’t have any blemishes. Once you put it in a fairly wide pot and mix some mulch into the soil, you should be set.

What makes white orchids especially interesting is how they respond to light. Keep one in a dimly lit room and you’ll notice the leaves turning dark green. In direct sunlight, they become a lighter green. If you’re not happy with the shade of green, you can experiment with placement to find what you prefer.

Areca Palm

A full-size areca palm is surprisingly expensive. If you’re on a budget, getting a tabletop version is probably the better move. Keep in mind that they grow about six inches per year, and their mature height is six or seven feet (if not more). If you don’t have the space for them to spread out, you may want to consider another plant.

That said, you can trim them without causing harm, and they tend to live for up to ten years. To keep an areca palm healthy, place it near a south- or west-facing window where the light is bright but indirect. Direct light turns the leaves yellow.

Spider Plants

You may not like spiders, but this plant is worth your time. Spider plants are known for being one of the easiest full-shade indoor plants to maintain, and they can put up with a wide range of climates and conditions. The name comes from the small plantlets (called spiderettes) that hang from the main plant and look similar to spiders on webs. More often than not, these start off as small white flowers.

If you don’t have a particular green thumb, or you’re just looking for something low-maintenance, this is a solid choice. They’re tough, and killing one takes real effort. Give them decent soil and water, and you’re in good shape. The one thing to watch for is overwatering — the roots will rot if the soil stays too wet. Let them dry out between waterings and you should be fine.

Peace Lily

Peace lilies are a fan favorite, and you’ll see them in offices and homes all the time. They’re known for white flowers and dark green leaves, and they’re easy to care for — which is one of the reasons they’ve become such a popular full-shade indoor plant. But just because they’re easy doesn’t mean you can ignore their environment entirely.

Peace lilies do best in low or medium light. The amount of light you give yours is dependent on how you want it to look. More light means frequent blooming and a “flowery” appearance. In lower light, the plant takes on more of a traditional foliage look with fewer flowers. It’s up to you which direction to go.

Philodendron

Philodendrons are one of the most laid-back plants around. They’re happy indoors but they also don’t mind the occasional bit of sun. They don’t yellow easily, and they’re not as sensitive to changes in climate as some of the others on this list.

With philodendrons, it’s about keeping a balance. If the plant starts to wilt at all, adjust the amount of light it’s receiving and it should bounce back.

Chinese Evergreen

Chinese evergreens are popular for good reason. There are so many variations of this plant, each with a different, intricate pattern on its leaves. Most stay compact (rarely growing past a foot tall), which makes them a good fit for homes and offices where space is limited.

Keep an eye on yours during the summer months, as that’s when it tends to sprout small green flowers — a subtle seasonal bonus from a plant that’s mostly grown for its foliage.

Snake Plant

Snake plants are a unique type of indoor shade plant, known for improving indoor air quality. The sword-shaped leaves have a sculptural look that works well in most rooms, and the plant is easy to take care of for the most part.

The one thing to be careful about is excessive moisture. Overwatering leads to root rot faster than you’d expect with a plant this tough. Err on the dry side and you’ll avoid most problems.

Dumb Cane

Don’t let the name put you off. Dumb cane (dieffenbachia) is a great houseplant if you want something that grows a bit larger than average. Most reach about five or six feet tall, which makes them good for filling a corner or an empty stretch of floor. They handle low to medium light without much fuss.

One important note: dumb cane is toxic when consumed and can make you very sick. If you have pets or small children, keep this one well out of reach.

Prayer Plant

Prayer plants are surprisingly resilient, the kind of plant that keeps going even when care has been inconsistent. They generally range from 12 to 18 inches, with beautiful leaves about five inches long.

The best part is that the leaves roll up at night, making the plant look as if it’s praying. They tend to be late risers, generally not unrolling their leaves until mid-morning. It’s a small thing, but it gives the plant more personality than most foliage houseplants.

Peacock Plant

Peacock plants (calathea) have some of the most detailed leaf patterns of any houseplant. They love shade, which makes them a natural fit for rooms that don’t get much sun.

Most stay relatively compact, though some can reach about four feet tall. One of the best things about them is that they tend to produce beautiful white flowers even in low-light conditions (not something most shade plants can claim).