Best plants

1760 best low-light houseplants

True deep-shade plants are rare, and most "low-light" lists overpromise. These are the honest version: species that need no direct sun and hold up in a north-facing room or well back from a window, where sun-lovers slowly decline.

How this list is built: houseplants documented as needing no direct sun — the low and medium-indirect light tiers that tolerate the dimmer half of a typical home— filtered from Growli's structured plant-care library, not hand-picked, so it stays consistent and checkable.

Plant	Light	Water	Pets
Abiqua Drinking Gourd Hosta temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 5-7 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Abyssinian Peperomia temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Every 10–14 days in the growing season; every 3–4 weeks in winter	Pet-safe
Accent Scarlet Busy Lizzie temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep the compost evenly moist; typically water every 1-3 days in warm weather as plants wilt quickly in dry conditions	Mildly toxic to pets
Adiantum venustum temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 1-2 cm of soil begins to dry, roughly every 4-6 days	Pet-safe
Aerangis fastuosa temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Water every 1-3 days, keeping the roots consistently moist	Pet-safe
Aesculifolia Rodgersia temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep soil consistently moist; water deeply 1-2 times weekly, more in heat	Mildly toxic to pets
Affinis Taro temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Keep evenly moist; water when the top 1-2 cm of soil dries, roughly every 4-7 days	Toxic to pets
African Chain Fern temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2 cm of soil feels barely moist, roughly every 5-8 days in growing season	Pet-safe
African Spear Plant temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the soil is completely dry, roughly every 2-4 weeks in summer and every 4-6 weeks in winter	Toxic to pets
African violet temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top of the soil feels just dry, every 5-7 days	Pet-safe
Afzel's Nephthytis temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema 'Emerald Beauty' temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema 'First Diamond' temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema 'Siam Aurora' (Red Chinese Evergreen) temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	Every 7-10 days; when the top 1-2 inches of soil are dry	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema 'Sparkling Sarah' temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema (Chinese Evergreen) temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm (1 inch) of compost is dry, roughly every 7-10 days in growth	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Burmese Evergreen temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Chocolate temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Cutlass temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Dud Unyamanee temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Emerald Bay temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When top 3-5 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-12 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Gemini temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Golden Bay temp & humidity · pet safety	Medium indirect light (a couple of metres from a window)	When the top 3-4 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets
Aglaonema Jubilee Petite temp & humidity · pet safety	Low light (north window or shaded room)	When top 2-3 cm of soil is dry, roughly every 7-10 days	Toxic to pets

Best low-light houseplants — frequently asked questions

What makes a plant one of the best low-light houseplants?

This list is not hand-picked for looks. It is houseplants documented as needing no direct sun — the low and medium-indirect light tiers that tolerate the dimmer half of a typical home, drawn from Growli's structured plant-care library so the selection is consistent and checkable. 1760 plants qualify today.

How many low-light houseplants are there?

Growli currently lists 1760 plants that meet the criterion (houseplants documented as needing no direct sun — the low and medium-indirect light tiers that tolerate the dimmer half of a typical home). The list updates as the plant-care library grows; each entry links to a full care guide.

Are these plants safe for cats and dogs?

Not necessarily — this list is selected by houseplants documented as needing no direct sun — the low and medium-indirect light tiers that tolerate the dimmer half of a typical home, not by pet safety. Each plant is tagged with its pet-safety status below, and links to a full ASPCA-sourced pet-safety guide. If you have pets, see the dedicated best pet-safe houseplants list.

More plant shortlists

Best pet-safe houseplants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — every one verified against the ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list.
Best plants for a north-facing window — Houseplants for a north-facing window: bright, even, indirect light and no scorching direct sun. Each pick verified against its documented light needs.
Best pet-safe low-light plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs AND happy with no direct sun — the two hardest constraints to satisfy at once.
Best plants for cold, dark rooms — Houseplants that cope with BOTH low light and a cool, unheated room — the hardest indoor spot to fill. Every pick tolerates a low of about 10°C and shade.
Best drought-tolerant houseplants — Houseplants that prefer to dry out — forgiving of forgotten watering and ideal for travel or busy weeks.
Best trailing & climbing houseplants — Vining and trailing houseplants for shelves, hanging pots, and moss poles — selected by growth habit.
Best houseplants for beginners — Forgiving of irregular light and watering — the houseplants least likely to die in a new plant parent’s first season.
Best humidity-loving houseplants — Houseplants that thrive in a bathroom, kitchen, or by a humidifier — selected by documented humidity preference.
Best bathroom plants — Humidity-loving houseplants that also cope with lower light — suited to the steamy, often-dim conditions of a typical bathroom.
Best flowering houseplants — Indoor plants grown for their blooms — selected from the flowering species in Growli’s plant-care library.
Best pet-safe trailing & hanging plants — Trailing and climbing plants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe for shelves and hanging pots in a pet home.
Best pet-safe low-maintenance plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and forgiving of forgotten watering — the easiest safe choices for a busy pet household.
Houseplants toxic to cats & dogs — The common houseplants the ASPCA lists as toxic to cats and dogs — the ones to keep out of reach, each with its symptoms and a safe alternative.
Best pet-safe flowering plants — Flowering houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — colour and blooms in a pet home, without the worry.
Best pet-safe plants for bright light — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in a bright, sunny spot — safe plants for your best-lit windowsill.
Best pet-safe large indoor plants — Big, floor-standing houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — a statement plant that is safe around pets.
Best pet-safe bathroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in the humid, lower-light conditions of a bathroom — safe greenery for the smallest room.
Best succulents for beginners — The easiest succulents and cacti to keep alive — selected by documented growth habit, each with the light and watering it actually wants.
Best pet-safe succulents — Succulents the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats and dogs — low-water greenery that is also safe around a curious pet.
Best small & tabletop houseplants — Compact houseplants that stay under about 40 cm — desk, shelf and windowsill plants that never outgrow a small space.
Best houseplants for full sun — Houseplants that want direct sun — the species for a hot south or west-facing windowsill where shade-lovers scorch.
Best houseplants for a cool room — Houseplants that tolerate cool conditions down to about 10°C — for an unheated spare room, hallway, porch or a home kept cool.
Best houseplants to propagate in water — Houseplants that root from a cutting in a glass of water — the easiest, cheapest way to turn one plant into many.
Best fast-growing houseplants — Houseplants documented as fast or vigorous growers — quick to fill a pot, cover a pole or trail down a shelf.
Best fragrant houseplants — Indoor plants with scented flowers or aromatic foliage — greenery you can smell, selected from our care library.
Best pet-safe bedroom plants — Non-toxic to cats and dogs and happy in lower light — calming greenery for a bedroom where a pet often sleeps too.
Best cat-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to cats (and dogs) — safe greenery for a home with a curious cat.
Best dog-safe plants — Houseplants the ASPCA lists as non-toxic to dogs (and cats) — safe greenery for a home with a curious dog.
Best small pet-safe plants — Compact, tabletop houseplants that are also ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs — safe greenery for a desk or shelf.
Full pet-safe plant library — every plant, ASPCA toxicity status

Care deep-dives gardeners ask for most

Once you have shortlisted a plant, the next questions are watering and soil. These are the guides searched most this season:

Best soil for a peace lily and best soil for a spider plant
Best soil for dracaena (it is fluoride-sensitive) and best soil for hibiscus
How often to water broccoli, how often to water beans, and how often to water okra
Browse every watering guide and soil & potting-mix guide