The Best Houseplants for Dark Rooms

You’re scrolling through Instagram, admiring all of the gorgeous plant-filled rooms that are posted. Plants in home offices, plants in living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms. They’re everywhere. You think, “This is so pretty, I’m going to put houseplants everywhere, too!” Then you put houseplants everywhere and they don’t grow. They’re spindly and sickly. What on earth is wrong? Are you a horrible houseplant gardener?

Well, of course you might be (just kidding, but maybe going 3 weeks without watering wasn’t such a good idea in the first place, come to think of it), but if you compare those IG rooms to yours, you might notice a glaring difference: Those rooms are light-filled, and yours are dim.

Houseplants need light, y’all. But they need different light intensities, depending upon what kind of houseplant they are, so if your home is dimmer than most, don’t despair. There’s a houseplant for you. In fact, there are a lot of houseplants for dark rooms.

Best Houseplants for Dark Rooms

Any plant that’s labelled “for low light” is what you want. In nature, there are loads of plants that thrive in woodsy, jungly, foresty places, and that’s what we’re going to use here. Here are our favorite houseplants for dark rooms, and how to grow them:

1. Sansevieria: Also called “snake plant,” sansevieria is quite possibly the mother of all dark room plants. There are many varieties to try, all with stiff, upright leaves that are ideal for modern, Zen, or eclectic interiors. Water monthly and you’re good to go.
2. ZZ Plant: Upright growth and dark green, shiny leaves make ZZ plant beautiful as well! It’s adapted to a wide variety of light levels and prefers to not be overwatered in order to thrive. But if you have curious pets, best to keep this one away from them. We love our plants but love our furry pets more.
3. Dieffenbachia: TBH, we think it’s a little rude to call this one “dumb cane,” because there’s nothing dumb about it. It knows what it likes, which is lower but even light, medium but consistent water, and a little humidity. Sounds smart to us!
4. Prayer Plant: This exotic-looking plant is native to jungles and forest habitats, making it ideal for your less-than-light-filled bedroom. It doesn’t like cold temps, though, so if you’ve got a drafty window, you’ll want to move your prayer plant away from it.
5. Bird’s Nest Fern: The lasagna-looking leaves on this plant are adorable. Give it slightly moist air (kitchens and bathrooms are ideal) and light watering, and you’ll be delighted with it.
6. Cast Iron Plant: Think cast iron plant is only for your outside garden? No way! This is one tough plant, thriving in the lowest light and with the least amount of care. Dark green, upright foliage is a breeze to grow. Kind of makes up for the finicky Ficus tree in your living room, doesn’t it?
7. Maidenhair Fern: So airy and delicate, this one! But it’s a tough little thing, only asking for evenly moist soil, so be sure to check every couple days to see if it needs a drink.
8. Peperomia: Although it prefers medium light, peperomia will grow in lower light conditions—it’ll just grow more slowly. That’s an easy enough tradeoff to make for a houseplant this cute, right?
9. Heart-Leaf Philodendron: With its long tendrils and easygoing ways, heart-leaf philodendron is a keeper for low-light rooms. Water it once a week, but please do keep it away from Muffy and Duke if you have furry friends.
10. Staghorn Fern: Got low light and high humidity? Is your bathroom ringing a bell? Then staghorn fern will add some drama and tropical flair to your space.

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