In low-light situations, many houseplants flourish without direct sunlight. Because they naturally grow in low-light conditions, many tropical plants thrive in indoor settings. With the right amount of natural light and artificial light, some lovely easy-to-care indoor plants may flourish.
Natural shade-loving plants are among the best indoor plants to grow. They grow under fluorescent light, LED lights, and other indoor light sources, even though they need some natural light. Plants thrive in dull, dark environments such as offices, restrooms, rooms without windows, and so on.
You’ll learn about a variety of low-light plants that can survive in partial shade without needing much sunlight.
Indoor Plants that Don’t Need Sunlight
Several unique houseplants grow indoors without much sunlight at all, thanks to a variety of easy care plants that need (almost) zero sunlight. Several low-light plants, in fact, prefer to grow in the shade or in dim lighting rather than full intensity.
The following are some of the best indoor plants that do not need sunlight:
- Bromeliads—Artificial light is all that is required for these indoor plants to flourish.
- Snake plants—For rooms with little natural light, choose excellent houseplants.
- Calathea plants—Foliage may stay vivid and interesting with a little sunlight now and then.
- Peace lilies—Even though they don’t bloom in bright light, they still create flowers in dim light.
- Cast-iron plant—Any kind of light or shady situation will support this hardy green leafy plant.
- Golden pothos for hanging baskets—If there isn’t enough light, this is a fantastic option for a trailing vine plant.
- Dragon tree—This low-light, low-maintenance plant has striking foliage in areas with limited sunlight.
- Monsteras—Monsteras species are popular houseplants in contemporary residences because they can tolerate low light.
- Parlor palm—Whether you only have artificial light or little natural light, this beautiful plant will bring the tropics to any space or office.
- Prayer plants—These easy-care plants thrive in moderate lighting and prefer not to be exposed to too much sun.
Can A Plant Survive Without Sunlight?
Every indoor plant, even those that require little light, requires some light in order to live. Plants need food to survive, so they use light to acquire it. Plants cannot grow in complete darkness, according to scientists, even artificial light such as that found in offices and rooms without windows. Most plants need light, even in harsh low-light situations, and it must be provided on a regular basis.
What Happens When A Plant Does Not Get Sunlight?
Each plant has its own light requirements, whether it’s growing indoors or out. If a plant begins to grow toward the closest light source, it indicates that it isn’t getting enough sunlight. When they “reach” for light, they may become “leggy” and develop abnormally lengthy stems.
If there isn’t enough sunlight or artificial indoor light, other plants might start to lose their leaf color. Other plants, on the other hand, thrives in dimly-lit areas and don’t need a lot of light.
The Best Houseplants that Don’t Need Sun
Let’s explore some of the greatest potted plants for indoor growing where adequate natural light is difficult.
Bromeliads
Silver vase bromeliad (Aechmea fasciata) in the picture This plant may also be found in a bathroom or workplace with just fluorescent lighting. All bromeliad species thrive in typical room temperatures since they are tropical plants. The leaves of bromeliad plants are arching and there are over 3,500 species of them, including pineapples.
The center is surrounded by bright, colorful blooms. Choose the silver vase bromeliad if you’re looking for a cool and unusual plant to grow in medium to low light.
Snake Plant (Sansevieria)
Snake plants are the ideal indoor plant when sunlight is limited, since they can grow in low and dim lighting conditions. Snake plants have large upright succulent leaves and are often known as “mother-in-law’s tongue.” Some species’ leaves are vertically upright, and others have a rosette arrangement.
Snakes plants are a list of plants that don’t need much water and are easy to care for. Snake plants will flourish if you leave them in a shady spot and forget about them.
Calathea
Calathea ornata (Pinstripe plant), Zebra Plant (Calathea zebrina), Rattlesnake Plant (Calathea lancifolia), and Calathea makoyana (Peacock plant) are featured in the photograph from top left clockwise. Calatheas’ beautiful, colorful leaves and big displayy leaves are well-known features.
Calathea plants may be kept in typical room temperatures with minimal care. All they need is high humidity. Calathea foliage will be more beautiful when the plant develops in bright, indirect light, despite the fact that most species don’t need a lot of light.
Prayer Plant (Maranta)
Like their cousins, prayer plants are resistant to poor light and thrive in modest indoor environments. Prayer plants thrive in bright light, of course, since they are a tropical plant with vibrant green leaves. If they’re in a dimly-lit room or office, however, you don’t need to worry.
Prayer plants’ particular characteristic, the way their leaves fold together in the evening, is that it is affected by a lack of light.
ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas)
For rooms and workplaces with no windows, ZIZ plants are a superb indoor plant. This tough plant can usually be kept alive with the occasional light from fluorescent or incandescent bulbs. The ZZ plant will not be affected by putting it in a shady corner or in a north-facing area.
One plant that seems to shy away from sunlight is the ZZ plant. You’ll notice that the glossy green foliage of zizzi plants, sometimes known as Zizi plants or Zanzibar Gem, starts to yellow if they get too much light.
Begonias
Houseplants such as begonias don’t need a lot of sunlight or artificial light to grow and are therefore extremely easy to take care of. Begonia leaves are varied in color and design, and many begonia species have them. Make sure that the specific plant grows in medium to low light when picking a sort of begonia, since there are approximately 1,800 types to choose from. In a closed terrarium, begonias prosper and develop amid the shade of other tropical plants.
Dumb Cane Low-Light Plants (Dieffenbachia)
In any part of your house where there is insufficient sunlight, you may grow a dumb cane plant called Deffenbachia cv. ‘Bausei.’ One of the nicest indoor tropical foliage plants with large leaves is dumb cane. It has vivid green and white variegated leaves that can instantly uplift a dull corner or stylishly complement an workplace desk.
In brighter, indirect light, where growth is more vigorous than in low light, this hardy plant can flourish. Dumb cane plants are dangerous, so dogs, cats, and inquisitive children should be kept away from them.
Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)
One of the few house palm trees that doesn’t mind staying in the dark on occasion is the parlor palm. Beautiful palm trees have slender bamboo-like stems and lush, bushy green leaves. These tropical indoor houseplants are especially suited for rooms and hallways with little or no natural light since they can grow up to 6 feet (1.8 meters).
More rapid growth will be encouraged by placing a parlor palm in a brighter area. Remember, however, that filtered sunlight is preferred by indoor palms.
Pothos for Indoor Hanging Baskets (Epipremnum aureum)
Golden Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is an excellent houseplant choice because it hardly requires any light. Long trailing vines grow well in hanging baskets, and these houseplants have them. You may also grow them in pots and put them on a shelf with minimal light.
Try to ensure that your plant receives medium illumination from time to time. The varied green and yellow leaves are kept bright and gorgeous by the occasion light. The leaves on the long stems, however, stay green even after being kept in dark places.
Philodendron
Species from the Philodendron family are another low-light indoor plant for hanging baskets. On dense forest floors with little light, these tropical plants spontaneously grow. To preserve the plant’s bushy appearance while growing as a houseplant, keep it in partial shade.
The stems will stay shorter and neater in low to moderate light. Keep the soil slightly moist, and in a medium to low light area, grow in pots or hanging baskets at a temperature of 59°F to 64°F (15°C – 18°C). They can flourish in dark environments and workplace settings, but their stems are straggly.
Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonemas)
Chinese evergreen plants are suited for beginners because they can survive without sunlight and tolerate shady conditions. These popular household plants provide rich, brilliant foliage that will brighten up any area. These indoor plants need protection from the cold, and they should be kept away from direct sunlight.
Chinese evergreen plants are on the list of plants that help clean toxins from the air, in addition to their ability to survive virtually in darkness.
Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra elatior)
Cast iron plants have a reputation for being difficult to kill, even when they are deprived of light. This plant will continue to grow even if you ignore it. The lance-shaped glossy green leaves may grow to be up to 20 inches (50 cm) long. Indoors and in shady areas of your yard outdoors, these plants native to Asia flourish in pots.
Dragon tree (Dracaena marginata)
The dragon tree is another plant that can tolerate little light and needs minimal watering. This low-light tree features thin woody stems and long slender leaves that taper to a tip when growing indoors in containers. Dark green leaves characterize certain dragon tree varieties, while sunlight-yellow and green leaves characterize others.
In a dark corner of any contemporary design, these towering houseplant trees are ideal as floor décor to add height and greenery.
Cornstalk Plant (Dracaena fragrans)
Cornstalk plants, like Dracaena fragrans ‘Limelight,’ thrive in office and home environments with little or no natural light. Dragon trees have a similar relationship to these slow-growing shrubby plants. Cornstalk plants have thicker stems and leaves than dragon trees.
From modest light to intense, indirect sun, these hardy bushy indoor plants thrive in a variety of situations. Cornstalk cultivars have vividly colored variegated leaves, and they’re also known as the ‘joyous plant.’
Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
For workplaces, hanging baskets, and rooms with little or no sun, spider plants are popular indoor plants. The leaves of spider plants are long and thin, arching over the pot and cascading down. These plants prefer fluorescent, incandescent, or LED lighting despite the fact that they grow in bright conditions.
Spider plants are easily propagated and grow quickly. On the ends of long stems, baby spider plants grow. Just clip them off the stem, put them in a little pot with well-draining soil, and plant them.
Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
Peace lilies are low-maintenance, flowering houseplants that prefer subdued to medium light. They continue to produce green foliage and flower even if the only light they get is fluorescent in a room with no windows. These aren’t really lilies, they’re arum-lilies. A pure white or greenish spathe surrounds the blooms, which are yellowish-white.
English Ivy (Hedera helix)
English ivy prefers shady areas, protected from direct sunlight, but can grow in bright settings. In rooms with little light or only an artificial light source, the trailing vines grow just fine. Distinctive lobed leaves characterize the long thin stems. Hanging baskets provide the best environment for English ivy growth.
Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum)
While maidenhair ferns require some care, they favor shadier to brighter environments. The fan-shaped leaves on wiry black stems give the plant its lovely green color. Keep the ferns out of direct light, give them enough humidity, and keep the soil damp to avoid killing them.
Peperomia (Peperomia)
Peperomia plants are tiny tropical houseplants that require little care and thrive in low-light settings. This picture depicts watermelon peperomia. Peperomias may tolerate dim light, despite their greatest flowering in medium to bright settings. Succulent-like leaves are found on many peperomia species, which are drought tolerant. They’re also sluggish to grow, so forgetful owners will appreciate them as houseplants.
Watermelon peperomia, red ripple peperomia, and Columbian peperomia are all excellent examples of Peperomia plants with fascinating patterns on their leaves. Just keep in mind that the foliage of peperomias grown in low-light situations may lack vigor.
Swiss Cheese Plant (Monstera deliciosa)
In most rooms in your house, including those with little light, Monstera deliciosa will thrive. This huge indoor plant has large glossy heart-shaped split leaves and trailing aerial roots. Although Swiss cheese vines prefer bright, filtered sunlight, they will grow in low-light as well.
The Monstera adansonii, or Monkey Mask plant, is another kind of monstera plant that thrives in low light conditions. Water when the soil is partly dry and keep away from direct, sunny sunlight to care for Monstera adansonii like Swiss cheese vines.
Monstera adansonii
Anthurium
In comparison to other houseplants, many species of Anthurium plants prefer low light. It seems that the best way to care for these plants is to put them in shady spots and mild temperatures. Anthurium plants have a waxy-looking, colorful spathe as do other aroids, and the color is usually shiny red lipstick.
A spadix is a spiked blossom in the center. Plants will continue to grow even in dim light, although at a reduced pace and with fewer flowers.