Low-light Houseplants That Are Simple To Take Care Of

For those of us who don’t exactly succeed at keeping plants alive, I’m here to tell you that there is hope. There are various plants out there that survive in low light and don’t need a whole lot of maintaining.

So, read up on these low-light houseplants that aren’t high-maintenance!

English Ivy

• Cost: $10.00 – $50.00
• Water Needs: Water when the soil dries.

Ivy is a great plant to have around the house because it likes the shade and doesn’t mind being in a cooler area of the home. It’s a great way to spruce up an area of the home without busting your hump with plant care.

While ivy isn’t going to wither away in hot or cold temperatures, inconsistent temperatures are bad news for their lifespan. Make sure that you keep them in a consistent temperature to ensure they don’t kick the bucket.

When it comes to watering the plant you can test its moisture by placing your finger on the soil. If the top inch of soil is dry, it needs to be watered. Don’t overwater the plant, though. You want to make sure that the soil doesn’t get soggy.

Now, English Ivy is a haven for spider mites so you want to make sure that you spritz them with water daily to keep them from infesting your houseplant.

Common ivy and desert ivy are also good alternatives.

Ferns

• Cost: $30.00 – $50.00
• Water Needs: Water when the soil dries.

These guys are great for houseplants because many ferns do very well in the shade, though some do well in the sunlight. But, for the most part, ferns like being in the shade and in moist conditions.

If you’re looking for a full-shade fern then you’d be best to get yourself a Maidenhair Fern. This is the kind of fern that doesn’t like dry soil or conditions, so you need to make sure that you mist it daily and keep it away from vents. However, the good news is that if it does dry out you can give it a good soaking and the fern will more than likely produce new leaves.

Ferns tend to like acidic soil as well, so you would do well add lime rock to the potting soil before you grow your fern.

There are a few other ferns you can try out, but if you’re looking to keep the low-maintenance shade-loving kind of plant, then the chainfern would be your other best bet.

ZZ Plant

• Cost: $20.00 – $40.00
• Water Needs: Water when soil goes dry. Can be left for a few months.

This plant does best in indirect sunlight but it will fare well in the shade as well. As opposed to a lot of plants that will wither in the absence of light, the zz plant will actually yellow and develop curling leaves if it gets too much sunlight.

These plants are pretty great in the sense that you can pretty much leave them to do their own thing and they won’t be offended. You only need to water this plant once the soil goes dry and, in fact, the zz plant can survive for months without water.

Another great thing about this plant is that it doesn’t even really need fertilizer, though you can add some if you’d like. If you do choose to give this plant fertilizer, it’s recommended that you only do it one to two times a year and only during the summer months.

Snake Plant

• Cost: $10.00 – $50.00
• Water Needs: Water when soil goes dry, do not get leaves wet.

This plant is another great example of a plant that does well when you just let it do its own thing.

You don’t need to set reminders for yourself to water this plant because, like the other low-light plants on this list, you only need to water it once the soil goes dry.

The snake plant can survive in a variety of different light exposures, but it’s best placed in indirect light. It’s also recommended that you don’t over-water them in the winter months either. Keep in mind that it’s important not to get the leaves wet when you water this plant.

You can also put a little bit of fertilizer in with the soil of a snake plant if you’re growing it in a pot.

Be careful with this plant if you have any pets around the home because it is toxic to both cats and dogs. If they ingest the leaves or chew on them it could end with them vomiting of having diarrhea.

Pothos

• Cost: $20.00 – $30.00
• Water Needs: Water when soil goes dry, every five to seven days.

This little low-light plant right here is the definition of low-maintenance. They can survive in a variety of different environments like indirect light or in the shade and can handle a dry environment or a damp one.

This low-light plant likes to have dry soil before being watered again. Realistically, these guys can be watered every seven to ten days or so. Other than that, you can leave them to do their own thing.

You don’t even need to prune these either. I mean, you can if you like, but it’s not really necessary.

Something to watch out for with a pothos plant is that they tend to attract mealybugs. But, fear not, because there is a way to get rid of them. All you really need to do to rid of mealybugs is just dab them with a Q-tip dipped in rubbing alcohol and make sure you don’t overwater the plant.

Dieffenbachia

• Cost: $10.00 – $50.00
• Water Needs: Water when the top two to three inches of soil dries.

This common low-light houseplant is a low-maintenance friend as well, here to help with all those who tend to forget about their plants.

It only needs to be watered when the top two to three inches of soil dries. For the most part, they like to be in medium to low-light areas and thrive best in those conditions. You only need to fertilize the plant when you can actually see new leaves beginning to sprout. Don’t feed this plant during the winter.

These guys also tend to attract spider mites, so they’ll need to be spritzed daily in order to keep the critters away. Make sure that these leaves aren’t ingested or chewed on as they can cause tongue swelling. This might not sound like the worst thing in the world, but a swollen tongue and throat could cause suffocation. So, don’t go eating the Dieffenbachia leaves.

Philodendron

• Cost: $3.00 – $40.00
• Water Needs: Water when the top inch of soil dries out.

This plant prefers to live in bright, indirect sunlight. So, essentially all you have to do is make sure that it’s in a well-lit room without the sunlight actually touching the plant. It’s normal for some of the leaves to turn yellow, but if you notice that a bunch of them are starting to yellow at the same time then it could be a sign the plant is getting too much light.

Much like the rest of the low-light houseplants on this list, the philodendron doesn’t need to be watered until the top inch of soil is dried out. You’ll be able to tell when it’s not getting enough (or if it’s getting too much) water when the leaves start to droop on you. You’ll be able to tell if it’s not getting enough water if the leaves start to brown and wither.

These guys are poisonous as well, which means that they shouldn’t be ingested by people or their pets. Philodendrons have been proven to be toxic to cats and dogs.