Low light houseplants are the ones that hold their colour and keep growing in a room that never gets direct sun — Devil’s Ivy, Philodendron Brasil and the Power Petite Peace Lily are the three we’d back. The catch is watering. Dim corners dry out slowly, so overwatering does far more damage than the shade ever will.
What counts as low light in an Australian home?
Aspect is the first thing to check, and here it works the opposite way to most of the plant advice online. In the Southern Hemisphere a north-facing window is the bright one and a south-facing window is the dim one. Guides written in the UK or the US say the reverse, which is how a plant labelled “great for a south window” ends up sulking in a Brisbane unit.
Low light does not mean no light. It means plenty of daylight but no beam of sun on the floor: a south-facing living room, a hallway two metres back from a window, a desk side-on to the glass.
The quickest test is to stand where the plant will go at midday and hold a hand a metre above the surface. A soft, blurry shadow means low light, and the three plants below will be fine. No shadow at all means a spot where nothing will grow, which is worth knowing before you spend money.
Which low light houseplants actually cope with a dark corner?
Three we stock hold up in medium light without going pale or leggy. All three are trailing or compact, which suits the shelves and side tables these rooms usually have.
Devil’s Ivy, if you want it to trail
Marbled green heart-shaped leaves on vines that will run a metre along a shelf or hang straight down from a hook. It is the most forgiving plant in our range and the one we hand to people who have already lost two.
“Devil by name, angel to look after — I’ll trail happily in low light and forgive almost any forgetfulness.” From our Devil’s Ivy care card
Light: Medium light, can tolerate shade · Water: Water sparingly, soil to be almost dry · Pets: Not pet friendly — ASPCA-listed toxic to cats and dogs · Difficulty: Easy-going · From just under $50
Philodendron Brasil, for colour without sun
Most variegated plants lose their markings in a dim room. Brasil is the exception we keep recommending: the lime-green streak down the middle of each heart-shaped leaf holds up in medium light, which is unusual and the whole reason it earns a spot on this list. It will trail off a shelf or climb a totem, whichever you prefer.
Light: Medium light, can tolerate shade · Water: Water sparingly, soil to be almost dry · Pets: Not pet friendly — the ASPCA lists Philodendron hederaceum as toxic to cats and dogs · Difficulty: Easy-going · $50–$150 by size
Peace Lily Power Petite, for a flower in a dim room
A full-sized Peace Lily wants bright indirect light. The Power Petite copes with medium light instead, white blooms and glossy leaves on a frame that fits a bedside table, and it tells you when it is thirsty by drooping.
Light: Medium light, can tolerate shade · Water: Water moderately, allow the top 3cm of soil to dry · Pets: Not pet friendly — Spathiphyllum is ASPCA-listed toxic to cats and dogs · Difficulty: Easy-going · From $39.95
► Shop Peace Lily Power Petite
Three more of ours carry the same “medium light, can tolerate shade” note: the Baby Rubber Plant, the Spider Plant and Rojo Congo, whose new leaves unfurl glossy red before settling to green. The ZZ Plant belongs here too and we are between crops on it, so we have left it unlinked.
How should you water a plant in low light?
Less light means slower growth, and slower growth means the potting mix stays wet for longer. A Devil’s Ivy in a bright kitchen might want a drink every week; the same plant in a south-facing hallway might go three weeks. Watering to a schedule instead of to the soil is the single most common way these plants die.
Push a finger into the mix to the depth of your first knuckle, roughly 3cm. For Devil’s Ivy and Philodendron Brasil, wait until the mix is almost dry all the way down. For the Power Petite, water once the top 3cm has dried and no sooner.
Seasons matter more in a dim room. Spring here runs September to November: growth restarts, watering picks up and fertiliser goes back on. Through winter, June to August, water noticeably less and stop feeding. In the weeks before spring, hold the fertiliser until September and let the mix dry a little longer between drinks.
Are low light plants safe for cats and dogs?
None of the three picks above is. All three sit in the not pet friendly tier of our own catalogue, and RSPCA Australia is the place to start if a pet has eaten something it shouldn’t have.
Devil’s Ivy is not pet friendly. Epipremnum aureum is ASPCA-listed as toxic to cats and dogs, so run the vines up a hook rather than letting them dangle at cat height. Philodendron Brasil is a cultivar of Philodendron hederaceum, which the ASPCA also lists as toxic, and it is worth keeping off a low shelf for the same reason.
The Power Petite is a Peace Lily, and Spathiphyllum is on the ASPCA’s toxic list for cats and dogs. Keep it out of reach, and ring your vet if an animal has eaten any of it.
For shade tolerance and genuine pet safety together, look at the Baby Rubber Plant and the Spider Plant. Both carry the same medium-light note, and both have their own non-toxic entries in the ASPCA database: Peperomia obtusifolia and Chlorophytum comosum.
Low light picks at a glance
| Plant | Light | Water | Pets | Best spot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devil’s Ivy | Medium, tolerates shade | Almost dry | Not pet friendly | High shelf, trailing |
| Philodendron Brasil | Medium, tolerates shade | Almost dry | Not pet friendly | Bookcase or totem |
| Peace Lily Power Petite | Medium, tolerates shade | Top 3cm dry | Not pet friendly | Bedside or side table |
| Baby Rubber Plant | Medium, tolerates shade | Almost dry | Pet friendly | Desk, small sill |
| Spider Plant | Medium, tolerates shade | Top 3cm dry | Pet friendly | Hanger, top of a cupboard |
All five sit in the Easy-going tier, which is the whole point of a shade list: they cope with the light they are given and would rather dry out than sit wet. That label is our editorial call from the card’s light and water values, not something printed on the card.
Where ours come from
Every plant on this page is packed and dispatched from our Queensland nursery, by the people who have been watering it. Nothing sits in a third-party warehouse between the bench and your hallway.
Every order is packed in low-waste, plastic-free packaging with a printed care card, and it is backed by our 30-day plant guarantee. One honest note on that guarantee: repotting inside the first 30 days voids it, so sit the nursery pot inside your decorative one for the first month and repot after.
Low light plant FAQs
What houseplants do well in low light?
Devil’s Ivy, Philodendron Brasil, Peace Lily Power Petite, Baby Rubber Plant and Spider Plant all cope with medium light or shade. The first three are not pet friendly; the last two are. None belongs in a windowless room, and all need less water than they would in bright light.
Why is my low light plant getting leggy?
Long bare stems with widely spaced leaves mean the plant is stretching for light. Move it a metre closer to the window, or to a room with a larger one, and prune the leggiest vines back to encourage branching. The cuttings will strike in water on a bright sill, so nothing is wasted.
Can I put a plant in a bathroom or laundry with no window?
A windowless room needs a suitable grow light if plants are to live there long-term. Shade tolerance still requires usable light; rotating plants into darkness is not a dependable care plan. Otherwise, keep them in a brighter room. See the RHS guide to artificial lighting.
The Good Plant Co nursery team · Last updated 12 September 2026
Up: The right plant for every room in your home · Across: Small indoor plants for small spaces