A Man's Home

The Best Low Light Plants for Your Home

The easiest way to fake a green thumb? Start with plants that don’t need one

The easiest way to upgrade your space without trying too hard? Add a low-light plant like one of these from The Sill.

By

Cory Ohlendorf

Editor in Chief

@coryohlendorf

Published

April 20, 2026

Cory has been reporting on men's style, grooming and lifestyle pursuits for over 20 years. He is the co-founder of Valet.

Published

April 20, 2026

Photography

Courtesy

Note

Items featured in this story are independently selected by the editorial team. Purchasing via our links may earn Valet. a portion of the sale, which helps fund our editorial mission.

We can all agree, that some greenery in your space makes it more interesting and inviting. Study after study confirms that plants do real things for your home and your mental state—they clean the air, lower stress levels and signal to anyone who walks through your door that you’ve got your life reasonably together. The thing stopping most men isn’t interest. It’s the assumption that plants require a lot of attention and ample light, and that without a south-facing window and a dedicated watering schedule, you’re doomed to a shelf full of dried-out regret.

The good news is that a whole category of plants essentially evolved to work around that. We’re talking about low-light varieties. The kind that thrive in the dim corners of an entryway, a north-facing bedroom, or even a windowless bathroom (or cubicle). These exist specifically for this situation and most of them want to be ignored. They tolerate irregular watering, don’t require misting, and will look sharp in an unassuming planter for years without a fuss.

We spoke with a handful of experts to bring you the best options to consider, whether you’re starting from zero or finally ready to upgrade that sad, lonely succulent on your desk.

The Best Low-Light Plants for a Man's Home

ZZ plant,

$99

/

$79

at

The Sill

ZZ Plant

Zamioculcas zamiifolia

If you want exactly one plant in your home and you want it to survive any and everything from travel to full blown neglect, this is it. The waxy, deep-green leaves catch whatever ambient light exists in a room and reflect it back in a way that looks intentional and vibrant. It grows slowly and stores water in its thick roots, which means forgetting to water it for three weeks is actually fine.

Snake Plant

Sansevieria / Dracaena trifasciata

This plant, also called Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, is one of the most architectural plants you can own. Tall, upright with sharp, sword-like leaves banded in greens and yellows, it’s often found in offices and hotel lobbies. And that’s because it thrives in low light and handles air conditioning, heating vents and neglect without complaint. It’s also one of the better air-purifying plants available and looks equally at home flanking a bed, standing in an entryway, or filling a dark corner of a living room that needs a focal point.

Snake plant,

$39

at

Rooted

Heartleaf philodendron plant,

$39

at

Bloomscape

Heartleaf Philodendron

Philodendron hederaceum

Most trailing plants look a little precious, but this one is the exception. Its lush, glossy, heart-shaped leaves cascade naturally from any elevated surface, whether that’s a high shelf, a bookcase or a cabinet in the corner of a room. It works especially well in spaces that need something organic to soften hard lines and dark furniture. In low light, it grows more slowly and the leaves stay compact, but it holds its shape and color well.

Chinese Evergreen

Aglaonema

Here’s a plant that does something most low-light options don’t: it comes in color. Chinese Evergreens are available in varieties ranging from deep forest green to silver-streaked to dusty rose and crimson, which means you can actually use them as a design element rather than just greenery for greenery’s sake. The darker-leaved varieties handle the lowest light best, while the more colorful cultivars prefer a bit more ambient brightness.

Aglaonema plant with stand,

$79

/

$69

at

Easyplant

Birds nest fern plant,

$89

at

The Sill

Bird’s Nest Fern

Asplenium nidus

Most ferns are high maintenance—they want humidity, indirect light and someone to remember them. Not this one. Its wide, rippled fronds fan out from a central rosette and give any surface (a bathroom shelf, a side table, a low windowsill) an almost architectural quality. It thrives in the humidity that comes naturally in a bathroom, which makes it the rare plant that actually gets better the less natural light a room has, provided moisture is in the air.

Red Prayer Plant

Maranta leuconeura

If you want a plant that’s also really interesting looking, try this one. Its oval leaves are marked with a bright red herringbone pattern against dark green, with a purple-pink underside that shows when the leaves fold up at night—which they do, every night, closing like hands in prayer and reopening with the morning light. It’s a genuinely interesting plant to own, and it looks sharp trailing from a shelf or sitting on a side table where the detail in the leaves can actually be appreciated up close. It’s pet-friendly, air-purifying, and does well in low to bright indirect light.

Red prayer plant,

$39

/

$33.15

at

Rooted

An Easy Care Guide

The team at Rooted says that low-light plants need less frequent watering as their soil may not dry as quickly.

Check that the top few inches of the soil are dry to prevent overwatering your plants.
If you start seeing yellowing leaves or wilting, mushy stems, this is a common sign of overwatering.
And ever so often, clean the leaves gently under running water in a shower to remove dust.