Very Low-Light House Plants

If your home has limited southern exposure, that doesn't mean you can't bring a bit of your garden indoors. A range of plants fare well in extremely low lighting, whether you're looking for foliage that's palmate or ferny, tropical or vinelike. For the darkest corners, opt for plants that can tolerate from 75 to 100 foot-candles, and in some cases as little as 50 foot-candles. (One foot-candle approximately corresponds to the light that a single candle casts on a surface 1 foot away.)

As a group, ferns tend to fare very well in extremely low-light situations. Even when growing outdoors, the spore-producing plants tend to prefer dense shade, making them ideal for rooms with heavy drapes or high atop bookshelves, where the sun's rays never strike. The Boston fern or ruffle fern is an extremely popular species, well-adapted to interior low-light conditions, provided their soil is moist. Boston ferns thrive in humid environments with daytime temperatures from 68 to 72 degrees F and night temperatures of about 55 degrees.

For an indoor display of colorful foliage, you can plant several kinds of shade-loving plants. The dracaena genus has several species that respond well to darkly lit interiors, with some varieties exhibiting interesting variegated foliage. For example, the 'Baby Ti' is a cultivar with red-tipped foliage. Unlike most dracaena, it rarely grows taller than 3 feet. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema) also produces interesting foliage. Select varieties like 'Silver King' or 'Silver Queen' for silvery streaks. 'Emerald Star' offers streaks of gold. The plant's leaves are 1.5 feet long and 5 inches wide and grow in large clumps; the plant measures 2 to 3 feet tall.

While it's less common to find flowering plants that are well-adapted to low light conditions, occasionally moving a plant to a slightly sunnier spot can help to trigger flowering. For example, peace lilies (Spathiphyllum spp.) fare extremely well in dim locations. Provide your peace lily with plenty of moisure and watch as it forms a massive, spreading form, filling out its container. If the plant gets 100 to 150 foot-candles of light, it will produce a white "flower" structure, technically called a spath, which resembles that of a calla lily.

Several plants that meet the challenge of low lighting are all-around tough, hardy contenders. The cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior) is extremely tolerant to drought, as well as shade. It reaches up to 3 feet tall and exhibits extremely glossy leaves, either deep green or variegated with white and gold. Be certain not to over water the plant; one thing it cannot tolerate is "wet feet." The neanthe bella palm or parlor palm (Chamaedora elegans) is another hardy species. It grows in a clumping form and requires a lot of moisture. While slow growing, it can eventually reach a height of up to 6 feet and 4 feet across.