If your home feels a little drab or your office looks dreary, make a statement with these large indoor low-light plants—like a snake plant, a money tree, or a cast iron plant. They’re just waiting for a shady home to settle down and grow upwards.
In this article...
How tall can low-light houseplants grow?
The plants on this list range from 2 to 10 feet tall. Growing that large with low light is impressive. These tall low light indoor plants make a visual statement, but they also represent resilience and ambition. You need that energy in your life.
Why these large houseplants don’t need much sun
Of course, everyone knows that plants need sunlight to photosynthesize. Without sunlight, we don’t get fresh air, and the plant can’t grow.
But these large indoor plants need only a little sun. The secret is in their backstories. Their ancestors grew up in forests and jungles, where truly gigantic trees hogged all the rays. These tall trees and plants had to fight over the dappled shade that trickled down. And they still managed to make a pretty good show of it.
14 large low-light indoor plants
Let’s stick with large indoor plants that like truly low light. We feel that bright indirect light doesn’t count as low light. So we’ll cover medium indirect light, low indirect light (which is the same thing as partial shade), and full shade.
1. Snake plant
Most succulents are small, but snake plants grow straight upwards. We’ve grown snake plants up to 5.5 feet tall. The snake plant tolerates a lot of different light conditions--including VERY low lighting. Don’t put it in a closet, but just about anywhere else will do. A very easygoing fellow.
Try the Zeylanica snake plant for the cool dark-and light-green zig zags on its leaves. All of a sudden your boring, shady corner will become pretty and interesting.
2. Cast iron plant
This plant is strong as iron and tough to kill. When’s the last time you killed iron? You’ll have equal luck with the cast iron plant. It needs hardly any light to thrive. He’s about as scared of the sun as your cat is scared of water. So keep your cat out of the sink and your cast iron plant away from the window, and everybody’s happy.
The cast iron easily reaches several feet tall, so if you have a brown thumb but you want a statement piece, you’ve found it.
3. Bamboo palm
In the right conditions, the bamboo palm can grow to reach 8 feet indoors. It likes low indirect light, so it needs a little sun but not much. This popular palm has fronds all up and down its stalks. It fills the space nicely instead of just bursting out at the top.
Most palms need light. But the bamboo palm likes to zig when they zag. If you like setting a mood of rebellion or independence, this plant will march to its own beat.
4. Janet Craig cane
An easy-care option, Janet likes medium indirect light. The guy who discovered this variety of dracaena named it after his daughter, Janet. Despite her honored namesake and great beauty, Janet is pretty chill. She’s happy as long as she gets a medium smidgeon of sunlight. (Plus water, and soil, and love.)
Janet can grow 5 feet tall, and sometimes taller. Her long, shiny, cascading leaves look glamorous and create an impression that your entire home is elegant.
5. Money tree
If you’re looking for a large houseplant that brings good luck, this is your guy. If you buy the story, Mr. Money Tree has a braided trunk that traps good fortune, and by fortune we do mean a pile of cash. Plus its leaves grow in clumps of six, possibly symbolizing six figures.
Luckily, he loves low lighting and will bring you joyful, wealthy thoughts even from a shady corner. Mr. Money Tree also grows up to 6 feet tall indoors (and 60 feet outside!).
6. Chinese evergreen
With a true jungle vibe, the Chinese evergreen is also believed to bring prosperity and good luck. Here’s a tip for picking your plant: Darker leaves need less light, and lighter leaves like more light. So look for a dark Chinese evergreen and then it’ll be happy even in near shade. If you have medium light, try the Chinese evergreen Maria, which has interesting light- and dark-green patterns.
It’s a slow-growing plant, but it can reach 2-4 feet if you take good care of it. In addition to appreciating low light, it also likes heat and humidity. It’s a good bathroom plant.
7. Draceana Rikki
There are hundreds of Dracaena varieties, but this is one of our favorites because its groups of stripey leaves (yellow bordered by green) look like cheerful pom-poms. If you want to lift the mood around your gloomy window immediately, put this cheerleader in your low-light space and start celebrating your victory.
In medium direct light, Rikki is pleased as punch. In deeper low light, it will still be cheerful, but might lose the yellow middle of its leaves and stick to green. Rikki can grow up to 4 or 5 feet, or even taller!
8. Parlor palm
The parlor palm’s shiny, elegant fronds crowd together in a glorious explosion of green. It’s so fancy, wealthy people in Victorian times would decorate their parlors with this palm (hence the name). If you want to feel glam when you host parties, and/or when you dance around your living room with a hairbrush as a mic, then the parlor palm will set the right mood.
This plant grows slowly, but with proper TLC, the parlor palm can reach six feet tall. Even with low indirect light!
9. ZZ plant
The ZZ is just about indestructible. It tolerates low light, drought, and dry air, a combination most plants loathe. ZZ doesn’t care, he’s just chilling in the shade. If your apartment gets only one small window, the ZZ will still cheer up the joint.
Older leaves are dark green, and the newer ones are bright green. This creates a lovely gradient effect that keeps things interesting. Our ZZs reach up to 4 and a half feet large.
10. Kentia palm
Another Victorian darling, Kentia tolerates a lot of different conditions: low light, rough handling, dust, drafts, and neglectful watering habits. It can live for several decades even if you’re not a very nice plant parent. Even if you’re not Victorian. If you want a plant that will last, go for Kentia.
Kentia can grow up to 10 feet indoors! She’s a real statement piece.
11. Pothos
Some pothos look small when you buy it, but he’s just biding his time. If you give him a nice trellis or a pole, he’ll climb up six feet, quick as a flash (they can grow over a foot every month).
Or you can put him in a hanging planter and watch him flow downwards until he reaches the floor. He’s not picky about direction—he just wants to take up space. Our pothos reaches 2.3 feet, and it’ll climb even higher in your home.
12. Mass cane
Mass cane, also known as the corn plant, is totally cool in medium indirect light. She’ll even grow just fine in partial shade, but she might lose some of her variegations (the different colors on her leaves)—they’ll probably go dark green all over. Other than that, she’s an easy-care plant.
Even with solid green leaves, she’s a splendid low-light indoor plant. Mass cane can grow 7 feet tall, and it looks luxurious and tropical.
13. Lisa cane
Like her sister, the mass cane, Lisa is pretty flexible about lighting. But her leaves are solid green to start with, so you don’t have to worry about losing variegations. She’s just as easygoing as her sister, and she can grow 5 feet or more.
14. Calathea rattlesnake
The Calathea needs very little light, and its leaves are a work of art. The Freddie is striking, striped, and symmetrical. The peacock plant's leaves are showy on top and velvety beneath.
The rattlesnake variety is as complex and harmonious as a real snake’s pattern. But it's safe for pets and kids! It looks like a painting, and it's comfortable in almost any light except bright sun. It also likes humidity, so mist it often.
10 large indoor plants that DO NOT like low light
You’ll see these tall plants listed in other articles on this topic. But including them is misleading.
Technically, you can place them in low light. Technically, you could put anything in low lighting. Low lighting is not some sort of high-security prison where you can’t get in and can’t get out.
But here’s why you shouldn’t put these plants in low lighting. (Unless you have some sort of grudge against umbrellas or fenestrations.)
1. Monstera deliciosa
Monstera is one of the most popular houseplants because it’s gorgeous, interesting, and easy to grow. It’s deep-green leaves have holes or “fenestrations” that give it a unique look.
They’re easy to grow… if they get enough sun. They can survive in low light, but they won’t grow as many fenestrations.
2. Banana plant
Banana plants have huge green leaves and look exotic, but those leaves prefer to soak up bright indirect light. Shade just won’t cut it.
3. Triostar stromanthe
This plant likes bright indirect light, not shade. It’ll lose its variegation for sure. Besides, it’s short, not large. They grow out more than up. It’s usually under 2 feet, although it can occasionally reach 3 feet if it’s fully mature and very happy. Which involves decent sunlight. Pass.
4. Umbrella tree
Schefflera arboricola will survive in low light, but it won’t thrive. It’ll shed leaves. It’ll grow leggy (long stems with fewer, widely spaced leaves). It’s just begging for a sip of sunshine.
5. Weeping fig
The weeping fig just straight-up needs sun. It tolerates bright indirect light but enjoys a little actual sunlight, too. It’s just mean to put her in a corner. She’ll start crying for real.
6. Dragon tree
The Dragon has such an explosion of leaves that you can barely see the trunks. And Dragon trees can grow up to 10 feet tall! Buuuut they like bright indirect light. In medium indirect light, the dragon will shed leaves. And the leaves it continues growing will be slender.
7. Song of India
The Reflexa’s lush, dark leaves look vibrant and strong. It’s not technically a tree, but it sure looks like one. And it can grow up to 10 feet tall.
But if you put it in partial shade, it will drop a few leaves to protest. And it’ll get leggy, meaning long thin stems with just a few leaves. When that happens, it’s because the plant is stretching towards the light, begging for a few more rays.
8. Alocasia odora
The odora, also called elephant ear or night-scented lily, sounds pretty whimsical. But she loses her whimsy when she’s trapped in darkness. With less than bright indirect light, the alocasia odora will shed her leaves and just have a few lonely branches remaining.
9. Rubber plant
The rubber plant is on nearly every list—but if you put it in low lighting, it’ll lose some leaves. And the new leaves will be smaller and flatter. It’s just not the same (and it’s not nice).
10. Dieffenbachia camille
Camille has large, fan-like leaves with ivory middles and green edges. They look fashionable and luxe. But without bright indirect light, it loses its variegations. That means those lovely ivory centers will turn uniformly green, until the leaves are all one color. Then you’re missing out on the main visual effect.
Why low light indoor plants are best when they’re tall
The bigger the plant, the more it purifies the air! A burst of big, long leaves does a lot more than a handful of flimsy little leaflets. And large low-light indoor plants can do that even if you can’t give them a lot of sun.
So if you have allergies, sensitivities, nearby fires, or just a really smelly roommate, get a large indoor plant that can tolerate your low light.
Calvin Li
Calvin grew up in a plant shop. In the years since, he’s overseen hundreds upon hundreds of plants. He helps customers pick out the perfect plants for their homes and offices. He even helped Saks Off Fifth select plants for their corporate offices.
In college, Calvin studied horticulture (the art, science, and business of growing plants, including ornamental plants). Next, he rejoined the family business and expanded it online. In the nursery, he has seen all sorts of plant pests, diseases, and other problems—and fixed them.
Every day, customers come into Calvin’s shop with all sorts of questions, and he loves helping them select their plants and solve their plant problems.
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