8 Beautiful Low-Light Plants to Brighten Up Your Home

If there’s one indoor plant that has dominated interiors for the last several years, it’s the humble fiddle-leaf fig. This fashionable ficus has graced magazine covers and high-end spreads for good reason: It's sculptural without being too bushy, and equally hardy and pretty with its large, violin-shaped leaves. What houseplant could possibly compete with that? Well, quite a few actually.

We rounded up the next crop of stylish specimens making their way to an interior near you. All of these plants thrive indoors; in fact, many of them actually enjoy being positioned in a moody, low-light corner.

So, if you're ready to add literal and figurative life to your aesthetic, add one (or all) of these plant babies to your wish list.

The rubber plant (Ficus elastica) is a fairly easy evergreen that was a popular indoor plant in the ’70s, and it’s making a big comeback. The stunning burgundy color adds a pretty pop to any room, but it’s the large, leathery, glossy leaves that have people clamoring for this handsome houseplant. And the best part is the rubber plant actually likes to be pot-bound. Just set it and (mostly) forget it.

The bird-of-paradise species (Strelitzia reginae) is commonly mistaken for the banana plant thanks to its large leaves and enormous height. This beauty can grow to more than six feet in height, and its banana-like leaves can reach 28 inches in length. Its oversized evergreen leaves are one of the reasons it has become such a popular houseplant, and they usually unfold one at a time in a crisscross pattern that resembles a fan shape at the crown. Its most magnificent feature, though, is its bird-like flower of orange and blue.

Palms are incredibly atmospheric; as soon as they’re in the room, you immediately feel a tropical, luxurious vibe. They work particularly well in larger rooms with tall ceilings but can spruce up a spacious apartment, too. Palms work well indoors because they love shade and are slow growing, so they won’t outgrow their space too quickly.

Also known as "the mother-in-law’s tongue," this low-maintenance sansevieria is a great indoor plant for homeowners lacking a green thumb. If you forget about it, don’t stress; these plants can go for a month without water. Its firm, super-straight leaves come in a variety of colors and shapes and make for a great, bold look that is well-complemented by a designer planter.

The heart-shaped leaves of this stunning Alocasia will make you smile every time you look at it. It's a medium-light plant so you will want to position it in a bright area of the house with mostly indirect light. It may require a little more care than a low-light plant, but it has a lot of love to give.

If you look up “houseplants you can’t kill,” pothos (Epipremnum aureum) will always be there. This leafy vine is one of the easiest plants to grow, and grow it does. The tropical vine’s trail can reach up to 10 feet indoors, even longer in its natural environment. What makes it so simple to grow? Well, it loves low-light conditions and sporadic watering (another drought-friendly variety). Plus, it can actually purify the air you breathe each day. 

There is so much to love about this glossy green plant. Its striking leaf shape is a beautiful addition to any interior, but the best part about the stylish species is that it actually thrives in low light. It’s also drought-friendly, preferring to be on the dry side. There are literally hundreds of species, but the split-leaf philodendron (Monstera deliciosa) seems to be among the most popular thanks to its striking, large-scale leaves.

Perhaps one of the trendiest on this list is the Monstera. It features a beautiful split-leaf shape and glossy green color. When young, the Monstera leaf is intact, but its leaves begin to split as it ages and become Swiss Cheese-like, hence its common nickname, Swiss Cheese plant. These plants need a lot of space—they like to be the hero of a room not tucked away in a corner where no one can see, so give yours the love she needs. Consider adding base support, such as a small trellis or a pole, to keep it upright as she grows.

This post was originally published on July 21, 2015, and has since been updated.