If you’re looking to add a new plant to your home but you’re not working with a lot of natural light, you might have some concerns. We totally understand, but don’t worry! With our light measuring guide and low light plant recommendations, you’ll be sure to find the perfect plant to decorate your space. 

How to Measure Light for Plants

When searching for a place to put your new plant baby, it can be hard to know if the spot receives bright, medium, or low light. While you can measure light for your houseplants with a light meter, there is an easier (and quicker) way to measure light! The alternative to using a light meter is doing a shadow test! 

To complete a shadow test you will need a sunny day, a sheet of paper and your hand- that’s it! First, place your sheet of paper where you plan on keeping your plant. Then, hold your hand one foot above the piece of paper. What do you see? A clearly defined shadow of your hand means that spot receives bright light. If the shadow is fuzzy, the spot receives medium light. If the shadow is hard to see or nonexistent, the spot receives low light. 

Don’t fear if your intended spot receives low light! Having limited light doesn’t limit your plant options! (Okay, technically it does, but there’s still a huge variety of plants that will love your room with low to medium light). 

Best Houseplants for Low Light 

If you need low light houseplants, look for these beauties to brighten up a dreary corner.

Ivy: Ivy naturally grows on forest floors and tree trunks with a canopy overhead, so it’s used to limited and dappled sunlight. A room with low to medium light is ideal for ivy. 

Arrowhead Vine: There’s an arrowhead vine growing in the Wild Interiors office doing just fine with only artificial light. You can prune the vines back to keep the plant bushy or let them grow a little more wild. 

Pothos: Pothos can grow happily in a setting with low to medium light. They are quite hardy and can withstand varying light levels! 

Dieffenbachia: Growth is a bit slower in lower light, but dieffenbachia will remain healthy in low to medium light conditions. 

Spider Plant: Spider plants are highly adaptable to pretty much any environment. They’ll continue to grow in lower light conditions and produce spiderettes (baby plants) that you can leave as a trailing addition off the mother plant or repot for more spider plants! 

Sansevieria: The snake plant, or sansevieria, is drought tolerant and low light tolerant, making it a great houseplant for beginners or an ideal choice for a windowless office or darker room. 

ZZ Plant: There’s a reason ZZ plants are frequently used in planters at shopping malls; they are extremely low maintenance, require very little water, and can handle low light environments. The ZZ is an excellent starter plant for any room of the house or office.

If you’re looking for more information on lighting levels for your plants or curious on which plants do best in spaces with bright light, check out our post on The Best Houseplants for Your Light Level.