The PILF-opedia

Low lights: the ones that love it with the lights off

A hallway, a bathroom, a desk in the middle of an office, the corner the lamp doesn’t reach. These need the least light: across the room from a window, or no window at all.

  1. 1

    ZZ Plant

    Happy almost anywhere the lights are on through the day, a room with no window included, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  2. 2

    Snake Plant

    Any room works, from a dim corner to a bright window, as long as it doesn’t bake in hours of hot sun through glass.
  3. 3

    Raven ZZ Plant

    It gets by on office lights or a lamp in a room with no window, though a spot a few feet from a window keeps it growing, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  4. 4

    Cast Iron Plant

    Happy in the dimmest corner you’ve got, even under office lights, as long as sun never lands on its leaves.
  5. 5

    Chinese Evergreen

    Happy anywhere from a few feet off a window to a room lit only by office lights, as long as the sun never lands on its leaves.
  6. 6

    Cylindrical Snake Plant

    It needs a room with a window, anywhere from across the room to right beside a bright one, and a few hours of sun on the leaves won’t hurt it.
  7. 7

    Heartleaf Philodendron

    Happy across the room from a window or under office lights, as long as sun never lands on its leaves.
  8. 8

    Philodendron Brasil

    Happy across the room from a window and happiest a few feet from one, as long as sun never lands on its leaves.
  9. 9

    Ripple Peperomia

    It likes a spot a few feet from a window, or right by one behind a sheer curtain, as long as sun doesn’t reach its leaves.
  10. 10

    Neon Pothos

    Anywhere in a room with a window works, though a spot a few feet from the glass keeps the color brightest, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  11. 11

    Peace Lily

    Any room with a window works, even across from it, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves; a spot a few feet from the glass gives the most flowers.
  12. 12

    Bromeliad

    It does fine across the room from a window, and best a few feet from one, as long as the sun never hits it directly.
  13. 13

    Lucky Bamboo

    Any room with a window works, even well back from the glass, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  14. 14

    Watermelon Peperomia

    Best a few feet from an east window, and fine across the room from one, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  15. 15

    Rubber Plant

    Best beside a bright window, ideally an east one, though it adapts to a spot across the room, as long as it’s where afternoon sun doesn’t land on the leaves.
  16. 16

    Bamboo Palm

    Happiest a few feet from a window, and it manages across the room from one; never where sun lands on its leaves.
  17. 17

    Dracaena Marginata

    It manages across the room from a window, but it stays fullest beside a bright one, as long as the sun never shines on it directly.
  18. 18

    Parlor Palm

    It’s fine across the room from a window and happiest a few feet from one, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  19. 19

    Corn Plant

    It gets by across the room from a window and looks its best a few feet from one, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  20. 20

    Monstera

    It lives across the room from a window, but beside a bright one is where it grows big, split leaves; just keep it out of hot summer sun.
  21. 21

    Philodendron Birkin

    Give it a spot a few feet from a window, where sun doesn’t land on the leaves; across the room works too, with slower growth.
  22. 22

    Satin Pothos

    Happy anywhere in a room with a window, even across the room from it, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  23. 23

    Moth Orchid

    It takes less light than most flowering plants: an east window is ideal, or a spot back from a south or west one, as long as the sun never lands on its leaves.
  24. 24

    Bird’s Nest Fern

    It gets by across the room from a window and does best a few feet from an east or north one, well where sun doesn’t land on the leaves.
  25. 25

    Kimberly Queen Fern

    A few feet from a window suits it best, and it copes across the room from one, as long as sun never reaches the fronds.
  26. 26

    Dumb Cane

    Best a few feet from a window, and fine across the room from one, as long as it’s where summer sun doesn’t land on the leaves.
  27. 27

    Philodendron Xanadu

    Happiest beside a bright window and fine across the room from one, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  28. 28

    Money Tree

    Beside a bright window is ideal and across the room from one is the least it takes; just keep sun off its leaves.
  29. 29

    Lemon Lime Dracaena

    It gets by across the room from a window and does best a few feet from one, as long as the sun never lands on its leaves.
  30. 30

    Philodendron Selloum

    It copes across the room from a window, but it grows its biggest, most deeply cut leaves beside a bright one, as long as sun never lands on it.
  31. 31

    Arrowhead Plant

    It gets by across the room from a window, and the colorful kinds keep their color best a few feet from one, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  32. 32

    Umbrella Tree

    Near a window, with the sun softened by a sheer curtain or a few feet of distance, suits it best, though it gets by across the room from one; sun landing on its leaves burns them.
  33. 33

    Prayer Plant

    It likes a spot a few feet from an east or north window, or farther back from a sunny one; sun on the leaves bleaches its colors.
  34. 34

    Swiss Cheese Vine

    Happy across the room from a window and happiest a few feet from one, as long as sun never lands on its leaves.
For the patient: Foes that fit this list
  1. 35

    Asparagus Fern

    Across the room from a window works and a few feet from one is better, but keep it where sun doesn’t land on the leaves, which it can’t take.
  2. 36

    Maidenhair Fern

    It gets by across the room from a window and does best a few feet from an east or west one, or right by a north window, where sun doesn’t land on the leaves.
  3. 37

    Nerve Plant

    It’s happy a few feet from a window or across the room from one, even under office lights, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves.
  4. 38

    Calathea

    It keeps its colors best a few feet from a window, copes across the room from one, and scorches in sun on the leaves.
  5. 39

    Rattlesnake Plant

    Any room with a window works, even across from it, as long as sun doesn’t land on its leaves; a little early morning sun is fine.
  6. 40

    Boston Fern

    Happy across the room from a window and happiest a few feet from one, as long as sun never lands on its fronds.
Other lists
Soilmates →Best fronds →Ferns with benefits →Trophy plants →Hard-to-kill →Pet-safe →Pocket plants →See all 100 in the PILF-⁠opedia →