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Best Low-Light Houseplants and Artificial Lighting Options

Low light means you can comfortably read newsprint during daylight hours. It's typically found within 3–4 feet of a north window, 5–6 feet of east, or 8–10 feet of south.

Recommended Low-Light Plants

Pothos
Chinese Evergreen
ZZ Plant
Dracaena 'Janet Craig'
Dracaena massangeana
Peace Lily

Artificial Lighting

Overhead fluorescent lights work well. Keep bulbs as close to plant tops as possible. Incandescent and halogen bulbs don't provide the right spectrum; fluorescent grow lights are better but more expensive than standard tubes. Run lights 8+ hours daily.

House Plants: Low-Light Cacti: Jungle Cacti (Schlumbergera, Epiphyllum) for Indoor Growing; Growing Nepenthes and Cephalotus in Zone 9 California: Outdoor or Lights?; True Low-Light Houseplants: What Actually Survives in Dim Corners; Houseplant Survival Guide for Low-Light Apartments; Low-Light Office Plants: 4-5 Foot Upright Specimens; Low-Light Houseplants: Best Choices for Dim Spaces; Saving Office Plants in Very Low Light; Plants for a Windowless Bathroom; Best Lush Low-Light Houseplants for Dark Rooms; Low Light for Houseplants: 50–150 Foot-Candles, Northern Exposure

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Best Low-Light Houseplants for Durability: ZZ Plant, Peace Lily, Aspidistra

High Light for Houseplants: Bright Indirect, Not Direct Sun

Medium Light for Houseplants: 150–300 Foot-Candles

Lighting Needs of Houseplants: Natural & Artificial Light Guide

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