Lowlight Houseplants

• Jade is a low-light adapted plant. dollar plant (crassula portulacea) leaves close up image by Dmitry Rukhlenko from Fotolia.com

  Houseplants have different light requirements, from bright light to low light. Indoor lighting is usually too low for growing flowering plants, so most plants that are adapted to low-light conditions are foliage plants. Use fluorescent light bulbs for supplemental lighting, since these give the plants more usable light than regular light bulbs. Low light is just enough light to read by and is located within a few feet of a window.

Cast Iron Plant

• Cast iron plants (Aspidistra elatior) grow 2 feet tall with arching stems. The dark green, glossy leaves have pointed tips. The flower of this plant is bell-shaped. Cast iron plants rarely produce flowers in low-light conditions. This is a low-maintenance houseplant.

Chinese Evergreen

• Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema pseudobracteatum) reaches 3 feet in height. The leaves vary from light to dark green with variegated spots of silver. The Chinese evergreen rarely flowers inside. This houseplant prefers the warm temperatures and dry air associated with indoor growing. Watering the Chinese evergreen with very cold water causes the leaves to turn brown.

Fishtail Palm

• Fishtail palm (Caryota mitis) forms clumps of palms that grow to less than 25 feet tall. The green leaf blades are divided into several segments, which resemble a fancy goldfish tail. This tropical houseplant creates a tropical effect inside. Remove the stems after they flower, since this will keep the fishtail palm looking neat.

Rubber Plant

• Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) reach 6 to 10 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide. Tall rubber plants need extra support from a wooden stake. The glossy, dark green leaves are thick and leathery. The trunk of the rubber plant grows thick and tree-like. Being too wet or too dry will cause the leaves to turn yellow and fall off. Do not move the rubber plant from one extreme to another, like transporting this plant from a high-light area to a low-light area. This sudden change will cause the loss of leaves.

Snake Plant

• Snake plants (Sansevieria trifasciata) are also called the mother-in-law's tongue. Depending on the variety, snake plants grow from 6 to 48 inches tall and 10 to 36 inches wide. The stiff upright leaves are tough and leathery. The green leaves are patterned with dark green bands of color and the outer edges are creamy white in color. Snake plants do not form flowers in low-light conditions. The leaves fall over when this plant is given too much water.