Low Light Succulents That Thrive Indoors
Check the best low light succulents that can grow indoors without direct sunlight and still thrive. Add greenery to a low light space.
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Succulents are known to be very low-key maintenance plants. Their thick leaves and stern lock the moisture inside, which helps them thrive in dry conditions and arid climates. In addition to that, the fleshy leaves make succulents very attractive and therefore popular.
Usually, succulents grow in dry, hot, and sunny conditions. But several varieties can tolerate a lack of light. Therefore if you’re looking for a plant that can grow indoors with limited sunlight, then low light succulents are the obvious choice.
Tips to help low light succulents grow
Here are some tips that will help you choose and grow low light succulents:
1. Low light doesn’t mean no light at all. Low light succulents can tolerate the lack of light for a while. But in the long run a partial or indirect light is a great help. A good practice would be to put a succulent in a place with at least some indirect light. If this is not the option and you plan to grow succulents in an area with no light (like an office cubicle, for example), then a LED grow light can do the trick.
2. Stick to the watering schedule. In most cases, it is the overwatering that kills a succulent, not the absence of light. Here is a very helpful guide that will answer how often to water the succulents. In case you somehow overwatered the succulent, check this post on how to save an overwatered succulent.
3. Low maintenance doesn’t mean no maintenance. Some people who are not eager to take care of plants get succulents because they don’t require too much care. But this is a common misconception. Succulents require some very basic care, which some people ignore. As a result, their succulents die, which can be prevented. Therefore, before purchasing a succulent, read some basic care tips about that particular variety type to help the plant grow and glow.
The best low light succulents
Succulents are known to be very easy to grow and take care of. But in addition to easy maintenance, succulents aren’t very picky about the surrounding conditions. That, in particular, refers to the amount of light. As you may know, sunlight is crucial to a lot of plants, including indoor plants. Luckily, there are low light succulents that can endure the absence of light. Below are the best low light succulents you can grow in limited light spaces.
1. Sansevieria Golden Hahni/Snake Plant
Sansevieria is my all-time favorite succulent. I have several snake plants in the house and can definitely say that they are low light succulents. But here is the secret, based on my experience: go for a small snake plant, because big and tall sansevierias need at least 6 hours of light per day. Therefore, if you’re a fan of a snake plant like me but need a succulent that will thrive in the shade, then go for a small version.
Another thing to keep in mind about Golden Hahni (which is the variety of a snake plant that is small) is that if you ever decide to grow it tall, give it some light. In general, the small snake plant will stay alive for years in low light conditions, but the growth will be minimal. This is neither bad, no good. I’m just letting you know that the snake plant is a very strong succulent and can adjust to any environment, no matter the amount of light you provide. Therefore it is a perfect low light succulent.
Care:
- Light: low light, shade, no direct sun.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
*Yes, you can buy good succulents not only in nurseries or garden centers but also online. I was skeptical, until my first online plant delivery. The seller packed the plant very professionally, and the plant looked good and grows for about a year now looking healthy. If you hesitate, check the reviews for each particular seller online and make your decision. For me, online purchases in a no-brainer that can be made from the comfort of your home. Moreover, I had both offline and online plants experience, and I think it all comes down to care.
2. Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera is another low light succulent among my favorite plants. I had an aloe vera plant that literally grew in the dark corner for several years and nevertheless looked great.
Aloe Vera is also known as medicinal aloe due to its numerous health benefits. I remember cutting the aloe vera leaves and mixing them with honey until the leaves produce juice. That mixture is very beneficial during if you have a cold, or a sore throat. Plus it is considered to boost immune system. Just make sure to check if you have allergies.
Care:
- Light: low to light and shade
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
3. Aloe
While Aloe Vera is the most popular variety of the Aloe family, other varieties are low light succulents as well. Aloe succulents are very easy to recognize due to the long and leaves that look like spikes. But unlike the Aloe Vera that can grow up to 40 inches tall, other varieties are much smaller, making them a perfect low light succulent for a desk or a side table.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
4. Hawortia/ Zebra plant
Zebra plant is a great low light succulent that requires minimum care and can be damaged and burned by too much light. Therefore it is a perfect small succulent for office spaces or north-facing rooms with little light.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
5. Sedum Morganianum/Burro Tail
Burro’s Tail is a very fun succulent plant that can tolerate low light and shade. Just make sure not to overwater it. Burro’s Tail is a hanging succulent. Therefore it will look great in hanging baskets or hanging planters.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
6. Panda Plant/Kalanchoe
Among different varieties of the Kalanchoe family, the Panda Plant is the best low light succulent. It is particularly unique because of the velvety leaves that give the Panda Plan a soft texture.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
7. Mother of Thousands
Mother of Thousands probably one of those plants that have millions of names. From the most known “Mother of Millions” and “Mother of Thousands” to “alligator plant” and “devil’s backbone” and so much more. But basically, it is a type of Kalanchoe that can tolerate partial shade and glow in spaces with limited sunlight.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
8. Schlumbergera/ Holiday Cacti
Holiday Cacti is a type of cacti that has soft leaves and is very distantly resembles a cactus. On the other hand, this is the variety of Cacti that can grow in the shade, unlike usual cactuses that require a lot of direct sunlight.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
9. Rhipsalis baccifera/Mistletoe Cactus
Mistletoe Cactus is another cactus variety that in nature grows in the shade of other plants. Therefore it is a great low light succulent option to look at.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
10. Pony Tail Palm
Pony Tail is one of the toughest plants I own. It survived shade, absence of light and water for a long period of time (me vacationing). So, based on my own experience, the Pony Tail plant can grow great in spaces with little light and can tolerate low maintenance once in a while. Actually, the only thing that can destroy this plant is my cat (you can see that the fresh leaves are cut; well, that’s my cat’s work). Therefore, if you need a very strong and unkillable plant, go for a Pony Tail.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
11. Zanzibar Gem/ZZ plant
ZZ plant is famous for its deep green leaves that look very lively. This is the type of plants that you see and wonder if it is an artificial one or not due to its bright and kind of waxy leaves. ZZ plant can tolerate a broad spectrum of temperatures and light conditions. Moreover, too much direct light can burn the leaves. Therefore ZZ plant is a perfect medium-sized low light succulent. You can put it on the desk or the floor; it will look great in any space.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1 inch is dry or once per month in winter and two/three times during summer.
12. Pencil cactus
Here is another unique variety of cactus plants that doesn’t particularly look like a cactus and doesn’t need extensive sunlight. The Pencil cactus is an excellent option for spaces with low light and partial shade.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
13. Hoya Obotava/ Heart
Here is a treat at the end of the list: the Heat Plant. When I first saw it, I thought that it is an artificial plant or a wax candle. But this is a succulent variety that has leaves in the shape of a heart. Other than the unique look, the Heart plant can tolerate shade and grow great in low light spaces.
Care:
- Light: partial light or shade.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
Allegedly Low Light Succulents
You may find in different sources that some of the succulents below are actually low light succulents. No doubt, that in general, succulents are very strong plants and can survive any conditions. But surviving doesn’t mean thriving. To sum up, based on my experience, the following succulents need a decent amount of sunlight to thrive:
1. Jade or Money Tree
Some of the sources claim that the Jade is a low light succulent. It is not totally true. While direct sunlight can burn the leaves, the absence of indirect light can significantly influence it. From my experience, every single Jade plant that I put in the corner ended badly. Therefore I can concludethat Jade needs indirect and extensive light to grow.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
2. Snake Plant
The same advice works for the tall Snake plant as for the Jade. While in general, sansevieria is considered a very strong succulent that can tolerate a variety of conditions, including limited light, I found out that little light works only for small Snake plants. If you decide on purchasing a tall variety of a Shake Plant, my advice based on my several years with snake plants experience would be putting the plant in place with at least 4-5-6 hours of natural light per day. Otherwise, the leaves will become soft, bend, and the whole plant will look miserable.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
3. String of Pearls
Some guides describe the String of Pearls as a low light succulent. When in reality, it needs a lot of natural light to grow. The good news is that as long as it is a hanging succulent, you can put it in a hanging pot and hang it over the window to boost its growth with natural light.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
4. Cacti
They say that a cactus is the easiest plant ever to have because it grows in dry, arid climates without a lot of water. While this is true and cactus can survive in harsh conditions, one vital thing to remember that it grows under direct sun. Therefore, cactus can’t be considered a low light succulent. It needs extensive natural light to grow.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
5. Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe is one of the most popular indoor plants. While a lot of the direct sun can damage the leaves, its lack can badly influence the succulent. Therefore, Kalanchoe is a perfect choice for places with some natural light but not a shaded corner.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
6. Echeveria
Echeverias are probably the most beautiful, and therefore the popular variety of succulent. They are mistakenly considered to be low light succulents, which is not totally accurate. Total lack of light can harm the Echeverias. In order to grow and look healthy, any Echeveria needs a lot of indirect natural light.
Care:
- Light: indirect but extensive light.
- Water: water it when the top 1/2 inch is dry or once/twice per month in winter and three/four times during summer.
Editor’s tip to low light succulents
There are many tips to help succulents grow without much light. But the main one when it comes to choosing the tight succulent for your space is to look for a succulent with pale or dark and deep green leaves. The reason for that is the following: the brighter and greener the leaves, the more light the plant will need to grow.
Final thoughts about low light succulents
To sum up, there are many low light succulents which can grow successfully in any space. But the important thing to remember is that low light succulents still need some light. Otherwise, they will be known as no-light succulents.
That is to say if you provide some light, great care and choose the less picky variety, then you can enjoy beautiful succulents no matter the conditions you put them into.
