Low Light Succulents That You Can Grow Indoors

Sanseveria is probably one of the best-know low light tolerant succulents, and one of the best-known house plants in general. Sanseveria is commonly known as the Snake Plant or, quite witty, the Mother-in-Law’s Tongue. Although people consider Sanseveria a plant with a lot of cultivars of different shapes and sizes

The snake plant is considered indestructible, and not without a reason. This plant can tolerate a wide range of common houseplant mismanagement issues, from infrequent watering to low light, but will also do well in brighter circumstances. Yet, for vitality and good looks, it should receive optimal care. Do not overwater it and don’t let it sit in water. Keep them away from direct, intense sun’s rays. Although it will do just fine in a low-light spot, you should know that brighter positions bring out the color better, especially in the variegated cultivars.

Beyond the classic Sanseveria trifasciata, the genus offers plants in many forms. Besides variations in color, the length and the shape of the leaves also differs from species to species – Another highly popular and hardy species

One more interesting fact about snake plants – they remove formaldehyde and benzene from the air, so you can use them to slightly increase your indoor air quality. Also, since the leaves contain saponins, they are slightly toxic to dogs and cats.

Aloe vera is the best-known species from the large Aloe genus which offers a wide variety of plants. All Aloe species have thick, fleshy, dull green to bluish leaves and usually some spines on the edges. They reproduce by producing offshoots. Their sizes range from dwarf species to large tree-like species which can be 30 ft tall.

Aloe vera originates from the Middle East – Arabian Peninsula, to be precise, but it grows well in all warm climates – tropical, sub-tropical and arid. It is a popular houseplant, but it is also commercially cultivated for medicinal and agricultural use.

Besides Aloe vera which is the most frequent and iconic species of the genus, another great choice is the petite Aloe aristata (Lace aloe). It is an extremely resilient plant which is, besides the lack of bright light, able to tolerate temperatures as low as 40 degrees F.

Epiphytes live in the canopies of trees, which means they are largely shaded from the sun. Holiday cacti – a group that includes the Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus and the Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri) – are just that, tree-living succulents which don’t need a lot of light to thrive. However, they do love humidity and a bit more watering than typical succulents.

These slightly droopy, segmented plants look their best when they are in bloom. And the lack of light is exactly what triggers them to bloom when the days start to get shorter in the autumn. Along with the shortening light exposure, for a successful bloom, the holiday cacti will need a dry season just before that – do not water them during August.

Rhipsalis is another rainforest epiphyte with limited needs for lighting. They do best in rooms facing East, since they enjoy some morning sun, and then shade in the afternoon.

Rhipsalis would make a very attractive addition to your succulent collection because it is so unusual. Rhipsalis baccifera, or the mistletoe cactus has long, cylindrical stems covered in small branches. At first the stems will grow straight, but it will start branching later. They can grow to be really long and can produce awesome clusters of white flowers.

Rhipsalis can easily be set up in a hanging basket. Also, it’s love for humidity makes it a good candidate for bathroom setups.

The adaptation to indirect light is what makes Haworthia such a good choice for indoors, even if you don’t get much sunlight. Still, for the best result, it would be great if the plant could receive bright or even direct sunlight during a certain period of the day.

As with many succulents, overwatering is the main enemy of Haworthia. Be careful with watering, especially in combination with lower light conditions.

Hawortias are a large genus of attractive small succulents native to South Africa. In their natural habitat, most of them grow under bushes and rock overhangs, which means they are adapted to shade and partial shade.

Haworthia margaritifera is a highly attractive miniature plant. With it’s vivid deep dark green basic color and white markings, sometimes it looks more like some miniature Christmas Tree than a like a succulent.

Here is a popular succulent, also known as the Donkey’s Tail. All that mentioning of tails makes a clear point – Sedum morganianum is another succulent with long, hanging stems. It is made even prettier by its unusual oval leaves that have a soothing pale green shade, and the pinkish flowers that pop out in the summer.

One of the most popular succulents often encountered in supermarkets and commonly gifted even to non-succulent fans, the Florist Kalanchoe or the Flaming Katy offers bouquet-like flowerheads of vivid colors. That is why it makes a great table plant or a desk centerpiece.

Kalanchoe is very tolerant of low light, but truth to be told, it will grow and bloom the best if it is in a brighter spot. If you put your Flaming Katy in a spot with too little light, you risk that it will grow long and lanky. Some trial and error might be needed to find optimal conditions.

The Hoyas are probably the most popular climbing, vine-like succulents and therefore a very common, old-school houseplants.

Hoya obovata is one a relatively fast-growing and resilient succulents, with dark green, waxy, thick, round leaves featuring tiny discrete speckles.

In general, hoyas like to be in bright spots, but Hoya obovata is hardier than average, and its resilience includes being tolerant to moderate light. It dislikes direct sunlight.

Like with many succulents, the biggest killer of hoya plants is overwatering. Because their leaves are quite thick, they are able to.store a lot of water, so make sure they are running out of it before reaching out to water them some more.

Hoya obovata is also sensitive to draft, so avoid drafty and busy spots.

As the Latin name suggests, Sempervivum are plants that are almost impossible to kill. The genus with about 40 species is very popular in gardens and in succulent container setups. It grows well outdoors where it will not be picky about its location, but can also be grown indoors.

It can survive an amazing length of time without water. However, like with any other succulent, the best way to kill Sempervivum is by overwatering it.

Sempervivum has numerous medicinal properties and it has been used in folk medicine to treat a vast range of alignments, from ear infections to warts.

Besides the common houseleek, there 40 species in the genus, and some of them make even more attractive houseplants, such as Sempervivum calcareum and Sempervivum arachnoideum.