Best low light houseplants UK
Updated: 21 October 2026
A north-facing flat can still hold a living plant, though only if you can read a book by the daylight at the sill. That is the Royal Horticultural Society’s test for a shady room, and it is the test for the best low light houseplants UK shoppers can order from the seven amazon.co.uk pots in our [low light plants comparison](/hub/houseplants/low-light-plants). Titles talk about easy care and cleaner air. The light sentence, the pot in centimetres, and the pet risk often say something else. Peter F. updated this on 20 October 2026 from the listings and public UK sources. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
A north-facing flat can still hold a living plant, though only if you can read a book by the daylight at the sill.
A north-facing flat can still hold a living plant, though only if you can read a book by the daylight at the sill. That is the Royal Horticultural Society’s test for a shady room, and it is the test for the best low light houseplants UK shoppers can order from the seven amazon.co.uk pots in our low light plants comparison. Titles talk about easy care and cleaner air. The light sentence, the pot in centimetres, and the pet risk often say something else. Peter F. updated this on 20 October 2026 from the listings and public UK sources. This is not a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Light on the listing | Supplied pot | Review pool | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Generic Generic (devil's ivy, one pot) | Low light in the title and features | Nursery pot, diameter n/a | 5.0 from 8 (own sample) | 6.2 | about £10.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants (schefflera, 8 cm) | Low light possible; slower and leggier | 8 cm plastic | 4.5 from 8 (own sample) | 6.4 | about £10.49 | View offer |
 Carbeth Plants Carbeth Plants (peace lily, 9 cm) | Low to medium; also bright indirect and shade | 9 cm nursery pot | 4.3 from 1,377 (own sample) | 9.0 | about £9.99 | View offer |
On this page
Can you read a book there?
Stand where the pot will sit on a dull afternoon and try to read a paperback. If the print is clear without a lamp, the RHS calls the room shady, and several of these plants can live there with slower growth. If you cannot read, none of the seven listings repairs the room. A hallway with no window fails even when a bullet names hallways.
The Guardian’s clinic, on 14 March 2025, treats a British north window as low indirect light: usable, not bright. Grow lights were removed because they are not plants. The Horticultural Trades Association says north windows get the least light after the clocks go back, so you water less. A plant that looks settled in June can stall in January. That is care, not a title that says easy.
What the seven listings say about light
Three listings use a low-light sentence. The Carbeth peace lily, about £9.99 in a 9 cm pot, says low to medium light and shade, and also that it grows best in bright, indirect light. The RHS limit is that deeper shade means slow growth and rare flowers, at about 12–24°C. The generic devil’s ivy, about £10.99, puts low light rooms in the title. The brand field says Generic and the manufacturer line says Prestige Plant. The sample is 5.0 from eight reviews, too small to crown a plant. The schefflera ‘Janine’, about £10.49 in an 8 cm pot, says it will thrive in low light, then says growth will be slower and leggier. A potential size of about 4 metres by 3 metres is not the parcel.
Nanouk and the Boston fern, both about £10.99, ask for bright, indirect light. The two-pack, about £19.99, says prefer good light, and its low-light question has no answer. The monstera, about £13.99, has a shade-lover bullet and a care line that says bright, indirect light. One name, and a clear skip, is the best low light indoor plant in this set.
Pot, photo, and the review pool
The photograph is often a styled room. The box is a nursery pot. The peace lily bullet says the decorative pots in the pictures are not included, and fern reviewers say the same. The stated pots are 9 cm for the peace lily and the fern, 8 cm for the schefflera, 7 cm for the Nanouk, and 12 cm for the monstera. The two-pack title says 12 cm and a bullet says 13 cm. UK reviews often say the plant was smaller than the photo. The monstera bullet says about 40–50 cm on delivery, while another height field says 2 metres. Quote the bullet if you mean the parcel.
Stars are not interchangeable. The peace lily is 4.3 from 1,377 reviews that match a peace lily. The two-pack is 4.3 from 516, the Nanouk 4.4 from 629, the fern 4.1 from 722. The monstera line is 4.5 from 622, and the review text names spider plant more often than monstera. The single ivy and the schefflera are 5.0 or 4.5 from eight reviews. Eight notes are not a national ranking.
Pets before the basket
An unanswered “is it pet friendly?” line is not a yes. The peace lily question has no answer text. The PDSA names peace lily among plants that can cause more than a mild upset if a pet eats them. The RHS says peace lily and monstera are poisonous, and that you should wear gloves with devil’s ivy. The HTA lists schefflera as a human skin allergen. None of these seven should be called safe for cats or dogs. Steam does not make a toxic plant safer, and a high shelf is still a route if the cat jumps.
If a plant arrives dead, yellow, or smashed, photograph it that day. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9, says goods must be of satisfactory quality. Use the seller first. If a dead-on-arrival return is refused, Citizens Advice is on 0345 404 0506. If a pet has already chewed, call a vet.
Common questions
Will any of these live in a hallway with no window?
No. The RHS book test is the line used here: if you cannot read by daylight, these live plants are the wrong purchase. A seller bullet that lists hallways does not add light. A windowless bathroom fails the same way. Move the plant to a window where the print is readable, or do not order.
Which listing actually says low light?
Three do, in their own words. The peace lily says low to medium light and shade. The single devil’s ivy puts low light rooms in the title. The schefflera says it will thrive in low light, with slower and leggier growth. The Nanouk, the fern, and the two-pack do not say that. The monstera says shade in one bullet and bright, indirect light in the care line.
Is the ceramic pot in the photo included?
Not on the peace lily. The bullet says it arrives in a 9 cm nursery pot and that decorative pots in the pictures are not included. Fern reviewers report the same gap. The two-pack does not settle whether the pots are 12 cm or 13 cm. Budget for a cachepot you already own, and check that the nursery pot fits it.
Can I put a peace lily where a cat can chew it?
No. The listing’s pet question has no answer, which is not clearance. The PDSA names peace lily, and the RHS says it is harmful if eaten and an irritant to skin and eyes. The same caution covers monstera and devil’s ivy in this set. Put them where a chewing pet cannot reach, or choose a different purchase.
Why is the monstera star line a weak guide?
The amazon.co.uk line is 4.5 from 622 reviews. In the saved review text kept for this comparison, spider plant is named more often than monstera. Only two blocks clearly describe a monstera. Use the 12 cm pot, the 40–50 cm bullet, and the clash between the shade sentence and the bright-indirect care line. Do not treat the stars as a clean sample.
Is Tradescantia Nanouk a low-light plant?
Not on this listing. The care line and a bullet ask for bright, indirect light. Partial shade is only the sunlight field. The plant is about £10.99 in a 7 cm pot, with 4.4 from 629 reviews that talk about pink colour, small size, and wet compost marking the leaves. Buy it for a bright sill, not for the dim room this category is about.
What should I photograph if the plant arrives yellow?
Photograph the plant, the pot, and the packaging on the day it arrives, including yellow leaves or a smashed pot. Peace lily and two-pack reviews both mention yellowing and transit damage. Contact the seller with those pictures. If a dead plant is refused, Citizens Advice on 0345 404 0506 can explain the Consumer Rights Act route. Do not wait a fortnight and then argue about care.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources named below. amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts on these seven listings are the figures used for this comparison. Page updated 21 October 2026.
- RHS houseplants for shady rooms (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS how to grow peace lilies (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS Epipremnum (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS how to grow Swiss cheese plants (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- RHS Nephrolepis exaltata (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- PDSA poisonous plants (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HTA harmful-plants guide (2022) (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- GOV.UK plant passports (retrieved 21 October 2026)