14 Stunning Low Light Indoor Palms for Your Home

Bring the relaxing vibes of the tropics inside with these 15 low light tolerant indoor palm varieties! From compact desk accents to towering statement pieces, there’s a palm for any room.

Nothing creates a taste of the tropics quite like the distinctive fronds and feathery foliage of palm trees. While you may associate these iconic plants with swaying in warm ocean breezes, many species of palms actually make superb low-maintenance houseplants when provided the right conditions.

Palms are uniquely adapted to survive in shaded understory environments beneath dense jungle canopies. This makes them incredibly tolerant of lower indoor light levels that would wither most other plants. With their slow growth habits and minimal watering needs, palms are perfect for bringing lush greenery into darker corners of your home or office.

Beyond their ability to thrive in dimmer spaces, these classic frond growers add undeniable architectural interest and a resort-like vacation vibe wherever they’re placed. Ready to turn your living room into a miniature tropical paradise? Here are 15 gorgeous low light indoor palm varieties to consider.

1. Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona chinensis)

The Chinese fan palm features a single upright trunk supporting a head of large, rounded palm fronds. These fronds resemble elegant green fans splaying outwards, creating a stately yet airy silhouette indoors. Chinese fan palms remain quite compact, growing just 6-8 feet tall with a 4-5 foot spread.

This palm’s dense, lush fronds allow it to survive in very low light conditions down to just 50 foot-candles. It’s slow growth rate of just 6 inches per year makes it a fantastic palm for virtually any setting without requiring frequent re-potting or pruning. Just keep this sub-tropical species above 55°F.

2. Cat Palm (Chamaedorea cataractarum)

For a palm that offers delicate feathery textures, the dainty cat palm is an excellent choice. Named for the curved claws on each frond, cat palms develop arching pinnate leaves atop reed-like canes that lend a wispy, flowing appearance.

Despite their lightweight look, cat palms are incredibly resilient and adaptable to low-medium light areas. In fact, they’ll develop more yellow or reddish tints on their fronds when grown in lower light to maximize chlorophyll absorption. Provide moist, well-draining soil and these palms can reach 4-6 feet tall indoors.

3. Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea sefritzii)

Speaking of cane-like palms, one of the most beloved species for interiors is the bamboo palm. The slender reed stems lined with feathery fronds give this slow-growing palm a lovely cascading bamboo appearance.

Growing just 6-10 inches per year, bamboo palms remain pleasantly compact at 5-6 feet tall in pots. They tolerate deep shade, requiring just 100-200 foot candles of light. Although these tropicals thrive in bright, indirect indoor settings, they’ll still push out new growth even in dim offices or hallways.

4. Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa)

For a delicate palm with gracefully drooping foliage, the Lady palm makes an elegant statement. Its cluster of upright canes sport wide, vibrant green fronds with finger-like segments that gently cascade over the sides of containers.

Lady palms make excellent houseplants in low light settings like bedrooms or living rooms. They grow slowly at just 4-8 inches per year, reaching 4-6 feet tall with an 18-24 inch spread when mature. Keep soil evenly moist, and the leaves will sustain their eye-catching silhouette indoors for years.

5. Sable Palmetto (Inodes palmetto)

With their cushiony crown of layered fronds, Sable palmettos resemble miniature versions of the outdoor landscape palms found across the southeastern USA. Each soft, glossy green leaf fans outward from a solitary slender trunk.

Growing less than a foot per year, you can keep these sun-starved palms between 2-4 feet tall in containers near windows or other lower light situations. Their compact habits and simple frond shapes create a striking accent plant with virtually no maintenance required.

6. Dwarf Chinese Fan Palm (Livistona rotundifolia)

Exhibiting similar fan-like fronds to its larger Chinese cousin, the dwarf Chinese fan palm is a great palm choice for confined indoor areas without boasting tall, narrow trunks. Instead, it grows dense clusters of round, deep green fronds on multiple small canes.

Dwarf Chinese fan palms remain below 3 feet tall even when mature while spreading 4-5 feet wide. This bushy growth habit makes them ideal for filling out tabletops or floor planters and tolerating low to medium light environments down to 150 foot-candles. Just give them evenly moist soil as the fronds dry out rapidly.

7. Kentia Palm (Howea forsteriana)

One of the most classic and iconic parlor palms for interiors has to be the towering Kentia palm. Native to Lord Howe Island off the coast of Australia, these palms adapt readily to less than ideal indoor conditions while retaining their lush appearance.

At maturity, Kentia palms can reach an impressive 10-12 feet tall, though their slender trunks and gracefully arching fronds give them a lightweight and airy feel in any room. Best of all, Kentia palms easily tolerate lower light levels down to 100 foot-candles and can go long periods between waterings.

8. Areca Palm (Dypsis lutescens)

Featuring dense clusters of upright fronds in a feather or bamboo pattern, the Areca palm brings gorgeous tropical greenery to shaded indoor settings as long as you provide bright indirect light. Allow their soil to dry slightly between deep waterings.

Areca palms can reach impressive heights over time, topping out at 6-7 feet tall with a spread of 4-8 feet wide when mature. Their stems don’t form visible trunks, creating a gracefully full appearance of foliage all the way down to the soil line. Just prune any fronds below the plant’s knee-high line for a cleaner look.

9. Neanthe Bella Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

With its willowy fronds arranged in a circular display, the Neanthe Bella palm adds a lush accent to wide tabletops or floor containers in lower light areas. Each arching leaf measures up to 4 feet long once established.

This compact grower maxes out at around 4-6 feet tall while forming multiple slender red cane-like stems from the base. With its moderate growth rate, Neanthe Bella can handle medium to bright indirect indoor light. Just avoid hot direct afternoon sun exposure.

10. Majesty Palm (Ravenea rivularis)

For an architectural statement piece that bathes any corner in tropical vibes, consider the Majesty palm. This noble cultivar features a single slender grey trunk lined with dense clusters of long bright green fronds creating a stately upright vase shape.

Growing up to 10 feet in containers, Majesty palms add height and drama to any indoor living space that can provide bright, indirect light levels. Their elegant upright form transitions into gracefully arching fronds that offer lovely textures. Give them a turn every month or so to encourage even growth.

11. Pygmy Date Palm (Phoenix roebelenii)

Among the most iconic date palms cultivated as houseplants is the petite Pygmy date palm. It develops a single slender trunk topped with a crown of elegant, feathery green fronds. When mature at 8-10 feet, pygmy date palms take on a tropical miniature tree vibe.

While not as compact as some dwarf palms, the slow growth rate and low light tolerance of less than 200 foot-candles make pygmy dates easy to maintain indoors. Their arching leaves bring lovely fountain shapes to bright rooms or hallways without demanding much sunlight or water.

12. King Palm (Archontophoenix cunninghamiana)

For a centerpiece specimen with show-stopping tropical presence, the handsome King palm is an excellent way to go. Its slender solitary trunk supports a dense umbrella of large feather-like fronds in a smooth, stately crown.

In the right conditions, this statuesque palm can reach over 20 feet tall in greenhouses or atriums! When contained in pots, King palms remain a more manageable 6-10 feet with periodic pruning of lower fronds. Give yours bright, indirect lighting and moist soil, and it will immediately make any corner feel like an exotic vacation destination.

13. Butterfly Palm (Dypsis lutescens)

Despite its thin, wispy foliage, the perfectly named Butterfly palm makes quite an impactful indoor accent plant! Its tight clusters of pale sage green fronds each resemble the wings of butterflies in flight.

This unique feather palm remains quite petite at just 4-6 feet tall. Thanks to its thin, arching fronds that twist in multiple directions, it brings gorgeous flowing shapes and forms to brighten up areas with lower lighting levels down to 100 foot-candles. Perfect for compact spaces that need a dose of the tropics!

14. Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea elegans)

Often called the parlor palm due to its traditional popularity as an indoor specimen, this dainty yet tough frond grower is hard to beat for decorative textures and sheer durability. Multiple slender reed-like canes create a wispy display of gentle arching fronds at their tips.

While Parlor palms eventually reach 3-4 feet tall at maturity, their moderate rate of just 6 inches per year makes them well-behaved permanent houseplants. They easily tolerate low light down to 100 foot-candles along with periods of dryness or neglect. Talk about low maintenance tropical vibes!

With so many lush, graceful varieties available for virtually any household light level, why not embrace the soothing botanical beauty of indoor palms in your own home or office space? These slow-growing, architecturally stunning accent plants not only add serene tropical vibes, they also help purify indoor air while providing fascinating textural contrast among your houseplant collections. Easy care, low light tolerant and long-lasting, palms are the perfect plants for bringing the lush, carefree spirit of the tropics indoors year-round.