Which Indoor Plants Thrive in Medium Light?

Tabletop Plants

• Iron cross begonias (Begonia masoniana), nerve or prayer plants (Maranta leuconeura) and Rex begonias (Begonia rex-cultorum) grow to a height of 1-to-1½ feet and have colorful foliage. They thrive indoors when grown in location with medium light exposure. Iron cross begonias have 8-inch-long, bright green, lopsided heart-shaped leaves with brown markings in the center. Prayer plants have oval, 5-inch-long, deep olive- to blue-green leaves with bright green and pink markings. Rex begonias have leaves that can be lopsided heart-shaped, elongated, rounded or toothy like a maple leaf in a variety of colors, depending on the hybrid. “American Beauty” (Begonia rex-cultorum “American Beauty”) has dark plum and maroon maple leaf-type foliage, while “Merry Christmas” (Begonia rex-cultorum “Merry Christmas”) has emerald green, pink and red, lopsided heart-shaped leaves. Iron cross begonias and prayer plants are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 11 through 12. Rex begonias are hardy in USDA zones 10 through 11. These plants prefer a humid environment.

Hanging Plants

• Boston or sword ferns (Nephrolepis exaltata), friendship plants (Pilea involucrate) and spider plants (Chlorophytum comosum) thrive indoors with medium light levels. Boston ferns have 2- to 3-foot-long, 6-inch-wide, bright green arching fronds. Friendship plants have 3-inch-long oval, quilted leaves that are dark green with burgundy or dark bronze tints and light green markings. Its trailing branches grow to 1 foot long. Spider plants have bright green, narrow, grass-blade type leaves that grow to 1-to-2 feet long. The “Variegatum” cultivar (Chlorophytum comosum “Variegatum”) has thin white stripes along the leaf edges, and “Vittatum” (Chlorophytum comosum “Vittatum”) has a white stripe up the center of its leaves. Boston ferns are hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12, friendship plants are hardy in USDA zones 11 through 12, and spider plants are hardy in USDA zones 9 through 11. All of these plants prefer high humidity.

Climbing Plants

• Grape ivy (Cissus alata), heart-leaf philodendrons (Philodendron scandens) and split-leaf philodendrons (Monstera delicious) are climbing plants that thrive indoors with a medium light exposure. They will climb a moss pole, lattice wall or trellis. Grape ivy stems grow to between 6 and 10 feet long with deep green, 2- to 9-inch-long leaves. Each leaf has three leaflets with serrated edges. Heart-leaf philodendron stems grow to about 4 feet long with 4- to 12-inch-long, dark green heart-shaped leaves. Split-leaf philodendrons grow 6- to 8-foot-long stems. Their deep green, oval leaves are solid when young but develop perforations and splits as they mature to between 1 and 3 feet long. Grape ivy and split-leaf philodendrons are hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12. Heart-leaf philodendrons are hardy in USDA zones 11 through 12.

Tall Upright Plants

• Dracaenas (Dracaena spp.) and Ficus (Ficus spp.) thrive indoors with a medium light exposure. These are usually taller plants with an upright growth habit. Madagascar dragon trees (Dracaena marginata) grow to 6 feet tall with woody stems topped with tufts of 2-foot long, ½-inch wide deep green leaves that have thin red lines along the edges. Corn plants (Dracaena fragrans) grow to a height of 4-to-6 feet with 2-foot-long, 3-inch-wide deep green leaves that resemble corn plants. Weeping figs (Ficus benjamina) grow to a height of 10 feet with woody trunks and stems and deep green, 4-inch-long oval leaves. Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) grow to 10 feet tall with thick, 1-foot-long, 5-inch-wide, dark green leaves. All of these plants are hardy in USDA zones 10 through 12.