Tiny houseplants are cute but to make a big and bold statement, there are no alternatives to tall indoor plants. Such lush and extra-large houseplants become the focal point for any room.
Many indoor gardeners like to have a tropical vibe and verdant color in their spaces. They create the perfect illusion of dramatic height to a smaller space.
But such towering houseplants have to survive and grow in low light because of obvious reasons.
So, in this guide, I have listed some most popular large but low light indoor plants for you to consider.
26 Extra Large Indoor Plants
They have already made their places in most of the homes. You can choose them to fill your tall walls or just an empty corner.
You can display them in the grouped form to create a lush corner and simply display them indecently!
- Monstera Tree (Monstera Deliciosa)
Also known as the Swiss cheese plant and it’s particularly popular for its huge cut stems and foliage.
It’s been a while since it becomes popular to add a tropical atmosphere to any room. The deeply notched and heart-shaped leaves look amazing and add perfect accent indoor.
And yes, some people still consider it as an unusual plant. Compare to other large indoor plants, it’s relatively new to many people.
So, if you decide to have this tree, you need to do some study like how to care for a Monstera plant and which variety to get? Learn how to propagate monstera houseplant as well.
Yes, it has many varieties and Monstera deliciosa is the most iconic variety. In an ideal growing condition, certain types of monstera can grow as tall as 12 feet!
With indirect bright light, monstera needs lots of humidity to grow well. And it will if you plant it in a well-drained potting mix with a 5.5 to 7.0 pH level.
- Rubber Plant (Ficus Elastica)
With a cheap cost, you can still make a large statement to your room with the rubber trees. The beauty of long glossy leaves is just priceless!
But instead of buying several feet high rubber trees, you should get them in a 4-inch pot at a bargain price.
And make sure to plant your rubber tree in a fast-draining potting mix where the pH level should be 6.0. Learn more about propagating rubber plants if you are really interested.
It takes only 1 season for them to grow as tall as 2 feet! And it will keep growing upwards as long as you allow it for the rest of its life.
The tricky part for any beginner gardener is that you need to repot it when it outgrows its pot. Avoid overpotting to prevent its root rot.
Don’t overthink about the light exposure requirement. It has the ability to grow well in both bright-lit and low-lit lighting conditions.
But if you need to grow it faster, choose a bright spot for the rubber plant. Also, avoid overwatering it.
- Fiddle Leaf Fig (Ficus Iyrata)
Home gardeners’ favorite large houseplant that can grow up to 10 feet high.
These are stunningly beautiful with their deep-green foliage and perfect to make a bold statement in any room.
However, caring for the fiddle leaf fig can be tricky for beginner enthusiasts.
You should plant this in a well-drained soil mix where the soil pH level should be between 6.0 to 7.0.
It tends to lean towards the light if you don’t place it in an ideal spot. So, it won’t grow outside.
You must place it where it gets light around it equally. So, the ideal place is nearby the sunny window.
You may need to move and turn it every once in a while, but stop moving it once you find the ideal spot. They hate too much moving!
- Money Tree (Pachira Aquatic)
They don’t bring any better luck with regard to your financial side but the cheerful greenery will brighten up your living space for sure.
But don’t confuse it with Pilea peperomioides or most commonly known as the Chinese money plant!
With proper care, this adorable indoor houseplant can grow up to 6-feet tall. It can grow in humid conditions with bright light as well.
So, think about placing it in your well-lit bathroom as well. It won’t bring any financial fortune but it will cheer up your space.
Apart from the bright but indirect light, make sure to plant it in sandy peat-moss soil. And the soil has to be well-draining.
- Croton Plant (Codiaeum variegatum)
The colorful large croton is another choice for many home gardeners. They respond differently when planted outside or inside.
Croton can grow as high as 8 to 10 feet tall outside but it can grow mostly 4 feet indoors. They respond to light differently as well.
Like most other large houseplants, the dramatic veining and vibrant color leaves of the croton indicate that it’s getting indirect but bright light needed for its optimal growth.
But if the color is muted, it indicates too low light reception and too direct light exposure will burn its leaves.
- Umbrella Plant (Schefflera Actinophylla)
Well, it looks like the name sounds. The circularly arranged drooping leaflets have made this indoor plant exceptionally unique.
Umbrella plants can grow as tall as 10-feet high but they don’t flower indoor. It’s beautiful without the flower for many home gardeners.
You will be needing fast-draining commercial soil with a 6 to 6.5 pH level to ensure its smoother growth. Also, make sure it gets enough bright light as well.
To have fuller and bushier growth, occasionally prune the tops of the tallest stems.
- Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia Reginae)
If you plant it in a tight pot and provide an ideal growing environment like bright but indirect sunlight with a well-drained potting mix, it will grow as tall as 7-feet high.
The soil mix should have a 5.5 to 7.5 pH level.
Yes, this stunningly beautiful flowering tropical plant takes some work but it will give you striking blooms if you help it grow taller.
Apart from 7-feet height, the blade-like long leaves can reach up to 3-feet in length as well. Just make sure it gets at least 5 hours of indirect but bright sunlight to fully thrive.
When fully bloom, the bird of paradise will give your orange and blue flowers to brighten up the beauty of your room.
- Parlor Palm (Chamaedorea Elegans)
If you have a smaller or low-height room, a parlor palm tree can be a great choice as your indoor houseplant.
These slow-growing dwarf trees can grow up to 4-feet in height.
They are very convenient to grow indoor because they are highly flexible to grow anywhere inside your home.
It can grow both in low-light and bright-light conditions.
But they need a high humidity level to thrive. So, I would recommend putting it in your bathroom.
Also, make sure the soil mix has a pH level of 5.1 to 7.5 and the soil should be well-drained.
9. Olive Tree (Olea Europaea)
Yes, you can still have the dwarf form of this attractive plant and enjoy the beautiful indoor. But don’t worry, the dwarf olive tree can grow as tall as 6-feet high.
And the beautiful part of having this large houseplant is that you can still enjoy its tasty fruit even before it matures!
- African Milk Tree (Euphorbia Trigona)
How about a desert-like vibe inside your house? The cactus-like look of the African milk tree adds a bold statement to your home.
As you can understand, it needs a warm environment with bright but indirect light. With the proper condition, such a tree can grow as tall as 8-feet tall indoors.
Apart from bright light and warm environment, it needs well-draining succulent soil with 6.1 to 7.8 pH level.
- Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena Marginata)
Looking for a dramatic indoor garden? Try the popular Dracaena Marginata that can grow up to 8-feet high!
And it’s perfect for new gardeners and busy people as it requires low maintenance.
It comes in many forms and each type has its own beauty. With its willowy trunk and spiky leaves, it will complement your home décor endeavor beautifully.
More so, it’s a great air purifier as well!
Moderate to low lighting is perfect for the Madagascar dragon plant. But the direct sun will its leaves.
They are drought-tolerant, so you don’t need to water them heavily. Just like many indoor houseplants, overwatering will lead to drooping and yellowing leaves like peace lily. In fact, overwatering will kill it!
Also, they are fluoride intolerant. So, if you are sure your tap water has a higher level of fluoride, please use distilled water only.
- Weeping Fig (Ficus Benjamina)
The lush and attractive greenery of the weeping fig will amaze you with its classic beauty. The color of the leaves can range from dark green to cream & pale yellow.
It’s a low-maintenance houseplant but needs bright and indirect sun. It does need direct sun exposure sometimes as well.
But it can tolerate low-lighting conditions as well.
Apart from the lighting requirement, it needs a rich soil mix in a fast-draining pot with a pH level from 6.0 to 6.5.
When it comes to watering your weeping fig, make sure the soil is moist always, NOT soggy.
Every now and then apply fertilizer and prune the extra-long branches.
- Corn Plant (Dracaena Fragrans)
Some people don’t like the large indoor houseplants simply because they are not easy to grow and require hard work.
For them, the corn plant can be a great alternative to have a California-style vibe in their high-ceilinged space. It can grow more than 12 feet high and it’s a very easy-to-grow elegant plant.
They can perfectly mimic the L.A. palm trees on a smaller scale with the long & woody stalks and ribbon-like stripy leaves.
Don’t be afraid of its extra tall trait. You can have your desired height of corn plant by simply cutting the top of the stems as soon as it reaches your desired height.
They will grow better with bright light exposure and if your plant them in well-draining potting soil where the pH level is 6 to 6.5.
- Yucca Plant
It’s another perfect indoor houseplant with many varieties for your living room, bedroom, entryway, wall, or anywhere you like.
Yucca plants are drought-tolerant houseplants and overwatering will simply damage their growth. It requires indirect light and well-drained soil to grow naturally.
- Lemon Tree
You don’t have to live in a warm climate to make your life a little bit more refreshing.
You can simply have an indoor lemon tree in your house to enjoy the fresh citrus!
Many varieties of lemon trees grow up to various heights.
So, you need to pick the particular type that will match the dimension of your room.
If you like to have a dwarf lemon tree variety, go get the Meyer lemon which can grow as tall as 3-feet high.
- Areca Palm (Chrysalidocarpus Lutescens)
These are second to none when it comes to adding a tropical flair to your home. And in case you don’t know, it’s a great indoor plant to purify indoor air as well!
It helps a lot in removing toxic elements like carbon monoxide, benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, and, xylene from the indoor air.
Don’t confuse it with other palm trees like the parlor palm. Their level of care is completely different!
Sadly, it requires a little bit more care and it’s very sensitive about exposure to light.
It can’t grow well in low-light and the direct sun exposure will turn its leaves yellow!
So, you must ensure indirect but bright light. No need to buy the fully-grown Areca palm tree for indoor. They are very costly.
Instead, buy the tabletop size Areca palm and ensure its necessary care. They grow really FAST!
- Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria Heterophylla)
Yes, this tropical tall plant can be your lush and tall indoor plant to brighten up your indoor beauty. Not only as your Christmas tree, but it can also add beauty to your indoor all the year-round.
As I said, they are tropical plants; so they can’t tolerate low temperatures at all. They need a higher level of humidity to fully thrive.
Also, they need indirect bright light but occasionally require direct sunlight as well. Considering that, they will grow well if you keep them in your south-facing windows and rooms.
You need to regularly water it as well. Don’t overdo it. Watering once every week will be sufficient.
- False Castor Plant (Fatsia Japonica)
It’s another best large indoor plant and you may know it as the finger plant as well.
The finger-like shape of its leaves contributed to this naming.
It can grow as large as 3 to 6 feet tall.
And with their shiny dark green foliage, they are some beautiful houseplants to have in your room.
Many gardeners love the finger plant for its air-purifying characteristics and new people like it because of its low-maintenance requirement.
- Desert Rose (Adenium Obesum)
It has become a great indoor living room plant for its stunning visual appeal that can grow as big as 5 feet high.
The matching red flowers with the green leaves are just priceless.
- ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia)
You may know it as the Zanzibar gem with extremely survival traits. Like the camel, it can store water. So, even if you don’t water it for a long time, it can still survive.
Also, it can survive with a variety of lighting conditions. Since it takes little care, home gardeners find it easy to grow in their homes.
With proper care, indirect bright light, and ensuring regular well-drained potting mix, it can grow as tall as 4-feet high.
However, I need to warn you about ingesting it. If ingested, it can be mildly toxic for pets and humans.
- Arrow Bamboo (Pseudosasa Japonica)
I know many people consider it as an outdoor plant. But certain types of it like the arrow bamboo kind can grow well indoors in a big pot.
Already popular in Japan, but many people from the rest of the world find it as a great and tall indoor houseplant because it can grow as large as 10 to 12 feet high.
And it’s not sensitive to light as well. It can perfectly handle both bright-light and low-light conditions.
Just make sure to give it regular potting mix and keep it well-watered with good drainage.
- Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata)
This houseplant is slow-growing but with proper care, it can grow as tall as 5-feet high. But you need to properly trim and shape it to grow to its full potential.
When it comes to proper care, you need to ensure proper potting soil mix with some sand. And like all the succulent, overwatering will kill the Jade plant.
Of course, you need to regularly water it. But make sure the upper part of the soil is dry during the interval of watering.
Some people don’t like the Jade plant as their favorite houseplant because it’s mildly toxic for humans and pets.
- New Zealand Laurel
Also known as the Karaka Trees. Well, it’s not so common in the U.S. but you can still consider it to add a geometric vibe to your house.
It’s a tropical plant, so you need to ensure a good humid environment for its optimal growth. Don’t keep it under direct exposure to the sun.
Without overdoing it, makes sure to water it regularly to keep the soil moist. And the soil should be well-drained. During the spring, apply some fertilizer as well.
- Natal Mahogany (Trichilia Emetica)
Such houseplants are believed to give you the lush summery depth you need for your home. And they do that with their bushy dark green leaves perfectly.
This is a very low-light tolerant plant. So, you can put it anywhere in your home. Just make sure to water it regularly (once every week) and occasionally mist the leaves to create a humid environment.
Don’t let the water run out of water and don’t let it dry.
- Heart-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron Cordatum)
How about creating a cascading plant effect indoor? If you allow it enough time it can get tall enough to meet your need for large indoor plant needs.
You can put it atop of a plant stand to have the cascading effect. Of course, you can let them trail across the walls too. With the heart-shaped leaves, it’s gonna look beautiful.
Water it only once a week and make sure it gets only indirect but bright sunlight. Watch this video to learn how to care for the heart-leaf Philodendron.
- Macho fern (Nephrolepsis Biserrta)
Many people call it the giant sword fern and it’s literally the easiest-growing large indoor houseplants. The sturdy foliage of the macho fern has made it the toughest indoor plant as well.
However, humidity is the key to its survival. So, in addition to keeping the soil mix moist, you need to occasionally mist the leaves as well.
Bottom Line
People have many reasons to have tall indoor plants in their homes. But I mainly love them to have a unique look in my house.
I have probably described most of such extra large indoor plants in one article. Whichever attracts your most, get them NOW!
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