we honestly have no other room for the plant though... the dimensions of the room are truly small. The only 'side table" size that will fit on either side of the couch is plant stand width - that skinny. Would a hanging light work?

Could you take some pics from other angles and from farther away?

Unless you can find a floor lamp that fits behind the plant and arches over the couch, I see no other way to fit a lamp in that corner. A hanging fixture won't look right. Maybe look for something that is adjustable? http://www.houzz.com/photos/products/adjustable-floor-lamp
Regardless, the base needs to be able to fit back there. Can you change the pot in which the plant is held?

I used to configure my livingroom furniture in an L-shape like you have and was able to fit a sizable end table in the corner with no problem. Does the wall jog there or something?

Would an uplighter work there to bring light but not necessarily for task lighting?

If not what about a very convenient light is the reading light that you can turn downwards to read or upwards to create light - this is an example from RH
http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod2111805&categoryId=cat1598016

Floor lamps are wonderful things. The first one below has a base that might be too big to work with the plant but could fit at the other end of the sofa. The second one has a base that will slide under your sofa...clever huh! You can use one at each end of the sofa and they don't have to match.

Do check the bulb wattage as there are a lot of floor lamps out there that do not offer much light. Ikea has some that offer a lot of light at a great price. Be careful with halogen bulbs. Both my older son and I have burned ourselves on them.

An up light would be perfect there for the soft lighting you are looking for and would create interesting shadows from the plant too.

Be careful not to light up the ceiling vent, however! An uplight behind the plant will create a bit of drama and help with that corner. Perhaps you can put the accent light on a dimmer to give you some flexibility and control the light intensity. You asked about hanging a light in that corner? It's a fine alternative, but you will need to move the plant. Good luck!

I agree with those who are suggesting an uplight for that corner, especially for a soft lighting effect. If you want task light mount a swing arm or goose neck fixture on the wall.

Hi, I wrote suggesting swing wall lights on either end of your couch but I don't know what happened to the posting. I went on lampsplus.com and it had many designs from which to choose at very reasonable prices. Here's one I found on overstock that is slightly different. It's an attractive sconce with a LED light for reading. One of these at either end of your couch with take up absolutely zero floor space and be very stylish. Good luck! madeline
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Epiphanie-LED-Chrome-Finish-Gooseneck-Wall-Lamp/6545687/product.html

An up light (home depot) with a built in dimmer is perfect and will create a nice vibe.
Also a swing arm light for more direct task lighting.

An uplight would be perfect if all you want is to light the corner. If you need task lighting, do a small swing arm floor lamp or wall sconce.

Thanks, all... I will most likely get an uplight although I'm wondering if it would look weird if I change the plant style down the road. I'll see what I can do and then update with new pics

Put a spot light on the floor and up-light the tree and the ceiling. This will give you some soft light in the corner and some interesting shadows on the ceiling.