Best Lighting for Your Plants!

Let’s talk light. I believe the biggest killer of houseplants is not enough light paired with too frequent watering. When reading the tags it can be pretty confusing because they don’t just say “put it in a window”. They instead say “Bright Indirect Light”. So you’re often left wondering what that even means….

The closer you place plants to the window, the brighter light they will be receiving, farther away from the window the light is reduced. Depending on the direction your windows face and the size of the windows, you may find it gets dark really fast as you move away from the windows. Or you may have great windows and have good light all day! Be sure to get a feel for the natural light in each room when planning for your plants, that way they stay happily growing for you. When placing plants I like to move them around a bit. Get a feel for where each plant likes to be.

Keep in mind that many plants labeled “Low Light” plants can tolerate low light, but would be much happier and grow more if you give them brighter light. Sansevieria for example, is often recommended as a great low light plant, but in nature is found in full sun.

🌱Full Sun- cacti, succulents, citrus trees all want full sun. It can’t really be done in the house, but your cacti will survive on the window sills of your East, south, and west windows as long as there is nothing blocking them. In the winter you will likely want to use a grow light.

🌱High Light(Bright Indirect)- right up close to a east window, pulled back a couple feet from a west or south window. Monstera, bird of paradise, alocasia, Pilea, Hoya, all like a spot right up close to the window.

🌱Medium Light- About 4 to 6 feet from a eastern window, closer for northern windows, a little further from west or south windows. Also the light can be filtered through other plants. Prayer plants do really well with a medium light exposure.

🌱Low Light- around 8 feet from standard sized East window, 10 feet from a south window, and 6 feet from a north window would be considered low light. Pothos is a great low light plant!

I do not own these images, I got them off google