How to Give Your Houseplants the Right Light

A Simple Guide to Determining Light Levels in Your Home

Mar 31, 2009

All plants need light to survive, but different plants need different levels of light. Here's a quick guide to determining the light levels in your home.

Every houseplant comes with a tag listing the name of the plant and instructions for its care.. Among the information provided is what kind of light the plant needs. However, many consumers and gardeners find lightning to be one of the most confusing aspects of plant care. What's the difference between semi-shade and indirect light? Isn't direct sunlight always best? Here's a quick overview of the different kinds of light and what plants do best there. When deciding if a location offers the proper, don’t forget to take the seasons into consideration. A spot that gets bright, indirect light in the winter and early spring may become semi-shaded or fully shaded in the summer and fall once any trees in the area leaf out.

Full Sun- This defines an area within 2 feet of a south facing window or an area that gets at least 9 hours of direct sunlight a day. Only Cacti, Succulents and Geraniums can withstand such constant and strong light. Most other plants will wither and scorch under such strong light and the heat it generates.

Partial Sun- This defines an area within 2 feet of a east or west facing window, more than 2 feet from a south facing window, or an area that gets 4-5 hours of full sun a day. This is the ideal condition for most houseplants, including Philodendrons, Pothos,Dracaenas and Ficus.

Indirect Light- This defines an area that gets no direct sunlight, but is brightly lit for most of the day, such as a curtained window facing east or west, or an area that extends about 5 feet from a window that gets partial sun. Many plants, including Philodendrons, Pileas, and Dieffenbachias and many flowering houseplants such as African Violets will do well here.

Semi-Shade- This defines an area within 5-8 feet of a sunlit window or close to a sunless window. Flowering houseplants will not be happy here, but most foliage plants will happily adapt.

Shade- This defines an area that is poorly lit, but bright enough to read by for several hours a day. Few houseplants will be happy here. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema), Cast Iron Plant (Aspidistra) and Birds Nest Fern (Asplenium) are the exceptions. Any plant that is happy in semi-shade will survive in this area for a month or so. After that they will need to be rotated back to a better lit area.

Managing Poorly Lit Areas

The majority of houseplants prefer bright, indirect light. If houseplants are desired in a dark hallway or corner, grow lights will have to be used or be prepared to buy several and rotate them on a monthly basis between the poorly lit location in and a well lit spot. Light is one of the three basic needs every plant has. If nature can’t provide the proper light, most garden centers and catalogs offer efficient and effective grow light systems.

Use our lighting guide and you're sure to find the perfect spot for all your plants!

The copyright of the article How to Give Your Houseplants the Right Light in Houseplants is owned by Susan Walsh. Permission to republish How to Give Your Houseplants the Right Light in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.