Series: Low-Light
"If you have enough light in your room to read a book, you'll have an environment that can sustain a low-light plant."
- Grow In The Dark
Do I have too much or too little light?
If you're asking this question, the answer is yes, but the valid question you should be asking is if you have the correct type of light for your houseplants. Not all homes are alike; some homes receive more light than others.
Let's talk sunlight; if you're like me, your brain cogs start making this rusty sound when trying to figure out what direction your window faces, which plants go best where, and how much light do houseplants really need?
5 Different Directions
If directions are a challenge, don't worry; compasses are out in the wild to aid you with this very problem. However, if you weren't aware, there are 5 different directions of natural lighting sources; North, South, East, West, and Up. (If you're confused by "Up," we mean skylights.) Each of these directions helps you determine which type of indoor buddy is best for you.
EAST
From this angle, you receive soft, cool light in the morning due to the sunrise rising over the horizon, allowing light beams to bend and reach farther into the room.
As the day progresses and the sun gets higher in the sky, light shrinks, giving your plants an even balance of light.
Light: Medium, Indirect, Part Shade, Shade (Soft, Cool, Morning Light)
Plants: Ferns, Spider Plants, Pothos, African Violets, and Begonias
Warning: East is the best-facing window for plants. (jk, there aren't really any warnings for this light direction).
WEST
Similar to its East counterpart, but exposes your plants to higher heat. The angle at which the sun sets means sunlight reaches farther into the room and stays longer.
Light: Soft, High-Heat, Day/Evening Light
Plants: Cacti, Succulents, Air Plants, Snake Plants, Ficus, and many Flowering Plants
Warning: Do not set plants on the window sill if you have a West facing window; this will result in scorched plants. Place plants like Aglaonemas, Spathiphyllum, and other low-light plants 4-5' back from the window.
SOUTH
This is the angle that receives the most sun from any facing window; it beams down directly onto the window, which means the light beams don't reach very far into the room. In the winter, the sun hangs lower in the sky, so medium to low-light plants will thrive in a south-facing window.
Light: Intense, Direct Light
Plants: Cacti, Succulents
Warning: Lower-light plants can thrive with this light, but it is best to diffuse the harsh rays with a sheer curtain; too close, it may burn and send your plant to a swift grave.
NORTH
This window will never receive direct sunlight. Typically you can only grow foliage plants in this particular lighting.
Light: Low Light, Part Shade
Plants: Foliage Plants; ZZ, Cast-Iron, Philodendron, Pothos
Warning: Flowering plants are not an option for North facing windows. Unless, of course, you have artificial light within the room that supplements.
(Coming Soon! Blog on lighting tricks, natural and artificial.)
THE 5TH ELEMENT
This would be a skylight, which would be considered the 5th exposure. The light moves across the room throughout the day, allowing various plants to flourish.
Light: Bright, Direct, Moving
Plants: All Varieties
Warning: Be aware of your low-light plant placement here; although it may be brief that the sun passes over it, it could still potentially burn due to its intense direct light.
Other Things to Keep In Mind
(to keep your plants looking full & healthy)
VARIEGATED PLANTS
When selecting low-light plants, you should avoid variegated plants; while they are pretty and draw the eye, they will not hold their shiny luster, patterns, or colors (the reason you probably chose the plant). Instead, while they will not suffer in health, the color or stark contrast in their leaves will fade and become dark green.
PHOTOTROPISM
"A plant that isn't regularly turned will lean toward the light and grow lopsided. Give your plant a quarter turn every time you water, so it will grow symmetrically."
- Grow In The Dark
Phototropism is when you find your plant looking spindly and leaning to one side in particular. If your plant looks like the photos above, you may even be considering renaming your plant to Eileen; before you do this, you may want to try rotating your plant first.
CHEAT SHEET
Still, stressed, or think this might be too much to remember? Here's a lighting cheat sheet for selecting which plants should go where in your home. Next time you go plant hunting, screenshot this little table; it'll make plant shopping a breeze.
Searching for even more lighting info, and which plants would be best during this low-light winter season, click the button below and check out our blog; "Turn Down For What?"
(Click the button below and check out our blog on which plants do best in low light!)
SOURCES
Steinkopf, Lisa Eldred. Grow in the Dark. Cool Springs Press, 2019.
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