A Foolproof Guide to Houseplant Lighting

From window exposure to light intensity, here are all the factors to consider when finding your plant a home in your home.

Plants use photosynthesis to transform the sun’s rays into the energy they need to survive. But each plant’s specific light requirement is unique: some succulents crave direct sunlight, while other tropical understory plants prefer low or heavily filtered light.
Understanding light levels and how they influence different plant types can be intimidating, but it’s worth taking a few moments to understand. Once you “get” your home’s window exposures and expected light, you can make sure you only bring home houseplants that will work for your space: no more guesswork, no more sad brown leaves.

There are three main lighting factors to take into consideration when deciding where to place your houseplants: what direction your window is facing, how far the plant will be from that window, and whether there is anything obstructing the light, like a wall or window shade.

Below, we’ll walk you through each factor—shining some light on where your new plant belongs in your home. Pun absolutely intended.


What Is Window Exposure?
Determining your window’s exposure—AKA what direction your window is facing—will provide insight into the kind of light you can expect your plants to receive. Break out your phone’s compass app (yep, you’ve got one), and reference the below information, which is accurate for all plant people in the northern hemisphere.

South-Facing Windows:
The light that enters through south-facing windows is the strongest and brightest. Plants placed at this exposure will get full sunlight from the time the sun rises until it sets in the evening, and the space around your window will experience warmer temperatures from baking in the sun all day.

West-Facing Windows:
Offering the second most intense light to south-facing windows, western exposures typically get direct sunlight for 4-6 hours a day during the afternoon, with indirect light shining through in the morning and early afternoon hours. The afternoon sun can get intensely hot, so plants with sensitive leaves should be moved a few feet from the window or they may scorch.

East-Facing Windows:
These windows will get direct sunlight in the early morning, followed by indirect sun later in the day. Since the morning sun is much less hot than midday or afternoon sun, this exposure offers gentler lighting that is easier on thin or sensitive leaves.

North-Facing Windows:
These windows never receive direct sunlight. Their cool, shady sills are perfect for ferns and other low-light plants, but other plants will likely not receive enough sun to survive.

All About Light Intensity: From Direct to Low Light
Now that you know what to expect with each window exposure, let’s review how to determine what kind of light is shining in. From direct to low light, strongest to weakest, here are all of the tags used in our Green Guide, explained.

Direct Light:
The light that comes through west-or south-facing windows is the most intense light in your home, and it’s usually a mixture of direct and bright indirect light. Direct light exposes plants directly to the sun's rays, which is fine for desert plants like cacti and succulents, but not-so-fine for plants with sensitive foliage, like Begonias. If you’re unsure whether your window is in direct light, put your hand in between the window and the plant during the hottest part of the day. If the sun’s rays hit your skin, bingo. You can also check by holding your hand in front of a sheet of paper. If the shadow is dark with crisp edges, that’s another sign you’re in direct light.

Bright Indirect Light:
We enter indirect territory as soon as the sun is reflected off of another surface before reaching your plant—whether it’s a window or wall. These are the spots right near a bright window that may get an hour or so of direct sunlight, but are otherwise exposed to obstructed light. Most common houseplants are happy in this zone.
If your window gets direct light and you want to place a bright indirect light-loving plant there, consider adding a sheer curtain to reduce the amount of rays shining through.

Medium Light:
Think of the spots in a room that are halfway between the window and a back wall. They might be bright, but receive no direct sunlight and are more than a few feet from a window of any exposure. If you want to break out the shadow trick, you can confirm you’re in medium light when your hand casts a fuzzy shadow on a sheet of paper.

Low Light:
If the spot is over 7-8 feet from a window or receives no natural light, that’s categorized as a low light spot. This might work for some species, but all plants will grow very slowly if they receive no sunlight. Consider adding an artificial light, or moving your plant to a medium light spot if it appears to be failing.

Common Issues
No matter how hard you work to understand the lighting in your home, getting it right may take some trial and error. Below is a list of common issues your plant may be experiencing as a result of improper light exposure.

Too much light:
Scorched leaf tips
Burn patches on leaves
Leaves falling off

Too little light:
Elongated, spindly stems
Pale or dull new growth
Yellowing leaves
Wide gaps between new leaves

Keep in mind, these symptoms need context and can be caused by any number of things—for example, too much fertilizer can also burn leaves, and yellowing leaves might also be from overwatering. This is what makes plant care such a personal process, so cut yourself some slack if you’re still learning—with time, you’ll get to know your plant. For now, if you suspect your plant may be receiving too much or too little light, these signs are basically confirming you should switch up their spot in your home.

Lastly, it’s worth noting that many plants can be conditioned to tolerate different light levels, but you must do so gradually to prevent the plant from going into shock. Existing foliage has adapted to low light and will need a transitional period where it is exposed to more and more light to help its tissue adapt to the new intensity.