How to make the most of natural sunlight to grow healthy indoor plants 

Understanding how each room in your home casts light throughout the day is a very important factor to ensuring your plants receive the right amount of light. But sometimes the terminology used can be confusing – bright, but indirect or bright light but not full sun, etc etc! We often have people ask us these questions at our shops so we know it can get confusing at times. In our previous journal post, we discussed the importance of replicating a plants’ natural habitat as best you can to ensure healthy, optimal growth. We didn’t so much go into the factor of light because whilst it’s important, it is not the only factor as some people might think. Now that we’ve established the importance of environment –  temperature, humidity and watering patterns – we can now explain the different types of light conditions within a room. In this article we will dive deeper into subtle differences between the different light conditions and which indoor plants thrive in such conditions. 

How to tell which way your window is facing

The first step is to understand what kind of light the room receives. Observe the movement of the sun throughout the day. If you experience early morning sunlight you have an east-facing window, equally if you experience full, direct sunshine throughout the day you have a south-facing window. Most people understand the basic principle of compass points and sunrise and sunset! But where this gets a little more specific when positioning your houseplants, is down to the opportunity and likelihood that your home sits in between, such as north-west or south-east, which can determine how far the light reaches into the room and for how long. This will impact the way the light moves through the room and thus, which houseplants to choose for that space. 

If your window is not fully south, east or north facing, you may experience light for slightly longer or shorter periods of time, but this should give you a good starting point. 

 

North facing window – likely to have indirect or low light conditions 

South facing window – bright, direct light for several hours of the day 

East facing window – will receive light in the morning

West facing window – will receive light in the evening 

 

North East – mostly soft or intermittent morning light 

North West –  receives gentle light in the morning and again in the afternoon

South East – likely to get bright, warm light in the morning and early afternoon 

South West – warm light in the afternoon 

Different types of light and what this means for your houseplants: 

Now that you’ve identified which room you would like to home your indoor plant, now is the question of where is best in the room and where you position your plant in the room will be determined by the movement of light across the day. And what about windows with diffused coating or sheer curtains? This does indeed play its part in light distribution and strength of light. Diffusing on windows will filter direct sunlight, making it more tolerable for plants that prefer bright but indirect light. Equally, it can prevent succulents and cacti growing as well as they would without the filter. 

What does bright, but direct light mean?

This means the sunlight is directly hitting a surface for several hours of the day, such as on or around a south-facing windowsill. This is where you want to home your succulents and cacti, however it’s worth remembering that windows magnify the intensity of the sun’s rays so even desert plants can become susceptible to scorching. Having said that, most cacti and succulents are happy sitting in a south facing window as the sun in the UK isn't particularly strong. There are some desert plants that like to sit slightly further away from the window such as Howarthia (which are naturally found growing underneath rocks in the desert) so it's worth checking when you buy them. 

And here’s something to observe – you may find your succulent develops red tips, or a fuzzy white layer like on the surface of a grape, or your cacti may even grow thicker spines. These are all adaptations that protect them from the heat but do the plant no harm.

Indoor plants that love the sunlight

Aloe vera

 

Snake plant

Echeveria 

Kalanchoe

 

What does bright, but indirect light mean?

This is the part of your room that does not receive full sun for several hours, but instead remains lightly shaded throughout the day with the room typically receiving sun for half of the day. This is likely to be one of the most popular light conditions in a home – for example if your room receives sunlight during just the morning or in evening only. Thankfully there is a range of indoor plants suitable for rooms like this offering many options to design your own beautiful plant haven.

It’s worth noting, you can still place houseplants that enjoy bright but indirect light in a south facing room because often south facing windows will leave parts of the room in shade due to light getting blocked by walls.  

Indoor plants that like a little bit of both, shade and light

Happy go lucky when it comes to light requirements, and probably more concerned with environment conditions. Place these in your rooms with mixed, indirect light conditions: 

Calathea

Dracaena

 

Epipremnum

Ficus

Monstera

 

And which houseplants love the shade?  

This translates to spots in your home that receive no direct sunshine or very limited/brief moments of light. This would typically be areas toward the back or sides of the room, areas that are sectioned by large furniture that break the flow of light, and the areas on either side of the windowsill. 

Best low light indoor plants

These are your plants for darker rooms, your low light loving houseplants: 

Peace Lily 

Philodendron

 

Aspidistra 

ZZ plant 

 

Boston fern 

Begonias

 

Finding the perfect spot for your indoor plant can take a bit of time and careful thought, but once mastered, the outcome is extremely rewarding. Even small adjustments like rotating your plant or moving it closer to a window will make the difference. The key is patience. Plants can take a couple of weeks to adjust to light and environment changes so watch their behaviour carefully and make adjustments where necessary. Once you feel confident you’ve found the optimum conditions for your houseplants you can start to explore plant design by styling your plants to suit your personal taste.