Ultimate Indoor Plant Light Guide: How to Match Your Plant to Your Window

Light Types (With Real Numbers)

• Low light: ~50–250 foot-candles (≈ 500–2,700 lux). Enough to read, but not bright.
• Medium / Bright-indirect: ~250–1,000 fc (≈ 2,700–10,800 lux). Sunlight nearby, but not harsh on leaves.
• Direct sun (strong): >1,000 fc (10,800+ lux). Sunbeams hit leaves for hours.

Rule of thumb: 1 foot-candle ≈ 10.76 lux. Plants don’t read numbers—consistency and duration matter just as much as peak intensity.

Window Direction: What It Means for Plants

North-Facing (Coolest, Least Direct)

Good for: ZZ plant, cast-iron plant, pothos (golden/jade), heartleaf philodendron, snake plant (will grow slowly), ferns.

Placement: 0–2 ft from the window; add a small LED in winter.

East-Facing (Gentle Morning Sun)

Good for: Peperomia, African violet, hoya, herbs (basil/mint), fittonia, pilea.

Placement: 0–4 ft; sheer curtain optional if leaves scorch easily.

South-Facing (Bright All Day)

Good for: Fiddle-leaf fig, rubber plant, bird of paradise, citrus, succulents & cacti.

Placement: Direct sun lovers on sill/0–2 ft; bright-indirect plants 3–6 ft back or behind sheer.

West-Facing (Hot Afternoon Sun)

Good for: Hoya, jade, snake plant, rosemary, many succulents.

Placement: 1–4 ft with a sheer in summer; monitor for leaf scorch.

Note: Trees, balconies, blinds, and window coatings can reduce light drastically—treat them like “built-in shade.”

How to Measure Light (Easy Methods)

1) Shadow Test (No Tools)

• Crisp shadow with sharp edges: Direct sun.
• Soft, blurry shadow: Bright-indirect.
• Faint/no shadow: Low light.

2) Phone Light Meter (Fast + Free)

Use a light meter app to read lux at leaf height at midday. Aim for:

• Low-light plants: 500–2,000 lux for most of the day.
• Bright-indirect lovers: 3,000–10,000 lux for 6–12 hrs.
• Sun lovers: 10,000–25,000+ lux during sun hours.

3) PAR/PPFD Meter (Advanced)

Measures usable light for photosynthesis. Helpful for dense grow shelves. If that sounds overkill, your phone + common sense is enough—our AI tool can estimate for you from window + distance data.

Distance & Barriers Matter (A Lot)

• Every extra foot from a window can drop light drastically (inverse-square-ish indoors).
• Sheers/blinds soften harsh sun into bright-indirect.
• Room paint & mirrors: Light walls bounce light deeper into the room.
• Season & latitude: Winter means fewer light hours and lower sun angle—move plants closer or add LEDs.

Quick Placement Recipes (Copy-Paste)

• Low-light area? ZZ, cast-iron, philodendron hederaceum, sansevieria; keep soil on the drier side and accept slower growth.
• Bright-indirect sweet spot? Monstera, pothos, peperomia, hoya, anthurium; 2–6 ft from south/west, or right at east.
• Direct sun window? Succulents, cacti, rosemary, citrus; acclimate gradually to avoid scorch.

Signs of Too Little vs Too Much Light

Not Enough Light

• Leggy, stretched stems; leaning toward window.
• Pale/small new leaves; slow or stalled growth.
• Soil stays wet longer (plant isn’t drinking).

Too Much Sun

• Crispy or bleached patches where sun hits.
• Leaves curling inward; wilting midday but fine at night.
• Soil drying very fast; pot feels hot to the touch.

Fixes: Move closer/farther, add/remove sheer curtains, or supplement with an LED for extra hours instead of harsher intensity.

Grow Lights: Simple Setup That Works

• Type: Full-spectrum LED.
• Height: Start ~12–18″ above leaves; adjust to stop stretch/scorch.
• Hours: 10–14 hrs/day for most foliage; use a timer.
• Placement: Angle from above for compact growth; rotate plants weekly.

Tip: More hours at modest intensity often beats short blasts of very strong light.

Real-World Example

Case study (2025): A reader’s monstera in a north window grew slowly and leaned. Our AI tool recommended moving it 4 ft from a bright south window behind a sheer and adding a 12-hour LED in winter. Within 6 weeks: larger leaves, tighter internodes, and stronger stems.

Get an Exact Placement Plan—No Guesswork

The VerdeBotany AI Plant Doctor factors in your window direction, distance, obstructions, paint color, season, and plant species to produce a precise placement + light-hour plan—including winter adjustments and optional grow-light settings.

Get Your Personalized Light Plan →

Helpful Internal Links

• VerdeBotany Homepage (AI Tool)
• About Us
• Contact

Light & Placement FAQ (2025)

What does “bright-indirect” actually mean?

Lots of ambient light but no harsh sunbeams hitting leaves for long. Think near a bright window with a sheer or a few feet back from a sunny window.

Are “low-light plants” really okay in the dark?

No—“low-light tolerant” means they survive on less, not that they thrive in darkness. Growth will be slow; supplement with LEDs for best results.

How far should I place plants from a south window?

Sun lovers: 0–2 ft. Bright-indirect plants: 3–6 ft or behind a sheer. Always acclimate gradually to avoid scorch.

Phone lux apps—accurate enough?

They vary, but they’re great for comparisons (spot A vs spot B). Use them at the plant’s leaf height around midday.

My plant got scorched—what now?

Move a bit farther, add a sheer, trim dead patches if crisp, and resume bright-indirect. Plants usually recover with better placement.