Matching a plant to the light in your window

The light a houseplant gets depends on which way the window faces and how far away the plant is. A south window gives the brightest light for the longest time. East and west windows suit many medium-light plants, and a north window suits only lower-light plants. Even a low-light plant usually doesn't get enough light more than 10 feet from an average window.

What you need

• A phone with a compass app, to tell which way each window faces
• A tape measure
• The plant's tag, or its name to look it up

Steps

1. 1

   Find which way the window faces

   Stand at the window and read the compass looking out.

   5 min

2. 2

   Look up the plant's light group

   Houseplants sort into high, medium and low light. Chinese evergreen, parlor palm, Boston fern, heartleaf philodendron, snake plant and peace lily take low light. Spider plant, pothos, rubber plant, dracaena and prayer plant take medium light. Jade plant, ponytail palm, weeping fig and wax plant need high light.

   5 min

3. 3

   Place a high-light plant

   Set it directly in front of an east or west window, or up to 5 feet from a south window.

   2 min

4. 4

   Place a medium-light plant

   Set it directly in front of a north window, a few feet from an east or west window, or 3 to 10 feet from a south window.

   2 min

5. 5

   Place a low-light plant

   Set it a few feet from a north window, 3 to 10 feet from an east or west window, or 15 to 20 feet from a south window. A plant at a north window shouldn't get direct sun.

   2 min

6. 6

   Check the plant in a few weeks

   Too little light shows as long gaps between leaves on the stem, leaves smaller than normal, pale stems and leaves, and lower leaves yellowing and dropping. New leaves of normal size and color mean the spot is right.

   4 min

Through the seasons

A plant that doesn't need bright light can get sunburned at a south window in late spring, summer or early fall. In winter, any houseplant benefits from a south window's light. Trees and shrubs outside can block a window's light in summer and let more through in winter.

Adding light

Where no window is bright enough, artificial light can fill in. Fourteen to 16 hours a day is enough for plants in low light, and no more than 16, because they need a rest period. Cool white fluorescent bulbs suit foliage plants, and incandescent bulbs or special grow lights suit blooming ones.

If something goes wrong