Guide to meeting your plants lighting requirements

All plants need some natural light. They are living, breathing beings just like us that need light, water and nutrients in order to survive. A houseplant’s lighting requirements may vary and it’s important to consider it before you bring your green friends into your home. Some houseplants can tolerate hardly any natural light and some need bright and direct sunlight to flourish. 

Each individual plant will have its own lighting requirements which will be explained through north, east, south and west lighting. South facing rooms offer the most light, east will offer morning light and west facing rooms will enjoy some afternoon or evening sunlight. A north facing room has the least amount of natural light. It’s worth knowing the positioning of your space so that you can find the best plant that suits your lighting conditions. 

North facing windows: 

North facing rooms offer the least amount of natural light. Don't panic, you can still own plants that will survive in a north facing room but if possible they might need to be placed closer to the window. Some plants like Sasha the bird of paradise and Carlos the cactus should never be placed in a north facing room due to the lack of sunlight throughout the day. The best north facing plants are as follows: 

Zoe the zz plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia)

Ian the cast Iron (Aspidistra elatior)

Foxy the chinese evergreen (Aglaonema)

Sammy the snake plant (Sansevieria)

Jane the Aglaonema (Dieffenbachia)

Conrad the dumb cane (Dieffenbachia ) would also work by an east facing window

 

East facing window:

Any east facing window or room will get morning light. This is an ideal condition for the majority of plants that can't tolerate any midday direct sunlight but also need a little more light than a north facing room can offer. The plants that are placed in an east facing window will prefer about 3-4 hours of bright light in the morning but can cope with a medium light for the rest of the day. The majority of easy care plants would thrive in a east facing room with a little morning sun. The best east facing plants are as follows: 

 

Benny Philodendron scandens brasil 

Marble the satin pothos 

Drake the corn plant (Dracaena fragrans)

Kentia the kentia palm (Howea forsteriana)

Lucy the chinese money plant (Pilea peperomioides) could also work a metre away from a south facing window

Ollie the Calathea Orbifolia (along with other Calatheas) 

Lily the peace lily (Spathiphyllum)

Chris the bird’s nest fern (Asplenium nidus)

 

South facing windows:

South facing rooms get the most light throughout the day. If you have a living room, kitchen or bedroom that is south facing there is a good chance that it is the sunniest and warmest part of your home. Plants that will thrive in a south facing room tend to be those who prefer high levels of direct or bright indirect sunlight. Most houseplants prefer bright indirect sunlight so placing them in a south facing room will promote plenty of new growth and will keep your plants happy overall. 

 

It’s worth bearing in mind that a lot of plants need to be placed out of direct sunlight. I would suggest placing these plants about a metre away from a south facing window. These plants include:

 

Eraser and Melany the rubber plants (ficus elastica)

Fiona the Fiddle leaf fig (ficus lyrata)

Paddy the money tree (Pachira aquatica)

Monty the Monstera Deliciosa

Rosie the rose 

Zara the Alocasia zebrina

 

There are a few houseplants that love bright direct sunlight and can be placed next to a south facing window without the fear of seeing any burnt foliage. These plants are:

 

Sasha and Roger the bird of paradise (Strelizia)

Percy the ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)

Alex the Aloe vera 

The citrus plant 

Phillipa the pineapple plant (Ananas comosus)

Marcel the false banana plant (Ensete Ventricosum Maurelii) 

Barry the banana plant (Musa Tropicana) 

 

West facing window: 

A west facing room is ideal for many houseplants. These rooms will fill with afternoon and evening sun. The afternoon sun can be quite intense so it’s also good to place your houseplants about a metre away from a west facing window. It might be a different story if you have shutters or blinds on your west facing window that can give more filtered light. A west facing window is brilliant for plants that don’t need 6+ hours of sunlight a day but still thrive in a well lit room. 

 

These plants include: 

Monkey the Monstera adansonii

Richardo the mini monstera (Rhaphidophora Tetrasperma)

Fiona the fiddle leaf fig (Ficus lyrata) also good about a metre away from a south facing window

Coffee plant arabica could also work a metre away from a south facing window

Betty the Begonia maculata

Juliette the string of hearts (Ceropegia)

Freya the fire flash (Chlorophytum orchidastrum) also could work a metre away from a south facing window

Before you buy your plant from us make sure you’re aware of what kind of light your plants will need. As a general rule, it is worth bringing your plants closer to the window in the winter months when sunlight is limited. In the summer months your plants can be moved further back from the window when the sun is at its strongest. I hope this blog has helped you work out what kind of light your new houseplant will thrive in.