Houseplant light guide
Low, medium, bright indirect or direct sun? Estimate the light at a spot from its window, or type in a light meter reading, and see which plants will be happy there.
Estimated light at this spot
Medium light
about 300 fc · 3,200 lux
Likely between 150 and 590 fc (1,600–6,400 lux) at midday: an estimate, not a measurement.
Near a window but out of direct sun: an unshaded north-facing window, or a shaded east or west one (northern hemisphere).
Gentle morning sun, then bright indirect light for the rest of the day.
Plants that thrive here
- Arrowhead plant
- Calathea
- Cast iron plant
- Chinese evergreen
- Corn plant
- Kentia palm
- Lady palm
- Nerve plant
- Parlour palm
- Peace lily
- Prayer plant
Plants that cope here
- African violet
- Areca palm
- Asparagus fern
- Baby rubber plant
- Boston fern
- Chinese money plant
- Christmas cactus
- Dragon tree
- Dumb cane
- Elephant ear
- English ivy
- Fiddle-leaf fig
- Flamingo flower
- Golden pothos
- Heartleaf philodendron
- Inch plant
- Lipstick plant
- Money tree
- Monstera
- Moth orchid
- Polka dot plant
- Rubber plant
- Snake plant
- Spider plant
- String of pearls
- Swedish ivy
- Umbrella tree
- Wax plant
- Weeping fig
- Zebra haworthia
- ZZ plant
How to use the light guide
Estimate from the window when you have no meter. Choose your hemisphere and the way the window faces: in the northern hemisphere south-facing windows get the most sun, in the southern hemisphere north-facing ones do. Set how far the plant stands from the glass, then say what softens the light: a sheer curtain, half-closed blinds, or trees and buildings outside. Light fades fast with distance, so the estimate comes with a wide range.
Enter a reading when you have a light meter or an app. The result uses the four midday bands of the University of Florida's IFAS Extension and converts between lux and foot-candles (1 fc = 10.76 lux).
Measuring with a light meter
- Measure around midday, at the height of the leaves, with the sensor facing the window.
- Take three or four readings a few seconds apart and use the middle one. Repeat on a sunny day and on a dull one.
- Phone apps are fine for comparing two spots, but UF/IFAS says they should only be used for approximations. A simple digital meter that reads in lux or foot-candles is enough.
Worked example
A plant 1 m (3 ft) from an unshaded east window in the northern hemisphere comes out at about 300 fc, or 3,200 lux: medium light, where a parlour palm, peace lily or calathea does well. Move it to 30 cm (1 ft) from the glass and the estimate rises to about 760 fc, bright indirect light with some morning sun, which suits a monstera, a pothos or a spider plant.
Light levels at a glance
| Light | Midday foot-candles | Lux | Typical spot (northern hemisphere) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 25–100 | 270–1,100 | Far from windows or in heavy shade; often only overhead lighting. |
| Medium | 100–500 | 1,100–5,400 | Near a window but out of direct sun: an unshaded north window, or a shaded east or west one. |
| Bright indirect (high) | 500–1,000 | 5,400–10,800 | Close to an unshaded east or west window, or a shaded south one. |
| Direct sun | over 1,000 | over 10,800 | Right at an unshaded south or south-west window, with sun on the leaves for four hours or more. |
The bands above are UF/IFAS Extension's. Other extension services draw the lines elsewhere: University of Missouri Extension puts low-light plants at 50–250 fc, medium at 250–1,000 and high-light plants at 1,000 fc or more, while Illinois Extension gives 75, 150, 300 and 1,500 fc as typical low, medium, bright and direct values. Treat the edges as soft, and remember that UF calls these terms "generalizations, not scientific terms".
Window direction and distance
| Northern hemisphere | Southern hemisphere | What Illinois Extension expects |
|---|---|---|
| South | North | Direct light right at the glass, bright light up to about 1.5 m (5 ft) away, medium at 1–3 m (3–10 ft). |
| East or west | East or west | Bright light right in front, medium about 1 m (a few feet) away, low at 1–3 m (3–10 ft). |
| North | South | Medium light right in front, low about 1 m (a few feet) away. |
Missouri Extension adds that even low-light plants usually do not get enough light more than about 3 m (10 ft) from an average window. The estimator's falloff is our own simple model, tuned to land in these bands; window size, latitude, season and reflections from pale walls all move the real numbers.
Sources
- UF/IFAS Extension Gardening Solutions, Light for Houseplants: the four midday bands, typical window positions, light meters and phone apps.
- University of Illinois Extension, Houseplants: Lighting: typical foot-candle values and distances from north, east/west and south windows.
- University of Missouri Extension, Lighting Indoor Houseplants (G6515): low, medium and high light ranges and the 10 ft limit.
- Mississippi State University Extension, Care & Selection of Indoor Plants (P1012): which plants belong to the low, medium and high light groups.
- NIST, Guide to the SI, Appendix B.8: 1 foot-candle = 10.764 lux.
Questions
How many lux is bright indirect light?
Roughly 5,400 to 10,800 lux (500 to 1,000 foot-candles) at midday, using UF/IFAS Extension's band for high light, which is softened by a curtain or by trees outside. Other sources draw the line lower or higher, so take it as a guide rather than a rule.
Can I use my phone as a light meter?
For comparing spots, yes. UF/IFAS notes that phone apps are usually accurate enough to show a change in light level but should only be used for approximations. Measure two spots one after the other with the same phone and trust the difference more than the number itself.
Which window is best for houseplants?
It depends on the plant. Windows facing the equator (south in the northern hemisphere, north in the southern) give the brightest light for the longest time and suit cacti, succulents and other sun lovers. East and west windows suit most leafy plants; windows facing away from the equator suit ferns, calatheas and other low to medium light plants.
How far from a window is too dark?
Sooner than most people think. Illinois Extension already counts a spot a metre or so from a north window as low light, and Missouri Extension says even low-light plants usually lack light beyond about 3 m (10 ft) from an average window. If a plant leans hard towards the glass or its new leaves come in small and pale, move it closer.
How much light does a sheer curtain block?
It varies a lot with the fabric. A sheer curtain turns harsh direct sun into softer bright light, which many leafy plants prefer. The estimate assumes it lets through about 60% and half-closed blinds about 40%; these are rough figures, so measure if the plant seems unhappy.