If you’re new to growing houseplants, a simple search for care instructions can turn into a total rabbit hole full of confusing terms and contradictory info. We all know that light is crucial for a plant’s survival, but how much does yours need? What does “low light” or “bright indirect light” actually mean?
Here’s what you need to know about houseplant light levels and the types of plants that are suitable for them. (You might be surprised by what “bright indirect light” means versus what you think it means!)
First, what happens when a plant doesn’t get enough light?
One of the most common mistakes made by beginning houseplant enthusiasts, aside from overwatering, is not giving a plant enough light. I get it: It’s tempting to use houseplants to spruce up a dark corner of your home. But unfortunately, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment by doing this.
What a lot of houseplant enthusiasts forget is that indoors, light is always in very short supply for our greenery—especially when you consider modern windows with special coatings that reduce the amount of light that passes through.
If a plant is sold as “low light,” that doesn’t actually mean it prefers low light conditions. Almost without exception, houseplants would love to grow in the areas we consider “high light.” That’s where they thrive. In darker areas, they’re often merely surviving—or even dying in slow motion.
Signs a plant is light starved include:
- New leaves begin growing further apart, giving a sparse look.
- The plant produces lanky, weak growth and tries to stretch toward the light (a process known as etiolation).
- Leaves turn pale and yellowish, eventually falling off.
- You notice the soil stays moist for a long time, increasing the risk of rot.
- The plant becomes susceptible to pests and diseases.
Conclusion: More light means healthier, nicer-looking, and more resilient plants. If you do want to use yours to brighten up a dark corner, you should look into using a grow light to support it.
Disclosure: If you shop from my article or make a purchase through one of my links, I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend.
What is “very low,” “low,” “medium,” and “high” light?
There are no strict definitions for light levels for indoor plants as there are for plants grown outdoors or in a greenhouse. That’s why things can get confusing—what does low, medium, or high light even mean? Is your coffeetable a medium or low-light spot? And what about that shelf? People tend to underestimate how much light a plant needs.
And what about “bright indirect,” which is also often mentioned with no explanation whatsoever? Do a huge skylight and small bathroom window both count as bright indirect, since there is light but no sun?
The easiest way to measure light is with a simple light meter like this one. These inexpensive devices will usually tell you the brightness in foot-candles (FC), which equal one lumen (a measure of light) per square foot. You can compare these readings with online charts to figure out where a spot falls on the brightness scale, and which plants are suitable for growing there.
This being said, you can also learn to gauge light levels pretty well by just looking. So let’s go over the different degrees of brightness to be found in the average home, how to recognize them, and which plants you can grow there. I’ve also illustrated a few examples of how bright different spots in a room may get during the day (though keep in mind that window orientation and time of year can make a big difference in how much light a room actually gets).
Quick tip
If you’re a beginner, I recommend skipping the “no light” and “low light” sections. After all, these are the absolute minimums, without much margin for error. If you place all plants in at least medium light, I promise your chances of success are much higher!
Very low light
How to recognize
I classify “very low light” areas as one level up from “fully dark” areas, which would be rooms without any windows whatsoever or totally dark nooks. Very low-light spaces have windows, but plants kept in there aren’t able to see the sky at all.
Very low light examples:
- A plant placed against the same wall as a window, so light doesn’t shine on it
- More than 15 feet away from a large window
- More than 5 feet away from a tiny window (like a narrow bathroom window)
On a light meter, these zones would read 50 to 100 foot-candles.
Suitable plants
If you’re an experienced houseplant grower, there is one plant that you may be able to grow successfully in these extremely low-lit spaces. Good ol’ Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is so tolerant that it only needs around 50 foot-candles to survive and even grow. Avoid neon or cream-splashed varieties, opting for pure green or ‘Golden’ Pothos instead.
Remember that your mileage may vary; have a plan B ready in case your Pothos really doesn’t seem to thrive. Water sparingly, as plants kept in dark spots barely use any moisture. And remember not to expect much growth, nor a very bushy plant!
Low light
How to recognize
“Low light” areas actually don’t seem that dark to our human eyes. In fact, most of our homes fall into this category. But for most plants, which use light to synthesize their nutrients, it’s just not enough! Only a select few can thrive here, as they can just barely see the sky.
Low-light examples:
- Tiny windows
- North-facing windows in cloudy climates
- Windows that look out on apartment building courtyards
- More than 5 feet away from a window that doesn’t receive direct sun
On your light meter, these zones would read 100 to 250 foot-candles.
Suitable plants
Many websites will give you long lists of plants that are supposedly okay to grow in low light areas. Unfortunately, these often aren’t very realistic—many will include species that, in reality, require medium or high light levels. A recipe for disappointment, which is why I put together my own list of 10 actually low-light houseplants.
Remember that there still isn’t much of a margin of error in low-light conditions. It’s easy to overwater, and also to confuse a very low-light spot for a low-light one. Beginners should probably opt for medium light (see below) or use a supplemental grow light.
Medium light (bright indirect light)
How to recognize
Just like low light can seem pretty normal to us humans, “medium light” is actually quite bright to us. We’re getting into the pleasantly livable zone for houseplants here, where many understory tropicals can thrive and grow abundantly. A medium light spot allows your plant to see the sky clearly.
“Medium light” examples:
- Bright windows that don’t get a lot of direct sun, like west and east-facing ones
- South-facing windows with obstructions, like overhangs and trees
- 10 feet or more away from unobstructed south-facing windows
- Under a small skylight
- Offices with bright fluorescent lighting and windows
On your light meter, these zones would read 250 to 1,000 foot-candles. Your plants will like the spots that provide at least 500 FC best.
Suitable plants
If you have a medium light spot available, you’ve got a range of nice tropical houseplants to choose from. In fact, I can’t list all of them here, but here are a few of my personal favorites:
- Elephant ear (Alocasia sp.)
- Begonia (Begonia sp.)
- Croton (Codiaeum variegatum)
- Orchids (family Orchidaceae)
- Umbrella plant (Schefflera sp.)
- Wax plant (Hoya sp.)
- Swiss cheese plant (Monstera deliciosa)
- Philodendron (Philodendron sp.)
- Radiator plant (Peperomia sp.)
- Bromeliads (family Bromeliaceae), including air plants (Tillandsia sp.)
- Jungle cacti, like the fishbone and Christmas cactus
- Arrowhead plant (Syngonium sp.)
- Inch plant (Tradescantia sp.)
- Flamingo plant (Anthurium sp.)
High light
How to recognize
For houseplants, we define “high light” spaces as those that are getting close to giving the sensation of being outdoors. Plants can see a big patch of the sky from here, and they receive direct sun for a good few hours a day. Almost all houseplants would love to live here.
“High light” examples:
- Sunny, large, unobstructed south-facing windows and glass patio doors
- Under a big skylight
- In a glass greenhouse
- On a covered patio or balcony
On your light meter, these zones would read 1,000 foot-candles or more.
Suitable plants
Pretty much everyone! With the exception of the extreme sun lovers, such as many cacti and succulents—which would do better outdoors—houseplants will thrive in high light indoors. If you have a spot like this available, you won’t really have to think about which plants are suitable for it.
Understory tropicals do well in areas up to 1,500 FC. Others, like indoor Ficus trees, would love 2,000 FC or more. Just be sure to acclimate plants when you move them from a low light to a high light position, especially if the sun is strong! Inch them closer over the course of a few weeks to prevent leaf burn.
Examples of plants that specifically require high light include:
- Most Ficus trees
- Carnivorous plants
- Sago palm (Cycas revoluta)
- Yucca plant (Yucca sp.)
- Various indoor palms, like the Kentia palm (Howea forsteriana)
- Bird of paradise plant (Strelitzia sp.)
- All types of pines
What if my plant is dying from a lack of light?
Don’t worry! Unless it has completely rotted away or looks totally crispy and dry, it can likely be saved. Even houseplants that have lost all their leaves and are down to bare stems can re-sprout, so don’t throw yours out just yet.
Move the plant to a medium-light location and keep a close eye on it. You should water sparingly until it has recovered, as sad and light-starved greenery is at a high risk of rot.
Quick tip
While you can move a plan from a low light to a medium light spot in one go, an upgrade to sunny, high light conditions should be made over the course of a few weeks to prevent leaf burn.
What if my plant gets bright light for part of the day, but low light during the rest?
Light levels vary throughout the day and with the seasons, which can make things confusing. That’s why counting the number of sunny hours can help. A spot by a window that gets over six hours of sun is definitely “high light,” but one that only gets two to three hours (like in the morning or evening) is no more than “medium light.”
Low-light areas never really get any sun at all, even if some light does come in.
