Help your houseplants thrive by providing them the perfect amount of light.
You’ve probably seen recommendations forplacing a houseplantin indirect light, but what exactly does that mean?
Of course, light provides the energy plants need to make their own food.
Credit:Stacy Zarin Goldberg
But not all plants have the same light requirementssomeprefer full sun while others do best in shade.
Why Do Plants Need Sunlight at Different Levels?
Knowing a plants natural habitat will help you understand the pop in of light it prefers.
Manycommon houseplants hail from tropical regionswhere they grow as understory plants in the jungle.
But even in a jungle, some plants climb toward more light while others seek shadier locations.
Orchidsand bromeliads, for example, often grow attached to upright plants where light is brighter.
Whereaspeace lilies, prayer plants, anddieffenbachiathrive in the low light on the forest floor.
A little research about your plants native habitats will provide clues to the best light conditions for each.
Be aware that low light houseplants are oftenburned by exposure to direct sun.
They may display scorching or bleaching of their leaves and flowers.
How to Measure Light for Plants
Light meters are toolsthat help measure light levels.
Grow lightsare useful for supplementing natural light especially for those houseplants that prefer bright indirect light.
The greater the distance between the light and the plant, the lower the intensity.
