Light is food for plants and making sure you’ve got them in the right spot with solid lighting throughout the day will make a massive difference in growth & health.

Direct vs. Indirect Light

Think of it like sunbathing. Direct light is when the sun's rays hit the leaf with nothing in the way — like lying out at beach with no trees around. Great for cacti, succulents, some palms, crotons, and a few other sun-lovers, but tough on almost all other tropicals.

Indirect light is bright, but the rays are filtered first — imagine under a palm tree on the beach. The room feels bright, but no harsh beam is landing directly on the leaves. This is what the majority of houseplants want, because most of them evolved on a rainforest floor under a canopy, not out in an open field.

However; windows in houses are designed to block out 99% of the UV in sunlight which is what really burns and stresses plants outdoors so you’ve got more wiggle room inside.

Quick test: hold your hand a few inches above the leaf. A sharp, crisp shadow = direct light. A soft, fuzzy shadow = indirect. No shadow at all = low light, and you’ll want to find a brighter spot. I’ve had many plants survive in low light but they don’t make any real progress.

Where to Put Your Plants at Home

Windows are ranked by the direction they face:

• South-facing (northern hemisphere): the brightest, most intense light all day. This is where I try and stick majority of my plants. Sun lovers I’ll throw right up at the window and others back a bit further or behind larger plants so they get filtered light.
• East-facing: gentle morning sun, then bright indirect the rest of the day. The easiest, most forgiving window in the house — great for almost everything.
• West-facing: bright, and hot afternoon sun. Good for many plants, but that late-day light can scorch sensitive leaves right at the glass.
• North-facing: the dimmest. Fine for low-light tolerant plants (snake plants, pothos, ZZ, peace lillies, etc.), but blooming and growth will be slow. If it gets reflected light from white walls or light coloured floors it can help.

Rule of thumb: the further from the window, the less light — fast. Light intensity drops off dramatically just a few feet into a room, even if it still looks bright to your eyes (your pupils cheat by adjusting). When in doubt, closer to the window is usually better than the back corner of the room.

The only caveat here is in the winter months because the sun is much lower in the sky so you actually get brighter light deeper into your house, but for less hours compared to summer.

Leaf Burning: What to Look For & How to Avoid It

Leaf burn happens when a plant gets more intense light than it's adapted to — the tissue literally cooks and dies.

What it looks like:

• Crispy, dry, bleached or brown patches, usually on the leaves facing the window
• Faded, washed-out or yellowing color on the sun-side
• Dry, papery spots — different from overwatering damage, which is soft and mushy