Light Guide

"Bright indirect light" — the phrase appears on every product page and nobody quite knows what it means. This page makes it practical: how to measure the light in your own home, what the terms actually mean, and what to buy for which light.

One thing first: light is the single biggest factor in plant care. A plant in the wrong light won't do well no matter how well you water or feed it — because all of a plant's food is made from light. So checking the light before choosing a plant is always easier than fixing it afterwards.

How to measure the light in your home

1. The shadow test (easiest and most reliable)

Around midday, put a sheet of white paper in the spot you have in mind and hold your hand above it. Look at the shadow it casts:

  • Sharp, dark, clean-edged shadow = direct / full sun
  • Clear but lighter shadow, slightly soft edges = partial sun / bright light
  • Blurry, faded shadow = bright indirect light
  • Very faint shadow or none at all = low light

2. Which direction the window faces

This is the biggest factor. Open the compass app on your phone and check which way the window looks out.

  • South facing — the most sun, for the longest. Best for sun-loving plants. In summer this same spot can also scorch plants.
  • West facing — afternoon sun, which is the harshest and hottest. Good, but you'll need to think about shade in summer.
  • East facing — gentle morning sun. The easiest and most forgiving direction for most plants.
  • North facing — almost no direct sun. Steady, soft light. Only shade-tolerant plants.

Distance matters just as much: 1 foot from the window and 6 feet from it differ by several times in light. And any mesh, net, curtain or tinted glass in between cuts a lot of light — even when the glass looks bright.

3. Balcony vs indoors

The "shade" on a balcony is often brighter than a "bright" spot inside the house, because there's open sky above it. So within one home: covered balcony ≈ bright indirect, open balcony = direct sun, indoors near a window = bright indirect, and the inner part of a room = low light.

If there's an overhang or the balcony of the floor above, a lot of the direct sun is cut off — in that case the genuinely bright spot is the one right up against the grill.

4. Judge it over a day, not in a minute

Light changes through the day. The same spot can be bright in the morning and completely in shade after 11 am. Check two or three times (morning, midday, evening), then decide.

Seasons change it too: in winter the sun is low and reaches further into the room; in summer it's overhead, so the same room feels dimmer. In monsoon it stays cloudy for weeks. So a plant that was happy in full sun in winter can burn in May.

What the terms actually mean

Full sun

5-6 hours or more of direct sun a day. An open terrace, an open south/west balcony, or open garden. This is where you get a sharp, clean-edged shadow. The energy to make flowers and fruit comes only from here.

Partial sun / partial shade

Roughly 3-5 hours of direct sun, usually morning, with bright shade for the rest of the day. An east-facing balcony, or a spot that gets shaded by a wall or tree at midday. For a great many plants this is the most comfortable situation — plenty of light, plus protection from the midday scorch.

Bright indirect light

Plenty of light, but no sun ray falling directly on the plant. Near a window but slightly to one side, or the inner part of a covered balcony. The test: from that spot you can see open sky, but not the sun directly. This is ideal for most indoor plants.

Low light

Low light — enough to read by, but it casts almost no shadow. An inner room, a corridor, a bathroom, the far corner of a north-facing room.

An honest point is needed here: "low light tolerant" means the plant will survive, not grow. It will tick along slowly, put out little new growth, and certainly won't flower. Trying to make a low-light plant "happy" with more water or more fertiliser — both do the opposite of helping.

Common mistakes

  • Overestimating your light. The most common mistake. The human eye adjusts to light levels, so a room feels "bright enough" to us when it's low light for a plant. That's why you do the shadow test instead of guessing.
  • Moving a plant straight from dark into harsh sun. Put a newly delivered plant, or one kept indoors, suddenly into full sun and the leaves burn. Always make the shift gradually, over a few days.
  • Pressing the plant right up against the glass. In summer the midday glass gets very hot and the leaves scorch. Leave a gap.
  • Keeping a flowering plant in low light. The flowers will never come — that's a mistake of choice, not of care.
  • Never rotating the plant. With light coming from one side only, the plant leans that way. Turn it a little every 2-3 weeks.
  • Dust on the leaves. Settled dust really does block light. Wipe them with a damp cloth once a month.
  • Doing nothing when the season changes. In summer move plants back a little from the midday sun; in monsoon do the opposite — bring light-loving plants to the brightest spot you have.
  • Compensating for low light with water. In low light a plant uses water slowly, so the same old watering routine turns into root rot. Less light means less water.

What to buy for which light

Full sun (5+ hours)

Partial sun / bright light

Bright indirect

Low light

  • Indoor Plants — pick the low-light tolerant options from within this range, and do read the light requirement on the product page

Flowering, fruiting and most seeds and bulbs will not work in low light. That's a limitation, not a lack of care.

Read next

Plant Finder · Shop by Space · Watering Guide · Plant Doctor