While all plants need light, the amount of the light they each need varies. This depends on where the plant originally came from, for example, most houseplants are natives of the jungle floor that have evolved to thrive on filtered light (like the light that makes its way through jungle canopies).  Light-sensitive houseplants may develop scorched leaves in bright light.

East- and west-facing windows generally receive partial sun and work well for plants that don’t need as much light. Darker locations that face north are best for low-light plants or closet plants.

Here are some key ways to tell if your plant is getting too much, or too little sunlight:

Too LITTLE Sunlight

• The plant dramatically starts to lean towards the light.

   

• Lower and/or interior leaves on the plants simply fall off.

   

• Leaves curl upwards.

   

• New growth is much smaller than original leaves and may have less color.

   

• Plants grow spindly with elongated stems.

   

• Flowering plants stop producing blooms.

   

Too MUCH Sunlight

• The plant develops brown or sunburned spots on its leaves.

   

• Leaves begin to yellow and fall.

   

• Plants with colorful foliage will begin to fade.

   

• The entire plant looks scorched.