๐ŸŒฟ Honest plant care, grown and tested at home NEW 180 plant, mushroom & tea profiles published ๐Ÿ“ฉ Weekly newsletter As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases
Home/Tools/Light

How much light is that spot?

"Bright indirect" is the most confusing phrase in plant care. Tell us about the window and we'll translate it into a real light level - plus the plants that actually thrive there. Figures assume the northern hemisphere; if you're south of the equator, swap north and south.

This spot gets bright indirect light roughly 400-1000 foot-candles

Great for most popular houseplants.

Shadow test: at midday, hold your hand a foot above the spot. A sharp, crisp shadow = direct/bright; a soft, fuzzy shadow = medium; barely any shadow = low light. It beats guessing every time.

Browse plants โ†’

โš ๏ธ Light drops off fast as you move from the window - a spot 2 m back can get a quarter of the light of the sill, even if it looks bright to your eyes. Your eyes adjust; plants don't. When in doubt, move a plant closer to the glass and watch how it responds.

Not sure what your window offers? See the window light guide for which plants suit north, south, east and west.

๐Ÿ“Ž Embed this tool

Run a plant blog or shop? Add this free light checker to any page - just paste the code below.

Grow with us - weekly.

Every week, one plant or one problem, explained without the fluff. Unsubscribe whenever; we won't chase you.

๐ŸŒฑ
๐Ÿชด
๐ŸŒฟ