Plant Light Guide: Full Sun, Partial Sun, Bright Indirect Light, Low Light

Before you buy a plant, check the light where it will live

Eight out of ten houseplants fail because of the wrong light: too little and they stretch out, fade and drop leaves; too much and they scorch and the leaf tips burn. This page sets out the four light levels we use in the shop, with measurable definitions, so you can work out which one your home or office is.

The four light levels, with measurable definitions

Level	Measured definition	Typical positions	Plants that suit it
Full sun	Six hours or more of direct sun a day	Outdoors, balconies, rooftops, sunny floor-to-ceiling windows (west-facing spots get fierce in the afternoon)	Fruit trees, flowering plants, succulents and cacti
Partial sun	Three to six hours of direct sun a day(or sun in the morning or afternoon only)	An east- or west-facing window, or a shaded balcony	Citrus, kalanchoe, star jasmine and crown of thorns — sun lovers that still dislike the midday glare
Bright indirect light	No direct sunlight, but the space is bright during the day — comfortable for reading	Within one to two metres of a south-facing window, a window with a sheer curtain, or under a light well or skylight	Most indoor foliage plants: Monstera, Fiddle Leaf, Areca Palm, Radermachera and Calathea
Low light	No direct sunlight, with low daytime brightness — you need the light on to feel bright	More than two metres from a window, corridors, meeting-room corners, or a room lit only by lamps	Very shade-tolerant species: Sansevierias, ZZ plant, Epipremnum, Dracaena and Sun God

How do you work out your light level?

Check which way the window faces: South-facing gets light all day; east-facing only in the morning; west-facing is fiercest in the afternoon and evening, and Hong Kong's summer sun from the west burns leaves; north-facing gets only indirect light, the gentlest of all.
Count the hours of direct sun: On a sunny day, look at the spot every hour or two from morning to dusk, and add up the hours the sun falls directly on it. That total is the daily direct sun in the table above.
Check the distance and what is in the way: The further from the window, the less light. Sheer curtains, covered walkways and the building opposite all take more away. Beyond two metres from a window, count it as low light.
Go by how the room feels: If you can read comfortably without switching a light on, the space is bright. If you need the light on to feel bright, it is low light.

How our categories work

Every plant's Additional Information table lists its light level (full sun, partial sun, bright indirect light or low light). Check it against the table above before you buy.

Three common mistakes

"Shade-tolerant" does not mean "no light needed": Shade-tolerant species survive in low light, but nothing lives in permanent darkness. A low-light spot still needs the light people turn on when they are in the room.
Do not move a houseplant straight into full sun: Leaves that have not adapted will scorch. If you are moving a plant somewhere sunnier, do it gradually over a week or two.
In an air-conditioned room the problem is not light, it is humidity: Constant air conditioning dries out leaf tips, which looks much like too little light. Do not rush to move the plant.

Choose by light level

Full sun

Six hours or more of direct sun a day. Suited to outdoors, balconies, rooftops and sunny floor-to-ceiling windows.

Partial sun

Three to six hours of direct sun a day, or sun in the morning or afternoon only, avoiding the midday glare.

Bright indirect light

No direct sun, but a bright space during the day — near a window, or a well-lit room.

Low light

No direct sun and low daytime brightness — far from windows, corridors, corners. Only shade-tolerant species can live here long term.

Still not sure? Tell us which way your windows face and how many hours of direct sun you get, and we will pick for you.

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