“My home doesn’t get much light. What can I keep there?”

This is one of the most common questions we get in store, and the first thing we usually try to establish is what “low light” actually means in that particular home.

A shaded room, a plant sitting several metres from a window, and a room with almost no natural light but strong overhead LEDs are all very different environments.

Light is not just about whether there is a window nearby. Distance from the light source matters, the direction of the window matters, and even artificial lighting can make a meaningful difference if it is strong enough and used for most of the day.

Direct light

Direct light means the sun is physically reaching the plant.

An easy way to judge this is to stand where the plant will live and look towards the window. If you can see the sun from that position and sunlight falls directly across the leaves, the plant is receiving direct light.

Direct sun is not automatically a problem for indoor plants.

Many species can tolerate gentle morning or late-afternoon sun very well, and plants such as Monstera and Ficus can often be gradually acclimated to stronger direct light. Winter sun is also generally less intense than summer sun, which can make those positions easier to manage.

The main risk comes from suddenly moving a plant that has been grown in softer light into strong midday sun without allowing it time to adjust.

Bright indirect light

This is the phrase everyone sees on plant labels, but it is rarely explained properly.

For us, bright indirect light simply means a very bright position where the plant is not sitting in prolonged direct sun.

Again, stand where the plant will go and look towards the window. If the room feels bright but you cannot actually see the sun from that position, you are usually dealing with bright indirect light.

This is the easiest lighting condition to work with because the majority of indoor plants will perform well here.

Medium light

Medium light is still a naturally well-lit space, but usually further away from the window or in a part of the room where the light is softer.

Plants will often grow more slowly here than they would closer to a window, but that is not necessarily a problem. Many indoor plants are perfectly happy growing at a slower pace.

Low light

Low light does not mean no light.

It usually refers to a darker part of the room, a shaded space, or a position further away from the main source of natural light.

Some plants tolerate these conditions extremely well. Snake Plants and ZZ Plants are obvious examples.

What changes most in lower light is not always the plant’s ability to survive. It is how quickly the plant uses water.

A plant growing slowly in lower light needs less water than the same plant in a brighter, warmer position. The soil also tends to stay wet for longer.

That is why so many low-light plants fail from overwatering rather than from the lack of light itself.

Why watering changes with light

Light, temperature and water use are all connected.

A plant in brighter light is generally photosynthesising more actively, producing more growth and using more water.

A plant in lower light is usually doing the opposite.

Growth slows, the soil dries more slowly and the plant’s demand for water drops.

That means watering cannot realistically be put on a fixed schedule.

The same plant may need watering once a week in one room and every two weeks in another.

Can artificial light help?

Absolutely.

This is becoming increasingly relevant in modern homes and commercial spaces because good LED lighting can provide more usable light than people realise.

The important factor is distance.

A plant sitting directly beneath strong overhead lighting for most of the day may cope surprisingly well in a space with very little natural light. Move that same plant several metres away from the light source and the result can be completely different.

Artificial light is not always a replacement for natural light, but it can absolutely contribute.

What about morning and afternoon sun?

Most indoor plants are far more tolerant of gentle direct sun than people expect.

Early morning sun and late-afternoon sun are much softer than strong midday light and can often be beneficial.

This is especially relevant in coastal homes where direct sun may only reach a window later in the afternoon. A few hours of softer sunlight is usually manageable for many common indoor plants.

The easiest way to assess your space

Instead of getting too caught up in terminology, look at the actual position where the plant is going to live.

If direct sunlight reaches the spot, you have direct light.

If the room is very bright but the sun does not fall directly onto the plant, you have bright indirect light.

If the room is naturally lit but the plant sits further away from the window, you are probably working with medium light.

If the position is noticeably darker but still receives natural or strong artificial light, you are dealing with low light.

The labels are useful, but the plant’s response matters more than the label itself.

If it is growing steadily, holding its shape and the soil is drying at a healthy pace, the position is probably working.

If it is stretching, staying wet for very long periods or losing colour, the light may be lower than you realised.