Dracaena Lisa living its best life in a Coral Mid-Century Ceramic – adding a pop of color to your daily green vibes!

Does your plant need additional light than what’s available in your home? You may be considering a grow light. One of the most common questions our customers ask is if a regular lamp will suffice as a grow light, or if they can put a special grow light bulb into one of their lamps.

What are grow lights?

Grow lights are specifically designed for plant growth. They emit light tailored to the needs of plants during different growth stages. Unlike regular bulbs, they provide the right spectrum and intensity required for robust plant development.

Can any lamp accommodate a grow light bulb?

Not any lamp can accommodate a grow light effectively. While it might fit physically, the lamp must have the proper wattage capacity and socket type in order for the grow light to work effectively.

A simple solution to supplementing your plant’s light

The simplest solution to supplementing your plant’s light exposure with a regular lamp is to purchase a “natural daylight” bulb, sold in most hardware stores. This type of lightbulb provides light closer to the natural spectrum of the sun—it is in fact designed to cheer us humans up during dreary winter days! The light should be close to your plant’s foliage, and not overly filtered by a large shade.

---

Designed to Thrive

Premium plants, potted and delivered, plus lifetime access to 24/7 Plant Doctor support.

SHOP NOW

A Definitive Light Guide for Plants

It’s time to welcome a new plant into your home, which means that it’s also time to identify the light your space receives! The number one thing to consider when you select a new plant friend is their light requirement. And we know it can feel a little confusing at first, but don’t fret!  This page was specially designed to set you up for success when choosing the right plant for your space. We will identify the light that your space receives, what terms like bright indirect light really mean, and of course, ensure your choice is a perfect match with suggestions for each area of your home.

1. Direct light vs. indirect light

2. Artificial light

3. Understanding the light in your space

4. North facing window light

5. South facing window light

6. East facing window light

7. West facing window light

8. Best plants for each type of light

9. Signs your plant isn’t getting the right light

What is Indirect Sunlight?

What’s the difference between indirect vs. direct light, and what how do green thumbs define low light? While there admittedly isn’t an exact way to define some of these terms, getting a general sense of each will go a long way in selecting the right plant.

Direct Light - The light that comes in through west or southern-facing windows. Direct light is the most intense light that indoor spaces receive, and will expose plants directly to the sun's rays. Most common houseplants don’t love direct sunlight, but a few that can take the heat are Birds of Paradise, Fishtail Palms, cacti and succulents.

Bright Indirect Light - It’s not direct, but it is steady and bright. Think: the spots right next to a window that receives a dash of direct light (but not more than an hour a day) before being obstructed. It’s ideal for plants in this collection. 

Medium Light - The areas of a room that are about half the distance between a window and back wall receive medium light. These areas still receive steady light from windows, but it is not direct. This light is ideal for many palms, Dracaenas, Philodendrons, and the plants in our medium light collection.

Low Light - Low light areas are seven or more feet from windows, and can also be places that receive no natural light, like some office spaces and bathrooms. Some plants love low light, and many can adapt to it. Low light plants tend to grow more slowly than other plants, but there is still a wealth of options. Our low light collection is a great trove of shade-loving indoor plants.

Can I Use Artificial Light for my Plants?

The short answer is yes. Artificial light, including indoor grow lighting, is light that is emitted by lightbulbs, and particularly by grow lights. Ordinary lamps and overhead lighting do not offer a lot of light for plants to photosynthesize (though they will still contribute something!), so if the only sources of light are ordinary lamps and overhead lights, you’ll want to select a low light plant. However, if you're keen to discover how to determine your plant light conditions and promote healthy plant growth, grow lights offer light that plants can readily photosynthesize. You can read more about them and other ways to optimize light for your plants here.

Understanding Your Light and Space

What kind of light do you have? A quick way to tell is with a quick hand test. Take a piece of paper or some other plane surface and hold your hand about a foot away from it, between it and the light source. If you can’t see much of a shadow or it’s very faint, you’re getting low light. In a medium light situation you’ll see a blurry or fuzzy shadow of your hand, and in bright light you’ll get a crisp clear shadow.

Knowing what direction your windows face will also be helpful in determining what types of light you’re working with:

North Facing Windows

Windows that face true north do not receive direct sunlight at any time of day (at least in the Northern Hemisphere). They receive consistently diffuse, gentle light. Plants from the Medium Light Collection, like the Dracaena Lisa, Braided Money Tree and Snake Plant will do well when placed four or more feet from north facing windows.

South Facing Windows

South facing windows are the star of any room, because this direction receives the most light throughout the day. The sun rises in the east, and as the planet rotates, the sun’s rays hit south facing windows from the hours of late morning to mid afternoon. South facing windows provide a good deal of bright light for most of the day, so most plants will love being closely situated to this window, especially bright light plants like the Bird of Paradise, Fishtail Palm, and Desert Cactus. 

A note on direct sunlight: unobstructed south-facing windows will receive a fair amount of direct sunlight, and most plants don’t love to sit in harsh direct rays of sun. Take care when placing certain plants directly in front of a window that receives lots of direct sunlight.

Live in a super sunny city? Check out our feature on The 10 Sunniest Cities in the U.S. That You Should Move To, where we include tips on which plants to invest in for cities that are sunny all year round.

East Facing Windows

Windows that face east receive sunlight in the morning (the sun rises in the east). Morning light is typically soft, which makes east facing windows a gentle match for plants that appreciate indirect bright light. If you can see the sun rising from your window, that is an east facing window. Plants that like bright, indirect sunlight, like the Fiddle Leaf Fig and Monstera Deliciosa, are great picks for placing near east facing windows.

A note on direct sunlight: morning sunlight is generally a soft light, and most plants will tolerate direct sunlight from east-facing windows. However, if you live in a place that sees lots of sunshine (lucky you!), keep an eye on things in the summer when the sun may become too harsh for plants that otherwise enjoy basking in it during the rest of the year.

West Facing Windows

By midday, the sun is high in the sky and ready to begin its slow descent as it sets in the west. Sunlight will filter through west facing windows from mid afternoon until evening. If you can see the sun set through your window in the afternoon, it is a west-facing window. The light received by west-facing windows is very strong when direct, so most plants should be placed outside the areas where direct sunlight hits. A Braided Money Tree or Tiger Evergreen will benefit from indirect sunlight from this direction, and plants like the Desert Cactus and succulents are some of few that will tolerate west-facing window’s direct sunlight.

You can also utilize landmarks to determine what direction your windows are facing.

Meet Your (Light’s) Match

Shop from this list of our all-time favorite plants for every light requirement. You may notice that some plants are on multiple lists. This is no mistake! Some lucky plants can thrive in varied degrees of indirect light. Braided Money Trees and Snake Plants are among these superstars. 

Best Plants for Direct Light

Bird of Paradise

Fishtail Palm

Desert Cactus

Best plants for bright indirect Light

Fiddle Leaf Fig

Dragon Tree

Fishtail Palm

Bird of Paradise

Dracaena Compacta

Rubber Tree

Monstera Deliciosa

Braided Money Tree

Snake Plant

Best Plants for Medium Light

Dracaena Lisa

Dragon Tree

Braided Money Tree

Snake Plant

Tiger Evergreen

Silver Evergreen

Best Plants For Low Light

Lady Palm

Dracaena Lisa

Cast Iron Plant

Zanzibar Gem

Silver Evergreen

Snake Plant

Parlor Palm 

Keep in mind that plants can also be "conditioned" to different light levels, but be careful to do this over a period of a few weeks. A sudden shift in light levels will cause your plant to go through shock.

Signs you haven’t found the sweet spot yet

If you see yellow or dropping leaves or longer spindly stems, this may indicate your plant wants more light. A change of position in the room, a different room, or adding a lamp nearby may be what your plant is looking for.

Noticing pale leaves or crispy browning areas? This may mean your plant needs a step back from too much light or direct light.

Illustrations by our talented Plant Stylist, Kailie Barnes

---

1 TO 1 VIDEO CALL WITH AN EXPERT

Yellow leaves? Worried about watering or struggling with incorrect lighting? Book a call and get truly personalized support for all your plant-related needs.

SCHEDULE HERE

Welcome to Léon & George

Discover the joy of indoor gardening with Léon & George, where each houseplant is a living work of art, chosen to create blooming havens in your personal spaces. Our selection of easy-to-grow plants includes everything from the vibrant golden pothos to the sturdy philodendron, all nurtured to promote clean indoor air and enhance the humidity levels of your home.

As purveyors of greenery, we cater to both the enthusiast with a green thumb and the beginner eager to foster their first potted plant. We understand the importance of potting soil that provides optimal drainage, the right fertilizer to encourage growth, and the knowledge on how to propagate and prune to prevent issues like root rot and pests.

In every planter and terrarium, gardening meets style, and house plants become an essential element of home decor. We help you select foliage plants that thrive in variegated light, from bright sunlight to damp corners where air plants might flourish. We offer guidance on watering needs, whether your plants will be potted, repotted, or displayed in chic hanging pots.

And it doesn't stop at succulents and bromeliads; our expansive greenhouse nurtures a collection of tropical plants, ferns, and flowering species like anthuriums and orchids. We make gardening in any space possible, even in urban environments where humidity and sunlight may be challenging to manage.

Join us at Léon & George, and let's cultivate beauty and well-being, one houseplant at a time, turning every nook into a lush, foliage-filled sanctuary.

A Zanzibar Gem like the one pictured above can survive with next to no light, but some artificial light will definitely help!

All plants need at least some light to survive, but does it need to be natural light? For those of us with limited sunlight in our homes, owning our favorite indoor plants can be tough. But luckily, having our favorite sun-loving plants in low light places is in fact possible, and that’s where artificial light comes into play.

Growing indoor plants with artificial light

First things first, not all artificial light is created equal. The typical lightbulbs in your home, for example, generally do not contribute much in the way of photosynthesis, especially if they aren’t on for 12+ hours a day. Low-light plants will grow just fine in areas with nothing more than overhead lights or lamps, but others will quickly deteriorate without proper grow lights.

What makes a good grow light?

So what is a proper grow light? The world of grow lights can seem technical and confusing, but it doesn’t have to be! When using artificial light for indoor plants, the goal is to simulate the light of the sun. You may see the words “full spectrum”, “cool light”, and “warm light”, and effective grow lights are simply full spectrum bulbs: bulbs that generate all useful wavelengths for plants with a mixture of cool (blue) and warm (red) light. While you can get extra specific about the exact needs of your plant, generally speaking a balanced ratio of cool and warm is just fine for indoor houseplants.

There are many different types of bulbs you can use to supplement your plant’s light intake and growth, but most would agree that LEDs are not only highly effective but also by far more efficient than their counterparts like incandescent, fluorescent, or high intensity discharge (HID) lights.

And as a tip: you don’t necessarily need an entire fixture to get the job done. The lamps in your home, if positioned correctly, will work just fine with the right bulbs.

Top grow lights for indoor plants

There are hundreds if options when it comes to great grow lights, but not all of them are attractive or take your home’s decor into account. Truth be told, grow lights up until recently were mostly manufactured for commercial purposes and not necessarily residential homes or offices.

Our favorite grow lights are ones that complement your style rather than detracting from it, such as Soltech Solutions for sleek, modern looks, or Modern Sprout for colorful and creative lights.

---

Indoor plants, potted & delivered

Premium plants paired with stylish ceramics, plus lifetime plant care support. Order online at leonandgeorge.com

SHOP NOW