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Plants and Their Light Requirements: A Guide

Not sure how much light your plant requires? Use this list to help you determine the amount of light you need to provide!

It's no secret how important light is to plants. Without it, they wouldn't be able to survive! That is why we developed our AeroGarden Grow Lights. These LED lights allow you to grow plants anywhere in your home, no matter your lighting conditions.

But not all plants are created equal, and the amount of light they need can vary. Most indoor plants can do well in multiple light environments. Our grow lights are customizable, so you can adjust brightness percentage, the lighting schedule (length of time the lights are on), and the light spectrum to create the ideal light environment for your specific plant's needs.

Plants and Their Light Requirements

Light levels inside your home can range from very low to very high depending on the location of and distance from your windows.

Very low: Areas with very low light intensities usually receive little to no natural sunlight. Most are lit by artificial lights only. Plants are located far from windows or near windows with heavy outdoor shade.

Plants that tolerate very low light levels include:

  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Monstera
  • Parlor Palm
  • Pothos
  • Snake Plant

Low: This area is usually near windows but receives no direct sunlight. These are usually unshaded, north-facing windows or shaded east- or west-facing windows. 

Plants that do well in low light include:

  • Calathea
  • Chinese Evergreen
  • Dieffenbachia
  • Dracaena
  • English Ivy
  • Most Ferns
  • Fiddle Leaf Figs
  • Monstera
  • Norfolk Pine
  • Parlor Palm
  • Peace Lily
  • Peperomia
  • Philodendron
  • Ponytail Palm
  • Pothos
  • Prayer Plant
  • Rubber Plant
  • Snake Plant
  • Spider Plant
  • Stromanthes
  • ZZ Plant

Medium: These are areas with higher light intensities, usually away from windows. If there is any “direct” light, it needs to be softened by a window treatment. This is usually several feet away from unshaded east- or west-facing windows or shaded south-facing windows. 

The vast majority of indoor plants do well with a medium light intensity. The exception to the rule being most succulents and indoor-grown herbs which require very high light intensities. 

Plants that do well in this light intensity include all of the low light plants plus: 

  • Aloe
  • Anthurium
  • Croton
  • Haworthia/Gasteria
  • Jade Plant
  • Pilea

High: These are the bright areas of your home, usually near windows. If there is any direct sunlight, it should be softened with a window treatment or some outdoor shade. This is often near unshaded east- or west-facing windows or shaded south-facing windows. 

Plants that do well in this light environment are: 

  • Aloe
  • Anthurium
  • Croton
  • Haworthia/Gasteria
  • Jade Plant
  • Peace Lily
  • Pilea
  • ZZ Plant

Very High: This area is directly in front of unobstructed windows. These plants usually require 4+ hrs of direct sunlight. This is usually found outdoors or in unshaded south- or southwest-facing windows. 

Most succulents, with the exception of aloe, haworthia, gasteria, and jade plant, along with indoor grown herbs require a very high light environment to thrive indoors. 

Grow Light Recommended Settings

While the preferred light environments can vary widely, most indoor plants do well in a medium light environment. To create a "Medium" light environment with your AeroGarden Grow Light, use the following settings:

  • Light Mode: Full spectrum or White
  • Brightness: 75 to 100%
  • Day length: 12 to 14 hours per day

The light should be set so that it's 6 to 8 inches above the top of your plant. Be sure to adjust the height of your light as your plant grows to maintain the correct light environment.

Some plants, like succulents and herbs, require higher light levels. This can be achieved by using either the full spectrum or white light mode, increasing the brightness to 100% and lowering the light so that it's 3 inches from the top of the plant.

If you think your plant might be suffering from high light stress (leaf burn, leaves curling or being held in a vertical position) under your grow light, try reducing the light brightness or moving the light further away from the top of the plant.

Remember, plants will use water faster under lights and may need to be watered more frequently. Always check to see if the top ½ to 1 inch of soil is dry to the touch before watering.