Select your plant and its size to see exactly how much light it needs to thrive.
Not getting enough natural light? These Soltech grow lights match your plant's needs:
Every houseplant falls into one of four lighting categories. Knowing which category your plant belongs to is the most important factor in keeping it healthy — far more than fertilizer, pot size, or even watering frequency.
What it looks like: A north-facing window, an interior room with minimal natural light, or a spot several feet away from any window. The space is bright enough to read in during the day but never receives direct sun.
Daily light needs: 10–11 hours of indirect ambient light.
Common plants: Snake Plant, ZZ Plant, Pothos, Peace Lily, Chinese Evergreen, Cast Iron Plant, Heartleaf Philodendron, Parlor Palm, Money Tree, Spider Plant, Peperomia.
Important: "Low light" doesn't mean no light. Even shade-tolerant plants need consistent ambient light to photosynthesize. A truly dark corner will eventually kill a low-light plant.
What it looks like: An east-facing window with morning sun, or 3–6 feet back from a south or west window. Bright but never directly hit by intense sun.
Daily light needs: 11–12 hours of bright, filtered light.
Common plants: Calathea, Maranta (Prayer Plant), Anthurium, Rubber Tree, Schefflera, Boston Fern, Maidenhair Fern, Bird's Nest Fern, Dieffenbachia, Dragon Tree, Moth Orchid, Begonia.
Watch for: Faded leaf patterns or color loss in plants like Calathea or Maranta — usually a sign they need slightly more light, not less.
What it looks like: Directly beside a south or west-facing window with a sheer curtain, or 1–3 feet from an unobstructed east window. The plant feels strong sun but isn't being baked by it.
Daily light needs: 12–13 hours of bright filtered or reflected light.
Common plants: Monstera Deliciosa, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Bird of Paradise, Alocasia varieties, Croton, Hoya, Tradescantia, Pilea, Norfolk Island Pine, Christmas Cactus, Weeping Fig.
Tropical origin matters: Most bright-indirect plants evolved under jungle canopies — bright dappled light, never direct sun. Replicating that filtered intensity is the key to healthy growth.
What it looks like: Sitting in a south or west-facing window with no curtain, or outside on a sunny patio. Direct sun hits the plant for at least several hours a day.
Daily light needs: 6–8 hours of direct sun, plus ambient light the rest of the day.
Common plants: Succulents (Aloe, Echeveria, Jade Plant), Cacti, String of Pearls/Bananas/Hearts, Herbs (Basil, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme), Citrus trees (Meyer Lemon, Calamondin), Yucca, Bird of Paradise (mature), African Milk Tree.
Indoor reality check: Even a sunny window indoors delivers far less light than outdoor full sun. Sun-loving plants often struggle indoors without supplemental lighting, especially in winter.
Here's a quick-reference table for the indoor plants people ask about most often. Scroll past it for detailed care notes on each.
| Plant | Light Level | Daily Hours | PPFD Target | DLI Target | Window Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monstera Deliciosa | Bright Indirect | 12 hrs | 250 μmol/m²/s | 10.8 mol/m²/day | East, or filtered south/west |
| Snake Plant | Low | 10 hrs | 75 μmol/m²/s | 2.7 mol/m²/day | Any (very flexible) |
| Fiddle Leaf Fig | Bright Indirect | 12–13 hrs | 250 μmol/m²/s | 10.8–11.7 mol/m²/day | East, or filtered south |
| Pothos (Golden) | Low | 11 hrs | 75 μmol/m²/s | 3.0 mol/m²/day | Any except deep shade |
| ZZ Plant | Low | 10 hrs | 75 μmol/m²/s | 2.7 mol/m²/day | Any (extremely tolerant) |
| Peace Lily | Low | 11 hrs | 75 μmol/m²/s | 3.0 mol/m²/day | North or interior room |
| Bird of Paradise | Bright Indirect | 12–13 hrs | 250 μmol/m²/s | 10.8–11.7 mol/m²/day | South or west, filtered |
| Aloe Vera | Bright Direct | 8 hrs | 400 μmol/m²/s | 11.5 mol/m²/day | South or west, unfiltered |
| Calathea (any variety) | Moderate Indirect | 12 hrs | 150 μmol/m²/s | 6.5 mol/m²/day | East, or interior bright |
| Rubber Tree | Moderate Indirect | 12 hrs | 150 μmol/m²/s | 6.5 mol/m²/day | East, or 3–4 ft from south |
Monstera Deliciosa (the Swiss Cheese Plant) needs bright indirect light for about 12 hours per day to develop its iconic fenestrations — the splits and holes in mature leaves. In its native Central American jungle, it climbs trees to reach the dappled light of the canopy.
Place your Monstera 1–3 feet from an east-facing window, or behind a sheer curtain at a south or west window. Direct afternoon sun will scorch the leaves, but too little light prevents new leaves from developing splits — a clear sign the plant is light-starved. If natural light is limited, a pendant grow light like the Aspect Gen 2 hung 24–36 inches above the canopy can replicate ideal conditions year-round.
Snake Plants (Dracaena trifasciata) are among the most adaptable houseplants on Earth. They thrive in low light conditions, requiring only about 10 hours of ambient indirect light per day. They tolerate north-facing windows, interior rooms, and even office spaces with mostly artificial lighting.
While Snake Plants survive in very low light, they grow faster and develop deeper coloration with moderate indirect light. They can tolerate direct sun if acclimated gradually, but it's not necessary. For dark corners far from any window, a low-output grow light like the Aura or Vita provides supplemental light without overwhelming the plant.
Fiddle Leaf Figs (Ficus lyrata) need consistent bright indirect light for 12–13 hours daily, making them one of the more demanding popular houseplants. They're notorious for dropping leaves when moved, so once you find a spot they like, keep them there.
The ideal location is directly in front of an east-facing window, or 2–4 feet back from a south or west window with sheer curtains. Rotate the plant a quarter-turn each week so all sides receive equal light. Indoor winter light is often insufficient for Fiddle Leafs — a pendant fixture like the Aspect Gen 2 hung 24–36 inches above the canopy keeps them growing through dark months.
Pothos (Epipremnum aureum) is one of the most forgiving houseplants for low light conditions. All varieties — Golden, Marble Queen, Neon, N Joy, Manjula, Pearls & Jade, Cebu Blue, Satin — thrive on roughly 11 hours of indirect light daily.
Variegated varieties like Marble Queen and Manjula need slightly more light to maintain their coloring; in too-low light, they revert to mostly green leaves. Solid varieties like Golden and Neon Pothos are essentially indestructible. For supplementing low-light pothos collections on shelves, the Grove Bar works well mounted underneath the shelf above.
ZZ Plants (Zamioculcas zamiifolia) — including the popular Raven, Zenzi, and Chameleon varieties — are among the most light-tolerant houseplants available. They thrive on just 10 hours of indirect ambient light per day and can survive prolonged periods in very low light thanks to their water-storing rhizomes.
ZZs grow well in north-facing rooms, offices with only fluorescent lighting, and bathrooms with frosted windows. Avoid direct sun, which can scorch their glossy leaves. They're an excellent candidate for ambient grow light setups like the Aura, which provides supplemental light while blending into living spaces as a decorative lamp.
Peace Lilies (Spathiphyllum) prefer low to moderate indirect light for about 11 hours daily. They're one of the few flowering houseplants that bloom reliably in low-light conditions — though they bloom more frequently with slightly brighter light.
Avoid direct sunlight, which causes the leaves to yellow and the white flower spathes to brown. A north-facing window or an interior room with consistent ambient light is ideal. Drooping leaves are usually a watering issue, not a light issue — Peace Lilies dramatically signal thirst before any light problem becomes visible.
Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae) and White Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia nicolai) need bright indirect light for 12–13 hours daily to grow vigorously and eventually flower. They naturally grow in tropical and subtropical climates with intense filtered sunlight.
Position your Bird of Paradise directly beside a south or west-facing window with a sheer curtain, or in front of an unobstructed east window. Indoor Birds of Paradise rarely flower without significant light — if blooming is your goal, supplemental lighting is almost always necessary. A pendant grow light like the Aspect Gen 2 or a ceiling-mounted Highland Track Light for taller mature plants delivers the intensity needed.
Aloe Vera needs at least 6–8 hours of direct sunlight per day. As a succulent native to arid climates, it photosynthesizes intensely during daylight and stores water in its thick leaves for drought periods.
Place your Aloe in a south or west-facing window with no curtain. The leaves should be firm, upright, and green-gray; if they're drooping or stretching toward the light, the plant needs more sun. Indoor light is rarely strong enough for ideal Aloe growth, especially in winter — the Aspect Gen 2 with its 50 μmol/s PPF is the closest indoor match to true direct sun for succulents.
Calatheas (and their close relative Maranta) need moderate indirect light for about 12 hours daily. This includes all popular varieties: Orbifolia, Medallion, Rattlesnake, White Fusion, and the Prayer Plant. They evolved under jungle canopies where bright light filters through dense foliage above.
An east-facing window is ideal — gentle morning sun without harsh afternoon intensity. Direct sun fades the dramatic leaf patterns Calatheas are prized for. They also need consistent humidity (50%+), so pairing them with a humidifier or grouping with other plants helps. For dim winter months, a tabletop spotlight like the Versa placed beside the plant maintains healthy growth without intense direct light.
Rubber Trees (Ficus elastica), including the popular Burgundy variety, need moderate indirect light for about 12 hours per day. They're more tolerant than the closely-related Fiddle Leaf Fig but still appreciate consistent bright filtered light.
An east-facing window or a spot 3–4 feet from a south or west window works well. Variegated Rubber Trees (Tineke, Ruby) need slightly more light to maintain their pink and cream variegation. Leaf drop typically signals overwatering rather than light issues — Rubber Trees are fairly resilient to lighting variations once established.
Plants communicate light deficiency through clear visual signals. The earlier you spot them, the easier they are to correct. Watch for these signs:
If your plant has long stems with widely-spaced leaves, it's reaching toward whatever light source is available. This is called etiolation, and it's one of the most common signs of insufficient light. Succulents stretch dramatically; vining plants like pothos produce long stems with tiny, sparse leaves.
A plant leaning sharply toward a window means it's not getting enough light from other directions. Rotating the pot weekly helps, but the underlying issue is total light intensity. Move the plant closer to the light source or add supplemental lighting.
Healthy houseplants produce new leaves regularly during growing season (spring and summer). If your plant hasn't produced new growth in months despite proper watering and fertilizing, light is almost certainly the limiting factor.
When new leaves emerge smaller than older ones, or come in noticeably paler, the plant is rationing its limited energy. Variegated plants in particular lose their coloring in low light, reverting to mostly green leaves to maximize photosynthesis.
While yellowing can indicate overwatering, persistent yellowing of the lowest leaves often means the plant is sacrificing them to redirect energy to leaves with better light access. This is especially common with Fiddle Leaf Figs, Rubber Trees, and other ficus varieties.
Monsteras stop producing their iconic split leaves in low light. Calatheas and Marantas lose their bold patterns. Variegated pothos revert to solid green. These are unmistakable signs the plant needs significantly more light.
Peace Lilies, Anthuriums, Orchids, African Violets, and Bromeliads all need adequate light to produce flowers. A houseplant that "should" flower but doesn't, despite proper care, is almost always under-lit.
Indoor lighting is almost always weaker than people realize. A bright-looking room near a window can deliver as little as 5% of the light intensity your plant would receive outdoors. During winter in northern latitudes, daylight hours shrink and sun angles drop, often pushing even south-facing windows below what tropical plants need.
Consider a grow light if:
The good news: modern LED grow lights are dramatically more efficient than older fluorescent or HID grow lights. They generate full-spectrum natural-looking warm white light (no purple haze), use a fraction of the electricity, and last over a decade. A single well-placed grow light can transform a struggling plant.
PPF (Photosynthetic Photon Flux) measures how much usable plant light a fixture produces per second, in μmol/s. Higher PPF = stronger light. For reference: 17 μmol/s is gentle supplemental light for low-light plants; 50 μmol/s rivals filtered sunlight and covers bright-indirect species like Monstera and Fiddle Leaf Fig.
PPFD (Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density) is PPF measured at the leaf surface, in μmol/m²/s. It's what a quantum light meter actually reads and what the calculator above uses. PPFD decreases with distance from the light — so hanging height matters. Low-light plants need roughly 50–100 μmol/m²/s at the leaf; bright-indirect plants need 200–350; sun-loving plants like succulents and herbs need 350–500+.
DLI (Daily Light Integral) is the total amount of usable light a plant receives over an entire day, measured in mol/m²/day. It's calculated as PPFD × hours × 0.0036. A Monstera might need a DLI of around 10–14 mol/m²/day; a Snake Plant needs just 2–4. The calculator above shows you both the target PPFD and the resulting DLI for your specific plant and size.
Color Temperature (Kelvin) describes the warmth of the light. 3000K — a warm white — is ideal for both plant health and looking natural in your home. Avoid the purple-pink "blurple" lights of older grow light tech.
CRI (Color Rendering Index) measures how accurately a light source displays colors. 90+ is excellent; 97+ is exceptional and ensures your plants' true colors show.
Hanging Height & Beam Angle determine the light's coverage area and the PPFD delivered at the leaf. A wide 60° beam covers more area but with less concentrated intensity; a narrow 36° beam focuses light on a single plant from greater distance. The calculator above shows recommended hanging heights for each Soltech light based on your plant's light level.
Soltech designs full-spectrum LED grow lights that look like architectural lighting — warm 3000K color, high CRI, and finishes built to live in your home, not a grow tent. Here's a quick overview of the lineup:
Soltech's flagship pendant grow light. At 50 μmol/s PPF, it's the strongest light in the lineup — ideal for medium-to-large floor plants and bright-light species. Works for everything from Monsteras to citrus.
A full-spectrum LED grow bulb that screws into standard E26 sockets. Wide beam for tabletop lamps and close fixtures; narrow beam for recessed cans, pendant fixtures, or high ceilings 3+ feet above the plant.
A ceiling-mounted track lighting system designed for large plant displays, living walls, and XL specimen trees. Available in wide (1–5 ft coverage) and narrow (5+ ft tall plants) reflectors.
A grow light that doubles as a decorative ambient lamp. Warm diffused light blends into living rooms and bedrooms while supporting nearby low-light plants — perfect for plants in spaces you don't want to look like a grow setup.
A compact tabletop grow light with touch-dimming. Directs focused light downward onto desks, counters, and plant shelves — ideal for small to medium low-to-moderate light plants.
A low-profile linear bar light that slides under shelves and cabinets. Perfect for plant collections on bookshelves, kitchen herb gardens, or grow racks.
Most indoor plants need 10–14 hours of light per day, depending on their natural habitat. Low-light plants like Snake Plants and ZZ Plants need around 10–11 hours of indirect ambient light. Moderate-light plants like Calatheas and Rubber Trees need about 12 hours. Bright-light plants like Monsteras need 12–13 hours of filtered bright light. Sun-loving plants like succulents, citrus, and herbs need 6–8 hours of direct sun plus ambient light.
Bright indirect light is strong, filtered light that doesn't directly hit the plant — like the light a few feet back from a south or west-facing window, or directly in front of an east window. The plant feels the strength of nearby sun but isn't being scorched by direct rays. It's the lighting condition most popular tropical houseplants (Monstera, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Philodendron) need to thrive.
No. Even the most shade-tolerant plants need some light to photosynthesize. A truly dark room — a windowless bathroom, a basement closet — will eventually kill even a ZZ Plant or Snake Plant. The difference is that low-light plants can survive on weak indirect ambient light that wouldn't sustain other plants. If natural light is genuinely absent, a small grow light is required.
Signs of too much light include scorched or bleached patches on leaves, crispy brown edges, leaves curling away from the light source, and faded color in plants with dark or variegated foliage. Different plants tolerate direct sun very differently — a Snake Plant will burn in a sunny south window where an Aloe thrives in the same spot.
Most houseplants don't need a grow light if they're placed in an appropriate window, but they often benefit from one. Grow lights become necessary when natural light is insufficient — interior rooms, north-facing apartments, basements, winter months in northern latitudes, or when growing light-hungry plants like succulents, citrus, and herbs indoors. A grow light can also dramatically improve growth and flowering for plants that are technically surviving but not thriving.
Hanging distance depends on the light's intensity and beam angle. Generally: low-output ambient lights like the Aura sit 18–24 inches above the plant; mid-output bulbs like the Vita Wide hang 12–48 inches up; high-output pendants like the Aspect Gen 2 work best 24–36 inches above bright-light plants and 12–24 inches above sun-loving plants. Use the calculator above to get an exact hanging height for your specific plant.
Lumens measure light brightness as perceived by human eyes. PPF (Photosynthetic Photon Flux) measures light that plants can actually use for photosynthesis, in μmol/s. A light can have high lumens but low PPF if it's optimized for human vision rather than plant growth. Always look at PPF when comparing grow lights — it's the more honest measure of how much plant-usable light you're getting.
Standard household LEDs aren't designed for plant growth — they produce light optimized for human vision and lack the full spectrum plants need. Some may keep low-light plants alive, but they won't support healthy growth or flowering. A dedicated full-spectrum LED grow bulb like the Vita produces light specifically engineered for photosynthesis while still looking like normal warm white light in your home.
Run your grow light to make up the difference between the natural light your plant gets and what it actually needs. If your bright-indirect plant gets 6 hours of usable natural light and needs 12 hours total, run the grow light for 6 hours. Most plant owners use timers set for early morning and/or late afternoon. Never run grow lights 24/7 — plants need a daily dark period (typically 8+ hours) for healthy respiration.
Yes. Full-spectrum LED grow lights with adequate PPF (40+ μmol/s) can support flowering houseplants like Peace Lilies, Orchids, and African Violets, and even fruiting plants like Meyer Lemon trees and Calamondin. The key is sufficient intensity and a consistent daily light cycle — most flowering plants need 12–14 hours of strong light to bloom indoors.
3000K (warm white) is ideal for both plant health and integration into home lighting. It provides the red-spectrum light plants need for flowering and fruiting while looking like normal warm interior light. Older grow lights used purple "blurple" combinations that are jarring in a living space — modern full-spectrum LEDs at 3000K deliver everything plants need while looking natural.
The most common reason a properly-watered plant stops growing is insufficient light. Water provides moisture; light provides the energy for the plant to actually use that water and produce new growth. If your plant looks stable but hasn't produced new leaves in months, light is almost certainly the limiting factor — not water, fertilizer, or pot size.
PPFD stands for Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density — it measures the intensity of usable plant light hitting the leaf surface at any given moment, in μmol/m²/s. It's the most precise way to know if your plant is getting the light it actually needs. A quantum light meter (like the Photone app) measures PPFD directly. Low-light plants thrive at 50–100 μmol/m²/s; moderate-light plants need around 150; bright-indirect plants need 200–300; sun-loving plants like succulents and herbs need 350–500+. The calculator above shows a target PPFD for your specific plant based on its light category and size.
DLI (Daily Light Integral) is the total amount of photosynthetically usable light a plant receives over an entire day, measured in mol/m²/day. It combines light intensity (PPFD) and duration (hours): DLI = PPFD × hours × 0.0036. A Snake Plant might need a DLI of just 2–4 mol/m²/day; a Monstera needs around 10–14; herbs and succulents need 12–20+. DLI is useful because it accounts for the full picture — a plant can hit its target DLI with lower PPFD over more hours, or higher PPFD over fewer hours.
A medium Monstera Deliciosa needs approximately 250 μmol/m²/s PPFD at the leaf surface, producing a DLI of around 10–11 mol/m²/day over 12 hours. A large or extra-large Monstera (more mature foliage) benefits from slightly more — around 288–325 μmol/m²/s. These values fall within Photone's published range of 80–500 μmol/m²/s for Monstera, landing in the "healthy growth" portion of the range rather than the bare minimum or maximum. Use the calculator above to see the exact PPFD and DLI target for your Monstera's specific size.
A Snake Plant (Dracaena trifasciata) needs a target PPFD of approximately 64–98 μmol/m²/s depending on its size — lower for small juvenile plants, slightly higher for large mature ones. Over 10–11 hours of daily light, this produces a DLI of around 2–4 mol/m²/day, which is all a Snake Plant needs to thrive. These are very forgiving numbers — Snake Plants tolerate a wide range, which is why they survive in dim offices and north-facing rooms where other plants would fail.
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