Plant care, by the spot

Plant placement, spot by spot

Plants don’t live in rooms — they live in spots. These guides sort out what actually grows where: by window, by spot, by light situation, plus how to read the light at any spot yourself.

Start here

The hub

Where to put plants in your living room

A spot-by-spot tour of one room, window to corner, with the numbers.

By window direction

By window

North-facing window plants

Steady, capped, dimmer than it looks — and forgiving.

By window

South-facing window plants

The brightest, hottest spot. Sun lovers thrive; thin leaves scorch.

By window

East-facing window plants

Gentle morning sun, then bright indirect — the most forgiving.

By window

West-facing window plants

Strong afternoon sun plus heat — for the plants built for it.

By spot

By spot

Hanging plants, by light

A hook by the glass and one mid-room are different climates.

By spot

Bookshelf & shelf plants

Interior shelves are dimmer than they look. Sort by distance.

By spot

Floor plants for a corner

The corner you want to fill is usually the darkest spot.

By spot

High-shelf plants

Height doesn’t make light — the window does.

By spot

Kitchen plants

Put them where the light is, not where the counter’s free.

By spot

Bathroom plants

Humidity helps, but light decides. The windowless truth.

By spot

Office & desk plants

Ceiling light reads as almost nothing to a plant.

By spot

Bedroom plants

The window works; the nightstand usually doesn’t.

By light situation

By light

What bright indirect light means

The most-used, least-defined phrase — defined, with checks.

By light

Low-light plants that survive

The honest shortlist. Low light isn’t no light.

By light

Plants for a dark corner

Most dark corners can’t support any plant. The measurement.

By light

Plants for a room with no windows

No natural light means a grow light — here’s the setup.

By light

Full-sun indoor plants

The few houseplants that want a hot, blazing sill.

Measure your light

Method

How to measure light for plants

Your eyes can’t judge it; your phone can. In ten seconds.

Method

How far from a window can a plant live?

Light doesn’t fade — it falls off a cliff. Where the edge is.

Method

The shadow test (no app)

Hold your hand over the spot. The shadow tells you the tier.

Troubleshoot

Why your plant is dying in a bright room

“Bright room” describes the window, not your plant’s shelf.

The evidence

How bright is the middle of a room?

Six spots, one room: 20,000 lux to 18. The data essay.

By space

By space

Small-apartment plants

Few real spots, all by the windows — make them count.

Find the right spot.

Free to start. Honest all the way through.

QR code linking to GrowSpot on the App Store
On your computer?Point your iPhone camera here to get GrowSpot.