Interactive tool
How much light does my houseplant need?
Describe your spot — shade, bright-but-sunless, filtered sun or direct sun — and Everleaf tells you which plants will genuinely thrive there. Most “my plant is dying” stories start with a light mismatch: a sun-loving succulent in a dim corner, or a monstera getting scorched on a bare sill. Get the level right and half your problems disappear.
The light test
How much light does your spot actually get?
The four light levels, in plain terms
Low: no direct sun, ever — a north window or a shelf in the middle of a room. Snake plants and ZZ plants laugh here.
Medium: bright but the sun never touches the leaves, typically 1–2 m from a window. The workhorse zone for most houseplants.
Bright, indirect: bright sun filtered through a curtain — the sweet spot for monsteras, hoyas and fiddle-leaf figs.
Direct sun: the sun beam hits the foliage for hours. Succulents, aloes and cacti love it; most leafy plants will scorch.
Want the exact level for the plant on your windowsill? Every care guide on Everleaf states its light needs up front.