You are likely overestimating how much light you have in your home for your houseplants, plant friends! Yes, it's a tough truth to swallow. In fact, the largest cause of houseplant death is a misunderstanding of light. That’s because our houseplants perceive light differently from us. Don’t worry, because I have your back. I've spent seven years learning about light and distilling everything I've learned into this one short episode to break down how you can confidently assess the natural light in your home and buy the correct plant that will do well in that environment.

This episode is part of the Growing Joy with leafjoy mini series. Thanks to Proven Winners leafjoy for partnering on this episode.

In this episode, we learn:

• [04:50] Why it’s important to know your light level before you go plant shopping!
• [06:06] How plants use light for photosynthesis to produce their food
• [07:22] Why chlorophyll is important
• [14:58] Why low light plants = low light tolerant
• [16:43] #1 Understanding your window orientation + light exposure
• [18:12] Look for obstructions outside your window
• [20:57] #2 Defining direct, indirect, and low light situations!
• [24:27] Supplement with grow lights
• [25:34] Troubleshooting common light issues

Mentioned in our conversation:

• Gardening Under Lights by Leslie Halleck
• Soltech Aspect™ LED Growlight
• African Mask Plant - Alocasia longiloba | Proven Winners
• Monstera Deliciosa/Thai Constellation | Proven Winners
• FREE DOWNLOAD - Understanding Natural Light
• Plant Parent Personality Quiz
• Growing Joy Ep 182: Spring Houseplant Care

For a complete guide on indoor light levels,

check out the full show notes and blog here!

Thank you to our episode sponsor:

Proven Winners leafjoy

If you want to have success with houseplants, you’ve got to have two things: the knowledge to care for them successfully and healthy plants. Meet my new favorite houseplant grower: Proven Winner’s leafjoy™. With only the best plant genetics grown in a state-of-the-art, European greenhouse, you will not be disappointed in the variety and quality of your favorite plants from Proven Winner’s leafjoy™. This company has taken the guesswork out of plant shopping with plant tags that include scientific names and care guides, as well as color-coded collections for the different areas of your home that you want plants in!

Find plant joy in leafjoy™. Head to provenwinners.com to find your local leafjoy™ dealer and let me know which plant you take home on socials!

Follow Maria and Growing Joy:

Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha Leung

Join the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the