Placing your houseplant near a window is always a good rule of thumb, but it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that your plant is still getting adequate amounts of sunlight. Light is food for plants, and if underfed, it will not grow to be lush, full, and vibrant as it should. Read below to discover the signs your plant exhibits when it’s not getting enough sunlight and the course of actions to take to remedy that. Here at Annapolis’ top florist, WildFlower, we want to make sure you receive all the health and mood-boosting benefits plants provide by keeping them happy and healthy.

How Your Plant Exhibits Insufficient Light

Leggy

A plant with long, skinny stems with a scarce amount of leaves is known as a “leggy” plant. As the stems stretch to receive more light, its leaves spread apart resulting in a think, skinny, leggy look which is not as nice as a full, lush look. To prevent leggy plants, make sure they are receiving ample amounts of light.

Small Leaves

A sign of not enough sun is when your plant produces leaves that are smaller than average. If you compare new growth to leaves that were grown when the plant was healthy and see a significant size difference, then move your plant closer to its light source.

Leaning

Plants will do what they need to for survival and reaching towards the sun to get enough food is one of the signs your plant is stressed. This could also lead to the plant looking lopsided or one-sided. To ensure the entire plant gets plenty of sun, place it in an indirect bright light area and give it a quarter-turn every time you water it.

Abnormal Leaf Color

Leaves are supposed to be a rich green color, but if there is not enough light, they will turn pale green, yellow, and then eventually drop off. For plants with variegated leaves, instead of being colorful, they will revert to an all green color in order to absorb enough sunlight as possible. Keep your plant’s leaves vibrant and colorful by ensuring adequate lighting.

Slowed or No Growth

Plant growth should be evident, especially during the spring and summer months. If your plant appears to be growing very slowly or not at all, try moving it to a sunnier spot.  As light is food for plants, plenty of light equals plenty of robust and lush growth.

Getting the Light Right

If you recognize any of the above signs in your plant, then just moving it to a much sunnier place may not be the right move. Only sun-worshipping plants such as palms, cacti, and succulents should be direct sunlight. For most other plants, except shade-loving plants such as ferns and orchids, indirect bright light works best. To the best lighting for your plants may requiring moving them around to different places and observing the results.

If you don’t have the floor space to get your plant into proper lighting, then try elevating it with a hanging planter. Or, purchase and grow light and keep your plant where it is. Grow lights will make sure your plants get plenty of food no matter where they are located in your home.