How to tell if your plant needs more sun

Three signs it needs more light

Leggy growth: long stretches of stem with few leaves. The plant is reaching for light.

Pale or yellow new leaves. Without enough light, the plant can't photosynthesize properly.

Heavy lean toward a window. Plants always lean toward light — strong leaning means they're not getting enough.

Signs it's getting too much

Crispy brown patches on leaves (sunburn). Fading or bleached color. Soil drying out faster than you can keep up.

Direct sun in a south-facing window can be too intense for low-light plants like pothos or peace lilies.

How to test light levels

Hold your hand a foot above the plant at midday. A sharp shadow = direct light. A soft shadow = bright indirect. Almost no shadow = low light.

Most houseplants want 'bright indirect' — a sharp shadow nearby but not on the plant itself.