Scenario. You spot a beautiful plant at the store and can’t help but bring it back home, only to notice a few weeks later that it’s slouching and frail, a pale reflection of its once thriving self. While houseplants can unfortunately fall victim to many ailments, today we’re talking about one of the most harmful: low light.
A lack of adequate sunlight can starve a plant of its natural food source, the sugars it produces through photosynthesis. As you can imagine, this is bad news, in more ways than one. Here’s how your plant will tell you it’s lacking light:
Leaf Color
Most plants have rich green leaves, or colors that appear vibrant when healthy. These glorious hues that make plants so aesthetically pleasing are from the amount of chlorophyll within their leaf cells. Without sun, plants can’t function at full capacity and won’t be able to photosynthesize. Over time, the leaves will lose their vibrancy and pale, eventually growing yellow and weak. They’ll easily fall from your plant if nudged.
Stem Height
As the primary source of energy, sunlight drives a plant’s ability to grow tall and strong. Plants living in a low light situation, especially those that need bright and direct light, may experience stunted growth. A plant without an adequate light source can grow lanky, with spindly stems and leaves that are widely spaced. If you’ve noticed that your plant doesn’t seem to be growing anymore, it may be due to a lack of light.
Leaf Size
All plants have leaf sizes unique to their particular breed and current level of growth. However, if your plant isn’t receiving the proper amount of sunlight and nutrients, the leaves may stop growing at a smaller size than normal. They may also feel much thinner and softer, even after they’ve reached maturity. If they also have brown edges, this is a sign of stress, often due to low light.
Plant Tilt
If it appears as though your plant is straining toward a source of sunlight, it probably is. The proper definition of this phenomenon is phototropism. The cells in plants (auxins) on the sun side will grow shorter and sturdier, while they’ll grow long and spindly in the shade. This creates a plant that “leans” toward light. If your plant is tilting dramatically toward a window, it’s a clear sign that your plant needs more sunshine.
How to Revive a Light-Lacking Plant
First, research your plant and read up on the level of light it needs. All plants are unique in their need for sunlight. While some plants prefer indirect sun, others require multiple hours of bright light each day to thrive. Once you know what your plant needs, place it in an area of your home that will provide the proper level of light. Remember to water it properly, and in a few weeks, it should be looking perky and healthy.
Have you ever had a plant struggle from lack of light? Or need help knowing what to do? Comment below!
XO,
Micah
“If it appears as though your plant is straining toward a source of sunlight, it probably is.” 🤯