Snake Plant Sunlight Requirements

When you think about what a houseplant needs to survive and thrive, proper sunlight is top on the list. It is important to provide your Snake Plant with the correct amount and type of sunlight. Luckily, Snake Plants will tolerate a range of sunlight exposures. Brighter light will produce faster growth and more vibrant colors while less light will slow down overall growth. While Snake Plants tolerate a range of indoor light conditions, overall they prefer bright indirect light. 

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Best Rooms To Grow Snake Plant

Before bringing a new plant into your home, you should assess the light conditions and locations you have available for a new plant. Do you have south-facing windows with hot, bright sun? Or are your windows north facing without direct sunlight, or are they somewhere in between? Snake Plants will tolerate a range of light conditions and are therefore one of the easiest houseplants to grow throughout your home or office. They prefer bright indirect light and will therefore love your east-facing windows. Place them near a window but not too close to protect them from cold temperatures, which they do not like. 

Once you have placed your Snake Plant in its new location, keep an eye on the overall health as the plant establishes itself. If your Snake Plant develops droopy, sagging leaves, it is likely that you have chosen a spot with too little light. If your Snake Plant’s foliage begins to brown and burn, you have placed it in too much sun. Using trial and error, you can determine the best location for your Snake Plant. 

Providing Supplemental Sunlight To Snake Plants

Snake Plants will tolerate low light but they cannot grow in darkness or with too little light. Ideally, Snake Plants like 8 - 10 hours of indirect indoor light. If you do not have a location with enough sunlight, you can provide a supplemental lighting source. LED grow lights are a great choice to provide additional exposure for your plant. Grow lights are available at your local garden center or can be purchased online. You can also use mirrors to reflect sun exposure in hard to reach areas and dim corners. 

Sunlight Needed For Growing Snake Plants Outdoors

Snake Plants can easily adapt to outdoor conditions in various sunlight exposures. They can even thrive in direct sun and will tolerate 5-6 hours of direct sun a day. Do not move your Snake Plant from indoors to direct sun all at once. It is better to gradually acclimate the plant to more intense light slowly over a period of one to two weeks to avoid sunburn. Once acclimated, Snake Plants will become more vibrant and grow more vigorously in direct sun.   

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 Author Katie Endicott - Published 5-22-2023