Measure your window, then pick the plant.
A plant in the wrong spot struggles however well you water it. Work out how much light your window really gives, month by month, then choose plants that will grow there and won't hurt your cat or dog.
North 2.7 Too dim to grow
East 4.0 Low light
West 3.9 Low light
South 9.5 Medium light
How it works
- Describe the window. City, the direction it faces, how far back the plant sits, what's outside.
- See its light for the year. An estimate for each month, with the dark months marked.
- Pick a plant that fits. Filtered by light, by care level, and by whether it is safe for cats and dogs.
Free tools
- Window Light Planner
Your city, which way the window faces and how far back the plant sits: get the light it receives in every month of the year, and the plants that will grow there.
- Pet-safe plant checker
Look up a houseplant and see whether the ASPCA lists it as toxic to cats or dogs, what it contains and what symptoms to watch for.
- Light units converter
Convert lux, foot-candles, PPFD and DLI, and learn what each one means for a plant.
Pet-safe plants that cope with low light
Non-toxic to cats and dogs on the ASPCA list, and fine away from a bright window according to extension services.
- Aluminum plant (Pilea cadierei)
- Baby rubber plant (Peperomia obtusifolia)
- Baby's tears (Soleirolia)
- Calathea
- Cast iron plant
- Grape ivy
- Guzmania bromeliad
- Kentia palm
The full list and how to place them or browse all 74 plants.