In today’s post we are focusing on houseplants that can tolerate that bright South-facing room in your space. People who are looking for homes love living in the south because the rooms are warm and sunny for most of the day in the spring and summer. Because of the strong, intense, and hot light in these rooms, which sounds great as I write this in the winter, you should be very careful when you are adding plants to your home. The best thing about a room that faces south is that it gives you more room to grow plants. You can “plant style” your whole room instead of just cramming as many plants as you can near the windows or on the sills, which is what can happen in rooms that face north or east.
Following on from my previous post a few weeks ago about houseplants and the lighting in a room’s orientation, I’m now going to talk about the different light exposures: north, east, and south west. This time, I want to talk about the plants! More specifically, which ones will do best in each of these positions? You can read Plants for…North Facing Rooms here first, and then Let’s talk about light Part 2: Plants for…East Facing Rooms. I get a lot of questions about this, so I thought it would be helpful to put all the information in one place on the website. It’s under the “a HPH guide to…” tab on the home page.
In the past few years, I’ve lived in a few different places. From a second-floor apartment with old single-glazed sash windows and lots of trees that made it hard for light to come in during the summer to a small cottage with drafty latticed windows, I’ve had a lot of different experiences. Right now I’m kind of camping out in the old chapel I’m restoring to become the new headquarters for houseplanthouse as my living and working space. Having lived in so many different homes has not only taught me about the different ways rooms can be set up, but it has also helped me figure out where my houseplants do best.
If you haven’t seen the first blog post, I’ll link it here: Let’s talk about light: a HPH guide to understanding houseplants, lighting orient — I had a lot of fun making those diagrams; thanks for the nice comments on them! In this first post, it’s important to remember points 5 (obstructions, window treatments), 6 (seasons), and 7 (moving shock) in the bigger picture of light. Also, keep in mind that I’m in the Northern hemisphere for reference!
If you like to grow houseplants like cacti or succulents, windows that face south are great because they get a lot of direct light and make your home feel a little more tropical. For many years, an old coworker had a beautiful big aloe plant on the south-facing window sill of her office. Long-time readers may remember pictures of it; it was the talk of the office!
That being said, it’s important to know that plants need to be protected from getting a tan or getting hurt in the summer because this direction has the most intense light of all. You will learn that “bright, indirect light to full sun” isn’t good for all houseplants, especially ones with thin leaves. Even though these places can have a lot of growth when the light and temperature are right, you should be aware of the problems that can happen if you don’t water them enough or give them enough care. These problems can sometimes lead to pest problems.
Large windows can also make the sun’s heat stronger, so you should keep an eye on plants that are near these areas and maybe move them farther away from the window during really sunny, hot days. I used a sheer net to block the light in my brightest windows at my old house, which kept the plants around 0 degrees. 5metres away with no problems. I’ve talked more about window treatments in the main blogpost (linked here).
A bright sunny south facing window provides the perfect spot to grow a wide variety of beautiful and thriving houseplants. With ample sunlight streaming in, south facing windows allow houseplant enthusiasts to successfully cultivate plants that need more light.
From lush green foliage to colorful blooms, here are 12 of the best plants to brighten up a south facing window
1. Croton
Native to Indonesia and Malaysia, Crotons feature colorful, patterned leaves in shades of yellow, orange, red and green They thrive in bright light and will showcase their best leaf colors in a spot with ample sun. Place them in front of a south facing window where they’ll happily soak up the sunshine With proper care, Crotons can grow up to 10 feet tall indoors.
2. Jade Plant
Jade plants are classic sun-loving succulents that are easy to care for. Their fleshy oval leaves can range from deep green to red or purple tinges when exposed to plenty of light. Jades enjoy consistent warmth and sunshine, making a south facing perch perfect. These plants are believed to represent good luck, friendship and prosperity.
3. Aloe Vera
Nothing beats freshly harvested aloe vera gel from your own plant. Aloe thrives in a south facing window where its leaves will take on a vibrant green versus pale yellow color. Mature plants may produce orange flowers. Aloe vera is also known as a “plant of immortality” due to its many medicinal properties.
4. Ponytail Palm
A ponytail palm brings a tropical vibe and unique look, with its swollen trunk base and long, curly leaves. It flourishes with regular watering and lots of sunlight from a south facing window. Ponytail palms are slow growing but can live up to 100 years, making them a staple indoor plant.
5. Jasmine
Fill your home with the sweet fragrance of jasmine blooms by placing this vine in a bright south facing window. Jasmine needs plenty of direct sun to thrive, bloom and climb. Varieties like star jasmine produce white pinwheel shaped flowers while Arabian jasmine has petite yellow blooms.
6. Sago Palm
Sago palms add a tropical, palm-like look but are actually cycads, not true palms. Their arching stiff fronds with olive green leaflets and spiky trunks make them perfect statement plants. Sagos appreciate the warm, humid environment created near sunny south facing windows.
7. Money Tree
Also known as good fortune plants or money plants, Pachira aquatica are treasured for their braided trunks and vibrant palmate leaves. Money trees soak up sunlight from a south window, helping encourage growth. Place them on plant stands to show off their unique form as they can grow 5-6 feet tall.
8. Succulents
Succulents come in endless varieties like echeveria, aloe, haworthia and more. They thrive in south facing windows where they can bask in sun and take on vivid colors. Choose sun-loving succulents and watch them flourish on the sill. Arrange them in eclectic containers for a mini succulent garden.
9. Bougainvillea
Add bursts of color with bougainvillea and its showy flower bracts. Offering shades like fuchsia, purple, red and orange, its dangling blooms look gorgeous tumbling down from a hanging basket in a south window. Bougainvillea does best with at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day.
10. Desert Cacti
Welcome the look of the Southwest right in your home by growing desert cacti in a south facing window. Varieties like golden barrel, old man and prickly pear thrive with long hours of sunshine. They need less frequent watering than other houseplants too.
11. Orchids
Orchids produce elegant flowers in a range of colors and patterns. While they bloom best with bright indirect light, certain orchids like phalaenopsis and dendrobium will prosper near a south facing window. Be sure to diffuse harsh midday sun to prevent leaf burn.
12. Fruit Bearing Plants
Why not grow your own fruit inside? Mini citrus trees like Meyer lemon and calamondin orange happily produce fruit with ample light from a south window. You can also try growing dwarf varieties of fruits like apples, peaches or cherries for a fun indoor edible garden.
A bright south facing window provides optimal growing conditions for many popular houseplants. Choose plants like jade, aloe and croton to bring striking colors and textures to your indoor garden. With the right care and sunlight, these plants will thrive and add natural beauty to your home.
+ 3. String of Pearls/ String of Bananas
People always want to buy Senecio/Curio rowleyanus, which is also known as String of Pearls or String of Beads because of its unusual looks and trailing growth habit. String of Pearls can be hard to take care of at first if you are new to houseplants, especially succulents. As with all plants, the main issues are light and watering. This plant needs a lot of light and not much watering. So you might think that these plants don’t survive because they get too much or too little light. I water mine about once every two to three weeks during the growing season and once a month in the winter. It lives in the brightest spot I can find, which I filter with a net in the summer.
A brief note on the naming here, in the UK at least, string of beads is more commonly used to refer to the closely related ‘string of bananas’; Senecio herreianus. This has a slightly elongated oval, almost teardrop shape as opposed to these almost perfectly spherical pearls. A few years ago, we received these on a delivery instead of a string of pearls by accident and let me just say, they were nowhere near as popular as their rounded relative! BUT, if you like growing these types of plants you might fancy a bit of variety. I’ve got a post here if you want to read more about String of Pearls. Here’s a comparison photo that shows Pearls on the left + Bananas on the right:
String of hearts: Ceropegia woodii
Ceropegia woodii is a beautiful hanging succulent plant that is also known as a rosary vine or chain of hearts, often seen tumbling off the bookshelves of Instagram. My String of Hearts plants really are a key part of my plant collection here at House Plant House + I grow two ‘regular’ SOH + a variegated plant too. In a bright location the variegated String of Hearts is a great choice + if the light intensity is strong enough will develop a pretty pink hue. A South facing room, whether that’s true South, South-east or South-west, is a great place to grow these lovely plants — I’ve been growing my SOH plants for a few years now + in terms of positioning, I really do think I’ve found the perfect position for mine this year. I have been growing my three plants one metre away from a South-East facing window behind a net. That means it gets a few intense hours of afternoon sunshine, but not so much so that it scorches the leaves. If the light is too intense, the hearts can start to crisp up. A South West position was where I grew it in my old apartment which also worked similarly. I’ve put together a Growing String of Hearts blogpost here.
With good light levels, a mature plant can bloom regularly — see here for more on that.
If you have windowsills that face south, desert cacti will do really well there. This refers to cacti that do well in hot, dry conditions (and I’ve talked about this before). If you don’t have a room facing south to grow desert cacti, it’s better to choose jungle cacti instead, which can still do well in a normal home environment and are much more forgiving. It’s best for my Opuntia gang Cereus forbesii spiralis to be in a south-facing spot. Even last year, my spiral cactus started to spread out in the south-east rooms of the cottage and just looked sad. Also, keep in mind that even though Euphorbia look a lot like cacti, they are actually succulents and do better with a little less direct or intense light (but we’ll talk about that again in the next post). Desert cacti like it cool, and they don’t need much water from October to March. This makes them easy to care for, and they’re a great choice for people who forget to water their plants.
Like me, you might like to try different ways to grow plants. You could also try growing cacti from seeds. Great for practicing patience (okay, it takes a long time), and it’s also a lot of fun. Plus, seedlings don’t take up much space if you don’t have much. These are some of my Echinocactus grusonii (Golden Barrel) seeds that look like real plants now that they’re in their third year!
31 Best Indoor Plants for South Facing Windows | South Facing Window Plants with |Plant and Planting
FAQ
What plants can you put in front of a south facing window?
Can plants survive in south facing window?
Where to put plants in a south facing house?
What grows best on south side of house?
What are the best plants for south-facing windows?
If you live in the Northern hemisphere, unobstructed south-facing windows provide the bright light that many plants need in order to really look their best and thrive in your indoor environment. Keep reading to learn all about the best houseplants for this type of window exposure. Here are some of the best plants for south facing windows. 1. JADE
What are the best houseplants for south facing windows?
Continuing our list with cacti, the familiar barrel cactus is another of the best houseplants for south facing windows. Golden barrel cactus ( Echinocactus grusonii) is the most widely grown indoors, but a few other species are sometimes grown as houseplants too. All barrel cacti require full sun to thrive.
Can houseplants grow in south facing windows?
Some houseplants like Boston Fern and Polka Dot Plant will grow in south facing windows, but they may need the light to be filtered. You can accomplish this by hanging sheer, gauzy curtains in the window to protect them. Are you looking for a variety of plants to fill your sunny windowsills?
Can cactus grow in a south facing window?
Many foliage plants and tropical plants cannot tolerate the sunlight in south facing windows, as it may burn their delicate leaves. However, many (but not all) cacti, succulents, indoor palm trees, and flowering plants will grow well with higher light.
