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Light Requirements for Plants: Find Your Plant's PPFD and DLI

Light Requirements for Plants: Find Your Plant's PPFD and DLI

Last Update: Sep 23, 2024

We know that it happens: You know about the importance of light for plants, but don't know what values to aim for. We've got you covered: Look up your plant's DLI and PPFD requirements in our plant light database and optimize your garden's lighting accordingly.

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If you're unsure what the below terms mean, we recommend our article on PAR / PPFD and the daily light integral (DLI) to understand the most relevant terms on plant lighting.

Plant Light Database

Enter the name of your plant below to quickly find its recommended PPFD and the recommended daily light integral (DLI).

Plant PPFD (µmol/m²/s) DLI (mol/m²/d)
African Violets
Streptocarpus
70 – 300 4 – 14
Aglaonema
Aglaonema
20 – 40 4 – 14
Alocasia
Alocasia
80 – 500 4 – 14
Aloe
Aloe
80 – 160 4 – 14
Amaryllis
Amaryllis
150 – 300 4 – 14
Anthurium
Anthurium
80 – 400 4 – 14
Aspidistra
Aspidistra
40 – 400 4 – 18
Avocado
Persea americana
400 – 650 18 – 24
Basil
Ocimum basilicum
220 – 500 12 – 26
Blackberry
Rubus
200 – 300 8 – 14
Blueberry
Vaccinium
400 – 700 14 – 24
Broccoli
Brassica oleracea var. italica
300 – 700 15 – 35
Bromeliad
Bromeliaceae
80 – 600 4 – 14
Calathea
Goeppertia
80 – 400 4 – 15
Cannabis (Flowering)
Cannabis
500 – 1050 30 – 40
Cannabis (Seedling)
Cannabis
100 – 300 12 – 16
Cannabis (Vegetative)
Cannabis
250 – 600 20 – 45
Chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum
200 – 300 10 – 14
Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
300 – 600 20 – 28
Citrus (Various)
Citrus
300 – 600 20 – 28
Croton
Croton
80 – 160 4 – 16
Cucumbers
Cucurbitaceae
300 – 600 20 – 30
Cucumbers (Seedling)
Cucurbitaceae
100 – 300 5 – 15
Culinary Herbs (Small)
Various
150 – 250 10 – 12
Cyclamen
Primulaceae
70 – 150 6 – 8
Desert Cacti
Various
500 – 2000 9 – 30
Dill
Anethum graveolens
300 – 600 20 – 28
Dracaena
Dracaena
20 – 40 4 – 14
Dragon Tree
Dracaena
20 – 40 4 – 14
Dwarf Banana
Musa acuminata
100 – 350 4 – 14
Eggplants
Solanaceae
300 – 600 20 – 30
English Ivy
Hedera
40 – 80 4 – 8
Ferns
Pteridaceae
80 – 120 4 – 6
Ferns
Asplenium
20 – 40 5 – 15
Ficus
Ficus
80 – 160 6 – 12
Fuchsia
Fuchsia
150 – 250 10 – 12
Garden Lettuce
Lactuca
250 – 350 14 – 16
Grapefruit
Citrus
500 – 700 22 – 30
Hibiscus
Hibiscus
80 – 500 4 – 14
Hoya
Hoya
40 – 400 4 – 12
Jasmine
Stephanotis
200 – 400 5 – 16
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe
60 – 120 9 – 30
Kumquat
Citrus
500 – 700 22 – 30
Lemon
Citrus
300 – 600 21 – 28
Lime
Citrus
300 – 600 21 – 28
Mint
Mentha
200 – 400 10 – 20
Money Tree
Pachira
40 – 300 4 – 14
Monstera
Monstera
80 – 500 4 – 12
Olive
Olea
400 – 1000 18 – 40
Orange
Citrus
500 – 700 22 – 30
Orchids (High-Light)
Orchidaceae
150 – 350 8 – 18
Orchids (Low-Light)
Orchidaceae
40 – 80 4 – 6
Orchids (Moderate-Light)
Orchidaceae
80 – 150 4 – 8
Oregano
Origanum vulgare
300 – 600 20 – 28
Oxalis
Oxalis
150 – 250 2 – 10
Palm Trees
Various
80 – 1200 10 – 40
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
200 – 400 10 – 20
Peace Lily
Spathiphyllum
20 – 40 4 – 14
Peach
Prunus
200 – 300 8 – 14
Peas
Pisum sativum
150 – 300 9 – 12
Peperomia
Peperomia
20 – 40 3 – 8
Peperomia
Peperomia
40 – 300 4 – 12
Peppers
Capsicum annuum
300 – 600 20 – 30
Peppers (Seedling)
Capsicum annuum
150 – 350 8 – 18
Petunias
Petunia
300 – 400 16 – 18
Philodendron
Philodendron
40 – 80 4 – 14
Pineapple
Ananas
350 – 700 15 – 30
Polka Dot Plant
Hypoestes
40 – 80 4 – 14
Pothos
Epipremnum
40 – 600 4 – 14
Pumpkins
Cucurbita
300 – 650 18 – 28
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
300 – 600 20 – 28
Roses
Rosa
350 – 450 18 – 22
Sage
Salvia officinalis
200 – 400 10 – 20
Schefflera
Schefflera
40 – 800 7 – 30
Seedlings
Various
70 – 150 6 – 8
Snake Plant
Dracaena
40 – 600 4 – 14
Spider Plant
Chlorophytum
40 – 80 4 – 14
Strawberry
Fragaria
400 – 600 17 – 28
Succulents
Various
500 – 2000 30 – 50
Syngonium
Syngonium
40 – 600 4 – 14
Tangerine
Citrus
500 – 700 22 – 30
Thyme
Thymus vulgaris
300 – 600 20 – 28
Tomatoes
Solanum lycopersicum
350 – 800 22 – 30
Tomatoes (Seedling)
Solanum lycopersicum
150 – 350 8 – 18
Zucchini
Cucurbita pepo
400 – 650 22 – 28
ZZ Plant
Zamioculcas
200 – 400 2 – 10
ZZ Plant (Propagation)
Zamioculcas
20 – 40 1 – 3

Measuring Plant Light

If you're like us — you want to optimize the PPFD and DLI levels for your plants for the best results in both plant growth and electricity consumption. Unfortunately, we can't see the PPFD that's striking a plant's leaf and can't calculate DLI in our head.

Instead, you'll need the help of a specialized PAR light meter that provides an accurate PPFD reading and DLI calculation. As you probably know, there are expensive ($500+) specialized meters that do the job, but there is an easier, cost-effective, and readily available solution: Our grow light meter app.

If you haven’t used our app yet, we definitely recommend giving it a try! Photone is free to download on iOS and Android and may even save you hundreds of dollars otherwise unnecessarily spent on physical meters.

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