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Plant Light Database
Enter the name of your plant below to quickly find a good starting value 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 |
60 – 150 | 3 – 8 |
| 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 Cannabis |
☝️ Requirements for Cannabis depend on flower type and week. | ➡️ Simply check our Cannabis Lighting Calculator |
| 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 |
300 – 800 | 12 – 30 |
| Dill Anethum graveolens |
300 – 600 | 20 – 28 |
| Dracaena Dracaena |
60 – 150 | 3 – 8 |
| Dragon Tree Dracaena |
60 – 150 | 3 – 8 |
| 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 |
60 – 150 | 3 – 8 |
| 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 |
200 – 400 | 8 – 16 |
| 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 |
60 – 150 | 3 – 8 |
| Peach Prunus |
200 – 300 | 8 – 14 |
| Peas Pisum sativum |
150 – 300 | 9 – 12 |
| 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 – 300 | 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 |
200 – 400 | 8 – 16 |
| 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 |
| No match for your search |
How Much Light Does Your Plant Need
Light requirements vary based on several factors. Different plant species have different light needs, and your growth goals – whether you're simply keeping a plant alive or aiming to maximize yield – require different light levels. The stage of plant growth also matters; seedlings, vegetative growth, and flowering stages all have varying light requirements.
For cannabis, our Cannabis Lighting Calculator shows you the right PPFD and DLI for every week of the grow cycle. And in the Photone app, you'll find detailed lighting guides for houseplants, medical cannabis and coral reefs.
General Plant Light Recommendations
Can't find your plant in the database? Houseplants are commonly grouped into low-light, moderate-light and bright-light plants. The following ranges are based on the light categories used in horticultural research and are a good starting point, while the database above lists more specific values per plant.
Low-Light Houseplants
Low-light houseplants are the perfect choice for spaces with limited natural sunlight. They have adapted to grow in shaded conditions and can add a touch of greenery to corners of your home that often go unnoticed. Some of the most popular low-light houseplants include snake plants, ZZ plants, and peace lilies.
Low-light houseplants need a DLI of about 3–6 mol/m²/d. With 12 hours of light per day, this equals a PPFD of 70–140 μmol/m²/s.
Moderate-Light Houseplants
Moderate-light houseplants are types of plants that balance between low-light varieties and those that require abundant sunlight. They are adaptable and can grow in environments with medium levels of natural and artificial light. Popular moderate-light houseplants are spider plants, pothos, philodendrons, and others.
These plants favor a DLI of 6–12 mol/m²/d, which equals a PPFD of 140–280 μmol/m²/s with 12 hours of light per day. Although this category can tolerate lower light levels, increased illumination is optimal for growth. Our advice is to give them artificial light if they don't experience prolonged periods of direct sunlight, you'll notice tremendous results.
Bright-Light Houseplants
Among all the indoor houseplants, these need the most light. Bright-light plants grow in environments with direct natural sunlight or under artificial grow lights designed specifically to mimic full sun conditions. The most popular examples of such houseplants are succulents, cacti, fiddle-leaf figs, and jade plants.
In most cases, plants that require high light intensity are less satisfied when growing under low-powered artificial light. Hence, taking measurements is especially important in these cases. They prefer a DLI of 12–18 mol/m²/d, which equals a PPFD of 280–420 μmol/m²/s with 12 hours of light per day. Cacti and many succulents tolerate even more light, up to full sun.
What Light Plants Need
What we know as “light” is actually electromagnetic radiation of different wavelengths that are visible with our eyes. The wavelength determines the light’s color. White (or natural) light consists of all colors of the rainbow combined 🌈.
Plants perceive and use light quite differently from humans. While our eyes are most sensitive to green light, plants primarily utilize red and blue wavelengths for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll, the primary pigment in plants, absorbs light most efficiently in the red and blue portions of the spectrum. Reddish light is crucial for flowering and fruiting, whilst bluish light promotes leafy growth and compact plant structure. Greenish light is largely reflected by plants – this is why most plant leaves appear green.
To understand plant lighting, we need to familiarize ourselves with a few key concepts:
- Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR): The range of light wavelengths that plants use for photosynthesis (400 – 700 nm).
- Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD): The measure of PAR that actually reaches your plants, measured in μmol/m²/s.
- Daily Light Integral (DLI): The total amount of PAR received by a plant in a 24-hour period, measured in mol/m²/day.
PPFD is used to identify how strong plant light is, and DLI to identify how much the plant is exposed to it.
Lux and foot-candle (fc) are light intensity units for humans and should not be used for plant lighting.
Unlike illuminance (measured in lux or foot-candles), which is based on human eye sensitivity, these metrics are specifically tailored to plant needs. For more detailed information on these measurements, check out this article:
Different Types of Light
Natural sunlight is like the gold standard for plant growth. Understanding its effect on plants considers the light's wavelengths or "color", varying levels of intensity, and the number of hours of sunlight a plant needs per day.
In cases where natural sunlight is limited or unavailable, artificial light sources built to mimic the effects of sunlight – so-called grow lights – can be a salvation. Among the common types of grow lights for houseplants are fluorescent and LED lamps.
LEDs are the most modern type of plant grow lights. Despite being rather pricey, they have a very long lifespan and are energy-efficient. Additionally, they produce extremely little heat and don't need ballasts or reflectors. The desired light wavelengths can be produced by LEDs easily, which is why some manufacturers offer rather pinkish-purple lights and others are whiteish-yellow. To keep a rather natural-looking type of grow light, we recommend the whiteish-yellow (also called full spectrum) type. So, if the room is not naturally lit, you can use either fluorescent grow lights or special LEDs to fulfill your plant's lighting needs.
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.
You might wonder why we can't simply eyeball if a plant is receiving the right amount of light, as we often do for watering needs by simply sticking our finger into the soil. The issue is that our eyes adapt to ambient light by constantly opening or closing the pupils. This makes it impossible to accurately gauge light intensity. For example, a well-lit indoor room has about 300 lux, while full sunshine or a high-power grow light can reach 120,000 lux – a 400-fold difference that our eyes adjust to seamlessly without us taking notice!
Relying solely on manufacturer instructions to adjust your lamp's placement and power doesn't do it either. Those instructions probably don't account for your specific environment, such as reflective walls or multiple grow lights. Both significantly alter the light intensity your plants receive. Additionally, a lamp’s radiant power diminishes over its lifetime, affecting light levels. This is why regular measurement and adjustment are crucial for maintaining optimal growing conditions.
For more information on grow light maintenance, check out this blog article:
To measure light, you need 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.
Sources
- Fluence Photobiology Guide
- Hydroponic Illumination & the Daily Light Integral
- Photosynthetic and biochemical characterization of in vitro-derived African violet
- Plant Light Database
- Target PPFD for Orchids and Tropical Plants
- Improve culinary herb yields
- Rothenberger R. Lighting Indoor Houseplants. University of Missouri Extension. Lawn and Garden. Missouri, Columbia, 2023.
- Hillock D., Needham D. Houseplant Care. Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service. Oklahoma, 2021.
- Kim K. Identification and Classification of Indoor Plants According to Light Intensity Requirements for Botanical IoT Application. Journal of People Plants and Environment 2. Jeonju, 2018.
- Torres A., Lopez R. Measuring Daily Light Integral in a Greenhouse. Purdue Extension HO-238-W.
- Important Considerations for Providing Supplemental Light to Indoor Plants. Iowa State University Extension.
