Garden Detective

From left, Cyclamen, Dracaena (Corn plant) 'Limelight', Spathiphyllum (Peace lily)

Before buying an indoor plant, it's important to determine whether it's right for your home, and the most important requirement to consider is the amount of light that will be available.

Light requirements generally are noted on the plant tag as Bright, Medium and Low.

Think about where your windows are. Do you have the right light levels available for the plant? To find out, start by noting which direction the main part of your house faces. A Southern exposure offers the brightest light. Eastern and Western exposures will provide medium light, while Northern exposures likely will produce lots of shadows and, therefore, low-light situations.

Where are your windows? For every foot away from a window you distance a plant, the available light drops drastically. It's also important to consider whether there are a lot of trees outside that cut down on available light indoors.

Bright light plants should be situated within 4 feet of a south-facing window. There shouldn't be any obstructions between the plant and its light source. Medium light plants require bright, indirect light and ideally should be situated from 4 to 10 feet from a window that faces south, east or west. Low light plants should be kept out of direct sunlight, ideally more than 10 feet from windows, or right in front of a north-facing window with curtains or with trees outside.

Here are some plant recommendations for every light situation (common names are in parentheses):

Another thing to consider when contemplating where to place a new plant is whether the area is drafty. If windows aren't well insulated, or if there's an air-conditioning unit installed nearby, plant foliage will suffer. Leaves might blacken or drop. And some plants, like gardenias, will drop their buds in drafty locations.

Get your hands on a good reference book. Check out "Tempting Tropicals: 175 Irresistible Indoor Plants," by Ellen Zachos (2005/Timber Press, $29.95).