The Best Plants for North East Facing Windows

Having a north east facing window in your home provides the perfect opportunity to grow a wide variety of beautiful and easy care houseplants. While north east light is lower and more indirect than a southern or western exposure, many houseplants actually prefer lower light conditions, making a north east window an ideal location.

In this article, we’ll discuss what makes the north east exposure unique, how to determine if you have north east facing windows, and provide a list of the 15 best plants to grow in north east light With the right plant selections, you can create a lush indoor jungle even in lower light

What is a North East Facing Window?

When we talk about the “exposure” of a window, we are referring to the direction it faces. North, south, east, and west are the four main exposures.

Windows with northern exposure face north and receive very little direct sunlight Eastern exposure receives gentle morning light Southern windows get bright light for much of the day. And western exposure gets hot afternoon and evening sun.

A north east facing window is one that sits somewhere between due north and due east. It receives gentle morning sunlight but no harsh direct afternoon sun The light levels are lower than south and west facing windows which makes it perfect for shade loving plants.

How to Determine if You Have North East Facing Windows

Figuring out which direction your windows face is easy with two simple tricks:

• Use a compass. The compass app on your phone makes identifying direction easy. Stand in front of the window in question and see which direction it indicates. Any window facing between north and east is north east facing.

• Watch the sunlight. In the morning, observe which side of your home gets the first direct sun. That’s the east side. North east windows will be located between that morning sun side and the side that never gets direct light (the north side). Pay attention to how the sunlight enters each room over the course of a day. This will reveal the exposure of your windows. North east rooms have gentle morning sun but no harsh afternoon light.

15 Best North East Facing Window Plants

Now let’s get to the fun part – deciding which plants to grow! Here are my top recommendations for north east facing windows

Vining Foliage Plants

Vining plants are great for filling vertical space in front of a window with cascading greenery. Try these trailing beauties:

• Pothos – With heart-shaped satiny leaves, pothos is a houseplant superstar. Its vines can grow up to 10 feet long! Pothos tolerates all types of light levels and irregular watering like a champ.

• Philodendron – Easy going philodendrons thrive in north east exposure Heartleaf philodendron and the stunning ‘Brasil’ variety with yellow variegated leaves are fast growing and easy to train up a trellis.

• Wandering Jew – Also known as inchplant, the wandering Jew has gorgeous leaves dotted with purple, red, pink, or silver depending on variety. These pretty trailing plants love north east windows.

Upright Foliage Plants

Upright, structured foliage plants add architecture and interest to spaces. Here are some great picks:

• Dracaena – Dracaena offer striking upright foliage in a range of colors like lime green, dark burgundy, or tricolor. They tolerate very low light. Popular varieties include the corn plant, dragon tree, and Janet Craig.

• ZZ Plant – Nearly impossible to kill, ZZ plants have thick waxy leaves that emerge from bulbous rhizomes underground. Their growth is slow but steady. ZZ’s adapt well to low north east light.

• Chinese Evergreen – With patterned leaves in shades of green, pink, silver, and cream, the Chinese evergreen brings a pop of color. For best results place in a bright north east window and water when the top inch of soil dries out.

Flowering Plants

While flowering houseplants need decent light to bloom, they’ll still provide attractive greenery in a north east window. Enjoy flowers when they appear! Good bets are:

• Peace Lily – A houseplant classic, peace lilies produce elegant white blooms among deep green leaves. They naturally bloom in spring but need medium light. Keep the soil moist.

• African Violet – African violets are cute compact plants with fuzzy green and purple leaves with delicate pink, purple, or white flowers. Water from the bottom to keep leaves dry.

• Orchids – Orchids need very bright light to rebloom but will be happy in a north east window between bloom cycles. Moth orchids and lady slipper orchids are especially east to grow.

Other Great North East Plants

Don’t overlook these other stunners that thrive with morning sun and partial shade:

• Ferns like Boston ferns and bird’s nest ferns
• Snake plants with upright spear-shaped leaves
• Cast iron plants with broad dark green leaves
• Palms like majesty palms and parlor palms
• Crotons and calatheas with colorful leaves
• Bromeliads like air plants mounted on driftwood or flaming sword bromeliads

With the right plant picks, your north east windows can overflow with vibrant indoor plants. Focus on low light lovers and foliage plants, water appropriately, and enjoy your own urban jungle!

Best Low Light Houseplants for North East Windows

If you have a north east facing window, you may wonder what plants can thrive in the low light conditions. Here are some of the top low light houseplants perfectly suited for north east exposure:

Pothos

Pothos, also called devil’s ivy, is a classic vining houseplant with heart-shaped satiny leaves. It is almost impossible to kill and adapts to virtually any light condition. Pothos is happy in a north east window and its trailing vines can grow quite lengthy when given the space. Go for golden pothos or neon pothos for bright pops of color.

Chinese Evergreen

The Chinese evergreen has patterned leaves in shades of silver, green, pink, and cream. It brings great texture and visual interest. Place in front of a north east window and only water when the top inch of soil has dried out. The green varieties tolerate lower light better than the more colorful cultivars.

Cast Iron Plant

With broad, strappy dark green leaves, the cast iron plant lives up to its name. It tolerates very dim light and is extremely hardy. As long as you don’t let it completely dry out, this nearly indestructible plant will thrive in a north east exposure.

Snake Plant

Tall, rigid, sword-like leaves make the snake plant a striking architectural plant. It adapts well to low light and tolerates drought and irregular watering. For north east windows, allow the soil to dry out quite a bit between waterings.

Philodendron

Philodendrons come in vining and non-vining varieties. Heartleaf philodendron and philodendron brasil, with light variegated leaves, do well in north east light. Keep the soil consistently moist and train vines along a trellis.

Peace Lily

A flowering plant that can handle low light is the elegant peace lily. It produces white blooms among shiny deep green leaves. Peace lilies naturally bloom in spring but need decent light to flower. Keep soil moist but not soggy.

ZZ Plant

Almost impossible to kill, the ZZ plant has waxy oval leaves that emerge from underground rhizomes. It tolerates weeks of neglect and adapts to very dim light. ZZ plants have slow growth but steady and easy care in a north east window.

With the right picks, you can grow an incredible plant collection even with lower north east light. Focus on plants that naturally thrive in shady jungle understories and you’ll have success!

Tips for Growing Plants in North East Facing Windows

Growing plants in north east facing windows presents some challenges, but with a few tips you can create a lively indoor garden even with lower light. Here are some suggestions:

• Place plants as close to the glass as possible. Light diminishes the farther it travels into a room so keep plants near the window source.

• Rotate plants weekly so all sides get light exposure. Otherwise plants may start leaning toward the window as they grow toward the light source.

• Try reflective surfaces like white paint or aluminum foil around the plants to bounce more light their way.

• Add supplemental lighting like LED grow lights if plants seem to be struggling. A few hours a day can make a big difference.

• Focus on low light plants but accept that blooming will be limited. Enjoy the greenery plants provide even if they don’t flower.

• Dust leaves regularly with a damp cloth so they can soak up as much light as possible.

• Avoid overwatering which can cause root rot. Check soil moisture before adding more water.

• Add compost or worm castings to refresh soil nutrients annually. Re-pot root-bound plants.

• Be patient! Plants will grow slower than those getting tons of sun but they can still thrive.

North east facing windows present a fun challenge. With the right care techniques you can create a vibrant indoor oasis even with lower indirect light. Pick the best plants for the space and success will surely follow.