The level of available light is a crucial factor in the plant's health and appearance. For a plant, light means life because it regulates three major plant processes: photosynthesis, phototropism, and photoperiodism.

aspidistra	cissus	chamaedorea

Photosynthesis is the process where plants transform light energy into food energy. Like all living things, plants need food for energy. Plants use the energy of the sun to manufacture their own sugar, by the process of photosynthesis. Light energy, carbon dioxide, and water interact with the green plant pigment, chlorophyll, to produce plant sugars and oxygen, which is released into the atmosphere, supplying most of the oxygen on planet earth.

Phototropism is the natural inclination of plants to grow towards the light source. Plants will actually bend toward the window and thus need to be rotated or have supplemental artificial light placed so that the plant receives even light. Otherwise, the plant will have excessive growth on one side and little growth on the opposing side.

Photoperiodism is the plant's innate response to its environment. Even indoors, plants perform best in a rhythmic cycle of light and darkness that closely resembles their original habitat. Some plants will flower when the days are long (14 hours or more) others only flower when days are short and they have at least 14 hours of darkness.

Plants are absolutely dependent on light for their survival. Therefore it is crucial to ascertain the light available at any given plant station prior to choosing the plant specimen.

Recommended Plants
Although plants can adapt to various light levels, including low light, they will not flower or be at their optimum under such conditions. With insufficient light, plants live off their energy reserves, and gradually die. As their energy level expires, they become unable to absorb sufficient energy to regain health.

There are three commonly used light categories in which the most popular interior foliage plants used in contemporary plantscapes are listed below.

Low light plants:
Aglaonema maria
Aglaonema romana
Aglaonema 'Silver Queen'
Andiantum
Araucaria heterophylla
Aspidistra eliatior
Asplenium bulbiforum
Chamaedorea elegans
Chamaedorea seifrizii
Cissus antartica
Cissus rhombifolia 'Mandaiana'
Davallia species
Dracena deremensis 'Janet Craig'
Dracena deremensis 'Warnecki'
Dracena fragrans
Dracena fragrans massangeana
Dracena marginata
Epipremnum aureum
Hedera helix
Howeia forsteriana
Nephrolepsis exaltata 'Bostoniensis'
Philodendron oxycardium (cordatum)
Philodendron 'Pluto'
Philodendron 'Red Emerald'
Pleomele reflexa
Pteris
Rhapis excelsa
Sansevieria trifasciata laurentii
Schefflera actinophylla 'Amate'
Schefflera arboricola
Spathiphyllum 'Londonii'
Spathiphyllum 'Mauna Loa Supreme'
Spathiphyllum wallisii
Syngonium podophyllum 'White Butterfly'

Medium light plants:
Anthurium 
Caryota mitis
Chrysalidocarpus (Areca) lutescens
Codiaeum variegatum 'Norma'
Dieffenbachia amoena 'Tropic Snow'
Dizgotheca elegantissima
Ficus macleilondii
Ficus benjamina
Ficus lyrata
Ficus retusa nitida
Neoclypsus
Livistonia chinensis
Philodendron 'Black Cardinal'
Phoenix Roebellini
Polyscias balfouriana
Polyscias fruticosa  Ming Aralia
Polyscias guilfoylei 'Black Aralia'
Strelitzia nicolai

High light plants:
Arecastrum romanzoffianum
Beaucarnea recurvata
Black Aralia
Bucida buceras
Cereus peruvianus
Cycas circinalis
Cycas revoluta
Eucharis grandiflora
Euphorbia lactea
Pandanus utilis
Phyllostachys aureosulcata
Pittosporum tobira
Podocarpus gracilior
Podocarpus macrophyllus
Polyscias balfouriana
Ptychosperma elegans
Veitchia merrillii
Yucca elephantipes
Zamia floridana