South-facing windows can be both a blessing and a challenge. On the one hand, all that bright natural light is great for setting an inviting atmosphere in your home. On the other, direct sunlight can be hard on many popular houseplants, many of which evolved to prefer the filtered, indirect light of the rainforest floor.
Fortunately, you’re far from limited in your search for sun-loving houseplants. These ten plants will be happy to soak up those intense rays!
One of the trendier houseplants of 2021, alocasias (also known as elephant ears), are a hot item at the moment and they totally thrive in direct sunlight! Their large, tropical leaves make for stunning focal points in a bright room, but even more incredible are the nearly-black varieties; Black Coral and the rare Dragon Scale. All alocasias prefer bright light, but it’s especially crucial for maintaining the colours of dark-leaved cultivars.
Sometimes known as the “burn plant,” aloe veras are filled with a gel-like substance known for their burn-soothing properties. As for the houseplants themselves, you won’t need to worry about any sunburns on their thick, spiky leaves—they’re desert dwellers that thrive in direct sunlight.
Yes, you heard right—you can grow edible citrus fruit here in Southern Ontario! It should come as no surprise that these trees require lots of direct sunlight to thrive and prefer to live as winter houseplants and outdoor ornamentals while the weather is warm. In return, you’ll enjoy the gorgeous flowers and foliage, plus luscious fruit like grapefruit, tangerine, or Meyer lemon.
If you’re interested in bonsai, this adorable shrub is an excellent choice. It can be trained in the shohin (small), mame (miniature) styles, or enjoyed as-is for its tiny, fragrant leaves and flowers. For this shrub to thrive as a houseplant, it needs plenty of heat, direct sunlight, and monthly fertilizer applications from spring to fall.
An ideal indoor or outdoor houseplant, Bird of Paradise does best in direct sunlight indoors or bright shade outdoors. For most of the year, the massive leaves and eye-popping bloom are the perfect complement to modern or bohemian indoor decor. In the summer, it loves to “vacation” as a patio plant and enjoy a little fresh air!
If you remember Sting’s millennium-era chart-topper of the same name, you might think he was talking about this beautiful and easy-care plant. The desert rose’s glossy, ovate foliage and bold summer blossoms rival the beauty of much more demanding houseplants. It only needs regular watering, occasional feeding, and direct sunlight to thrive. Who wouldn’t fall in love with that?
A little something different for the rare plant collector! It’s hard to describe the unusual colour of this unique bromeliad, but there’s no doubt it’ll stand out in any vivarium or terrarium setting. Provided it’s kept in a humid environment with direct sunlight, this dyckia is sure to thrive.
Jade plants are a crowd-pleaser thanks to their thick stems of blunt, pink-tinged foliage. They also age like fine wine, looking more incredible with every year of their exceptionally long lifespan. Younger plants happily fill desktop planters with cute succulent foliage, and older plants take on the form of a beautifully complex yet compact tree. Jade plants thrive in direct sunlight, not unlike the majority of popular succulent houseplants.
The ideal plant for flower lovers, the kalanchoe’s blooms are so profuse and so vibrant; it’s like keeping a living bouquet. Popular as a hostess gift, kalanchoe requires bright light to thrive but is very drought-tolerant compared to the other houseplants on this list. Even when not in bloom, you’ll love the sweetly scalloped edges of this plant’s succulent foliage.
While Mandevilla certainly makes a beautiful houseplant, this direct-sunlight-loving vine absolutely shines as a summer ornamental! Butterflies flock to the colourful, trumpet-shaped flowers and the glossy emerald leaves are easily trained on trellises, arbours, and pergolas. Once autumn comes knocking, simply move the pot gradually indoors and enjoy the tropical vibes until the following spring.
Each of these houseplants is sure to thrive in direct sunlight, but this list is by no means exhaustive! Take a stroll through our Guelph garden centre today or have a browse through our online shop for more great ideas and inspiration.
