Do you have an east-facing window in your home or office? If so, then you’re in luck – you can take advantage of the natural light and add some greenery to your space. There are plenty of east facing window plants to thrive and help create a warm and inviting atmosphere.
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From lush ferns to vibrant succulents, this list of 12 plants that love east facing windows has something for everyone. Each plant offers its own unique benefits such as air purification, improved mood, and stress relief, so you can choose the one that best suits your lifestyle.
East facing windows are especially great for tropical plants, since many of these are covered under tree canopies in their natural habitat, meaning they only get some softer beams of direct light coming to them, and don’t require harsh afternoon temperatures like other plants.
Sun Amounts In East Facing Windows
When looking for plants for east facing windows, you want to think about ones that like a bit of direct light but not hot, constant sunlight. During the morning, the light will be milder and cooler. This is because when the sun rises in the east, it casts a softer light on these windows than later in the day when it passes through more of the sky.
Keep in mind, these plants for east facing window suggestions are based on my experiences, so some of the plants on this list you may expect to see in full sun or no direct light, depending on what you read!
(Have windows facing other directions in your home? Check out the best plants for: north facing windows, south facing windows, west facing windows)
12 East Facing Window Plants
Spider Plant
Spider plants are a very common houseplant, known for cleaning the air, being low maintenance, and just being a cool plant to have around. These are a great choice of a plant for east facing windows because they like some direct light, but also require a lot of water, as they are a water loving plant.
Snake Plant
Snake plants are another great plant for most areas of the house, especially great for east facing windows. There are so many varieties of snake plants that you could even have a different variety in each part of the house. They can handle a bit of direct sunlight but prefer more indirect light which makes them perfect for east facing windows.
Keep reading: 5 snake plant varieties
Baby’s Tears
Baby’s tears, or Soleirolia soleirolii, are another plant that love bright indirect light, or partial sunlight. Too much light or not enough water and these plants will shrivel up quite quickly. They are a great choice for east facing windows as they will get the early morning light and then be shielded from the harsh mid-day sun.
A tip about this plant: have it in a vase or larger base where it can have standing water to be sitting in.
Boston Fern
While ferns can do no direct sunlight and almost prefer that lack of direct light, they do also fare well in east facing windows. They require bright, indirect light and don’t do too well in areas where they are in constant sun. East facing windows are perfect for them because they will get the light they need in the morning and then be shielded from the sun when it moves to higher positions.
Aluminum Plant
The aluminum plant is an interesting plant with striped leaves that are more textured than you might find on other plants, almost having waves with the color variations on the plant. The aluminum plant isn’t difficult to take care of, but it does need to be watered regularly, and pruned to encourage it going bushy instead of leggy.
I’ve found that, of all locations and light amounts, bright indirect light first thing in the morning is what it strives under. Too much light and the leaves will burn and fall off, and not enough light and the plant will go leggy trying to reach for any light it can.
Satin Pothos
While this plant has the name pothos in it, it isn’t actually a pothos plant! It just has similar leaf shape. This is a gorgeous hanging or trailing vine, and likes bright, indirect light. This is another great choice for east facing windows since it will get the earlier morning light and then be sheltered from the mid-day sun.
Just be sure to not overwater it to avoid root rot, and try to keep it from being right next to a drafty window, as it doesn’t like the cold that much.
Philodendrons
There are many varieties of philodendrons, but for the most part they have similar light requirements, all being of the same genus (family). Philodendrons do best with bright, indirect light and slightly moist soil.
East facing windows are great for them as they will get the light they need in the morning, and be shielded from harsher midday sun. Just make sure to not overwater them to keep them healthy and happy.
Monstera
The monstera deliciosa, or swiss cheese plant, is a very popular choice for houseplants. This tropical plant likes bright indirect light and slightly moist soil (Think of it in nature growing under a tree canopy just with bits of light coming between the leaves). East facing windows are great for this, as it will get the morning sun and not have harsh afternoon heat.
Choose a monstera as a large plant for west facing windows, as it may start off small, but can grow to take up an entire corner of your home.
Rubber Tree
The rubber tree is an interesting one to look at, as it has gorgeous dark leaves and can grow very tall. This plant does not like direct sun, but will do well in bright indirect light. East facing windows are perfect for these, as it will get a softer sunlight. Even better if you can just have your rubber plant near an east facing window, but not in direct light of it.
Moses in the Cradle
The moses in the cradle plant, or T. spathacea, is a great plant if you’re looking for an east facing window plant to put in one of the darker corners. This plant flourishes in bright living conditions, but doesn’t want full sunlight. An east facing window is perfect for this, and it will have the light it needs to stay healthy. Not too much sun though, since that can be damaging for this species.
Flaming Katy
While many succulents prefer bright direct light all day long, the flaming katy exception to the rule. This plant, formally known as Kalanchoe blossfeldiana, prefers bright indirect light and doesn’t need a lot of water or nutrients to survive. This succulent blooms beautiful flowers in a variety of colors depending on the type you have.
The key point with growing flaming katy plants is to not overwater them! (Find other succulents that flower here)
Avocado Tree
If you’ve tried growing an avocado plant from a pit before, you’ll find it quite fun. But where do you put the plant after you’ve moved it into soil? While this plant can thrive in almost any sun amount, east facing windows are great especially right when you’ve transplanted an avocado from being only in water to being in soil.
This gives it time to adjust without having to deal with a lack of or too much light and heat. The key with avocado plants is making sure they get enough water and that they don’t sit in the same spot of light too long. East facing windows give them an optimal spot to be in nature’s light without having to worry about it getting too much.
In Summary: Best East Facing Window Plants
These 12 plants listed above are some of the best plants for east facing windows, all requiring only a bit of direct sunlight and bright indirect light. From avocados to philodendrons, you have many options to choose from when selecting a plant for your east facing windows!
