One of the biggest misconceptions we hear is that succulents love low light.

They don’t.

When a care card says bright indirect light, many people picture placing their succulent across the room from a window or in a room that has natural light. Unfortunately, that’s usually not enough for most succulents.

So what does bright indirect light actually mean?

It means your succulent should still be right next to a bright window, where it’s receiving lots of natural light throughout the day, just without the intense afternoon sun hitting it directly.

Think of it this way:

Good: On a windowsill or within a couple feet of a bright south, east or west-facing window.

Not enough: Across the room, on a bookshelf, in a hallway or in the middle of a room even if it feels bright.

Our eyes adjust to indoor lighting. Succulents can’t.

Can Succulents Really Grow Indoors?

Absolutely! Millions of people successfully grow succulents inside.

It isn't really about whether they’re indoors or outdoors it's about how much light they get.

If your home has a bright window, many succulents will do great indoors. If your space doesn’t receive much natural light, a grow light can make a huge difference.

Succulents are incredibly resilient. They’ll often adapt to less-than-ideal conditions but that doesn’t mean they’re thriving.

Light does so much more than keep your succulent alive. It helps plants stay compact instead of stretching toward a window, brings out the beautiful colors they’re known for, encourages strong and healthy growth and even helps the soil dry better between waterings.

The more light your succulent receives (within its ideal range), the better it can grow the way nature intended it to grow.

If your succulent starts leaning, stretching, or losing its colors, it’s usually not asking for more water. It’s asking for more light.

So the next time you see bright indirect light, don’t think low light, think lots of light, just not direct sun until its acclimated. Bright indirect light can be a covered patio outside, where your succulent is protected from the intense sun but still gets lots of bright daylight. Inside, it usually means putting your succulent as close to a bright window as possible, where it can soak up as much natural light as it can without sitting in direct sun for a long time. ☀️