You should never place your beloved house plants on a windowsill, and despite how nice they might look popped in front of your window, there is a little-known reason why you should almost always avoid this
If you have popped your favourite houseplant on your windowsill, you might want to move it as soon as possible.
Houseplants can add so much to your home, bringing a serene, calming atmosphere with them and providing some beautiful greenery that elevates your home. Making the most of your houseplants isn’t always as simple as bringing one home from the shops and popping them in the most eye-catching spot, because they all have different needs to thrive as much as possible, and one of the most show-stopping places you might think to place your new plant could actually be the worst place to leave them: the windowsill.
It might be tempting to put your house plant on your windowsill, where it will create a beautiful silhouette and get as much light as possible, but it could actually be really damaging to your plant. Not all plants have the same needs, and some of the most common houseplants won’t be happy next to a window.
This includes violets and peace lilies, both of which could find that getting too much sun will scorch their leaves, and leave them marked with unsightly black streaks on the foliage, the Daily Star reports. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, other common plants that won’t enjoy being left in direct sunlight include spider plants, snake plants, ivy, ferns, and begonias.
However, if you are dying to make use of a windowsill as a plant display in your home then you still definitely have some options, but you need to carefully select a plant that will absolutely thrive in a lot of direct sunlight. Gardener’s World explains that the direction your window faces also makes a difference with this one because more plants can cope with being popped on a north-facing windowsill than a sunny west or south-facing one.
In a bright window that gets a lot of sun, you should opt for an aloe vera plant which should live happily in that location, as will cacti and succulents. If you are after a flowering plant, then pelargoniums and bougainvillea are both great choices and pair nicely together, with both plants loving as much sun as they can get.
It’s also important to remember the temperature fluctuations that come into play on a windowsill – often these areas of the home can oscillate from being draughty and cold to scorching hot, so if you notice your plant isn’t responding well to its location, never hesitate to move it somewhere else your home where it might be healthier.
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