7 Top Full Sun Houseplants That Like The Heat
Full sun houseplants thrive on lots of bright light and heat!
While many plants love plenty of bright indirect light, not many plants enjoy actual direct light.
The difference between bright indirect and direct light can be confusing, however it is quite simple to understand;
- A plant needs bright indirect light when it thrives in a lot of light, but it cannot be placed near a window where the actual sun rays touch the leaves.
- A plant needs direct light when it thrives under the sun rays for several hours.
Personally, I only have a few plants that can withstand the scorching heat coming from the window’s direct sun light; whether it’s a South facing window in Summer, or a West facing window all year round.
There are other full sun houseplants that I have not included in this list. These are the plants I have personally grown and I can speak for experience.
1. jade plant, (crassula ovata)
The Jade Plant is one of the best and well known full sun houseplants. It is native to South Africa and it is now wide spread all over the world as indoor decorative plant. It sure is an easy indoor succulent!
It became a popular houseplant not only for its ease of maintenance, but also because it is believed to bring prosperity to the person who owns it, (that’s why it is also called Money Plant). It is no surprise that the Jade is one of the most popular Feng Shui plants.
Like many other succulents, the Jade Plant needs a lot of bright light, direct sunlight is even better for this plant to thrive. Low light conditions will induce this succulent to grow leggy.
This plant should not be watered on schedule. The best way to determine whether to water, is to touch the plant’s top soil. If the soil feels dry, it’s time to water! Do not allow the soil to dry out completely though!
The Jade Plant is extremely easy to propagate. Simply pinch the stems off when the plant is growing leggy or too big, and plant those stems directly into a pot of soil.
If well cared for, a Jade can grow quite old and big.
Jade Plant
Gollum Variety of Jade Plant
2. Ponytail palm, (beaucarnea recurvata)
Technically, the Ponytail Palm is not a palm tree, but it does share a similar structure with the palm.
Not only it’s a beautiful plant that can dress up any space with no effort; it’s also one of the lowest maintenance plants I’ve ever had.
If you’ve read my other blog posts, you already know I actually have two of these beautiful succulents!
Yes, this plant is actually a succulent!
It is native to eastern Mexico, where it still grows wild, and some species have even reached 350 years of age!
In addition to being a low maintenance plant, the Ponytail Palm is a non-toxic succulent, and a very slow growing plant! You really don’t have to worry about its size and having to repot it often, (other than to replace its potting mix with some fresh one!).
This succulent is among the best full sun houseplants, however, it can do really well in any light condition!
It thrives in dry environments, but adapts really well to any average home condition.
The Ponytail Palm needs to dry out between waterings, so I recommend watering it every 2 weeks. However, if you happen to forget one week, it’s not the end of the world, as this plant is drought tolerant.
Take it easy with fertilizers!
Twice a year is plenty enough for this plant; once in the Spring and once in the Summer.
This is one of my two Ponytail Palms, (the youngest one, which is 10 years old).
3. aloe vera
The Aloe Vera is not only a wonderful full sun houseplant. It is a great medicinal plant to have in your home.
Even though it originated in the Arabian Peninsula, it is now wide spread in all tropical, sub-tropical and arid regions.
It is cultivated for medicinal, agricultural and decorative purposes.
Aloe Vera has become an extremely popular indoor succulent due to its healing properties and its air purifying benefits.
Aloe Vera needs a lot of bright light to thrive. A South or West window is ideal for this plant. Direct sunlight is actually beneficial to it as long as it’s not placed right against the glass!
It needs very little water as its leaves and roots are packed with water. It is prone to root rot so make sure you have your plant in a terracotta pot with drainage holes filled with draining potting mix. Discard any stagnant water left at the bottom of your saucer after watering it.
I like to use terracotta pots for all my indoor plants because terracotta is porous and allows the soil to dry out and the roots to breathe. Plastic pots, even the ones with drainage holes, are not porous and tend to retain more moisture in the soil and around the roots. If the soil has poor drainage, even drainage holes are not very helpful against root rot.
I water my Jade Plant in its terracotta pot under full sun every 1-2 weeks.
I had my small Aloe Vera in a plastic pot with drainage holes inside this ceramic over-pot. I had it on a table away from direct light. It started to struggle and the roots to rot.
I took it off the over-pot and placed it near a South facing window to allow the sun rays to dry out the soil. After a few weeks I repotted it into a terracotta pot and kept it by the South facing window. It doubled in size.
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4. string of pearls, (senecio rowleyanus)
The String of Pearls is definitely an intriguing full sun houseplant.
Its long and thin stems with juicy beads make it a very fascinating plant that appeals to all ages. In-fact, our two Strings of Pearls both belong to my daughter.
Native to southwest Africa, this plant is a perennial, succulent vine. Place it an a spot with lots of light, ideally direct sun light, and don’t overwater it!
Proper soil drainage is critical for the health of the String of Pearl’s roots! Like for the Aloe Vera, it will benefit from being placed into a terracotta pot. With proper care, the stems grow fast, forming new beads.
I water our String of Pearls every second week.
This trailing succulent looks great trailing from a hanging pot or displayed on a shelf.
When the stems become so long, you can give them a cut. The plant will benefit from it, and the cuttings can be rooted to propagate the plant.
5. african milk bush, (euphorbia Trigona)
Never mind the fact that the African Milk Bush is an amazing full sun houseplant; it is possibly one of the easiest plants to keep alive!
It is interesting to know that despite its name, this plant originating from Central Africa, is a succulent and not a cactus.
Like the majority of succulents, this plant thrives in very bright light areas.
Needless to say, the African Milk Tree needs very little watering. I only water mine once a month.
I keep it inside Winter and Summer as I want to avoid drafts, drastic changes in temperature, and especially pests!
The African Milk Tree enjoys dry environments but does quite well in the average home conditions.
Fertilize it with liquid plant food once a month in Spring and Summer.
The great thing about this plant is that it grows quite slow indoors, which means you don’t need to repot it for a very looooong time!
I’ve had my African Milk Busk for 17 years. My husband gave it to me as a Valentine present. There is nothing that says “I love you” like a prickly cactus!
6. zebra Plant, (haworthia attenuata)
The Zebra Plant is a non-toxic succulent and full sun houseplant that is safe for cats.
I call mine the “little green flame”. It gives it a bit of character!
Originally from the Eastern Cape in South Africa, the Haworthia is extremely easy to care for and extremely hard to kill.
All it needs is a very bright spot to be displayed and a nice planter with proper drainage.
The only possible way to kill this plant is by overwatering it.
Water this succulent generously in Spring and Summer, only when the soil has dried out between waterings.
Reduce water to once a month or bi-monthly in Fall and Winter.
The same Zebra Plant has grown and produced two pups. These pups can be cut off close to the root and planted in a new pot.
7. Snake Plant, (Dracaena trifasciata)
The Snake Plant, also known as the Mother in Law Tongue, is one of the most known impossible to kill houseplants, making it a perfect indoor plant for beginners.
Native to the tropical regions of West Africa, this plant is an excellent air purifier.
There are many different varieties of Snake Plants, some more common than others and easier to find, and some easier than others to care for.
The most common one is the Laurentii variety, which is the typical yellow and green tall, striped Snake Plant. You see them in every mall and airport for their ease of maintenance and their tolerance to low light conditions.
No matter the variety of Snake Plant, they are all succulents and they are exceptional air purifying plants to have in your home!
The beautiful thing about the Snake Plant is that, not only there are many varieties to suit everyone’s different personal taste, but they come in different sizes!
Different varieties and different sizes allow people to have plants with very similar needs that look different in different areas of their homes!
The Snake Plant is very adaptable and it can thrive in bright direct light areas, as well as in areas with moderate light conditions.
It requires very little watering; it is actually important to let the soil dry out between waterings. I water mine every two to three weeks.
It adapts to any humidity conditions your home may have.
The only negative aspect about the Snake Plant is its toxicity if ingested by humans and pets.
This is the Fernwood species of Snake Plant. It comes in small table top/desk size.
This is the Bird’s Nest Snake Plant, (Hahnii Species). It comes in a medium size that can be placed on a table top, countertop, or shelf.
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