Living · 6 pages · 12 min
Why houseplants stretch toward a window
Indoor light is dim and one-sided, so new growth leans and the stems lengthen.
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From the opening
Houseplants stretch toward a window because indoor light is strongly one-sided and much dimmer than open sky. New growth heads toward the bright side, and the stem sections between leaves lengthen as the plant reaches, so the lean is a record of where the light was. The opening covers one bright side in a dim room, the shady side of the stem grows faster, and long gaps between leaves.
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Inside
- One bright side in a dim room
- The shady side of the stem grows faster
- Long gaps between leaves
- Why a turn only redirects new growth
- Where the idea stops applying
- A distinction worth keeping
Sources
- Phototropism and auxin redistribution
- Shade avoidance and internode elongation indoors