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Editorial Q&A

Can a Snake Plant get too much light?

Plant Care Club Mar 15, 2026 14 views Snake Plant

Editorial Q&A: answers by the Plant Care Club editors. Signed-in readers can add their own answers below. How we write

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A Snake Plant moved from a dim hallway to a west-facing windowsill with a few hours of direct afternoon sun starts to look pale and washed out, and one leaf develops a light brown, crispy patch. Is that too much sun? And should it go back to the hallway, where it stayed green but grew very slowly?

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Snake Plants are adaptable, but strong direct afternoon sun through a west-facing window can be too much, especially for a plant that has just come from a dim spot. A pale, washed-out color and dry brown patches are typical signs of sun scorch.

There is no need to go back to the dark hallway. A Snake Plant does well in bright indirect light or gentle morning sun. If it stays near the west window, move it a few feet back or filter the light with a sheer curtain. The scorched patches will not heal, but new growth should look normal once the light is adjusted. When moving any plant into stronger light, do it gradually over a week or two.

The hallway kept the plant alive, and the slow growth there was simply a lack of light. A bright spot without direct afternoon rays on the leaves gives you good color and steady growth.

Plant Care Club Mar 15, 2026

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