The Truth About Grow Lights for Indoor Landscaping

Indoor landscaping means designing, installing, and maintaining plants inside buildings such as offices, hotels, malls, and homes

Main Components of Indoor Landscaping
1. Living Walls (Vertical Green Walls)
Plants grown vertically on walls to save space and enhance aesthetics 
2. Permanent Plantings
Built-in planters integrated with building architecture
3. Containerized Plants
Pots and planters placed to guide movement, create privacy, or enhance décor 
4. Atriums & Courtyards
Large indoor spaces with glass roofs that create a forest-like environment 

Why Grow Lights Are Required Indoors

Indoor spaces usually do not receive enough natural sunlight.
Plants need light for photosynthesis, so artificial lighting is essential.

These artificial plant lights are called grow lights.
Common sources include LED, CFL, and Metal Halide, with LED grow lights being the most efficient 
Key Factors While Designing Grow Lights for Indoor Landscaping

1 CRI (Color Rendering Index)
• CRI should be minimum 70
• 95+ CRI is ideal for human comfort and natural appearance of plants 

2 Light Spectrum
• Plants mainly absorb red and blue wavelengths 
• Human eyes are sensitive to green light
• Ideal grow light = balanced red + blue + green
• UV light is not required for interior grow lights 

3 Light Intensity (Most Critical Factor)
• Measured in PPFD for plants 
• Different plants need different intensity:
o Flowering plants 
o Foliage plants 
o Decorative plants 
• Each plant has:
o Minimum intensity → plant survives
o Maximum intensity → plant grows like outdoors
Indoor landscaping needs optimum intensity, not maximum.
Human Comfort (Lux Levels)
• 300–500 Lux → Comfortable for offices and living spaces 
• 750–1000 Lux → Task lighting, feels bright
• 2000+ Lux → Uncomfortable, causes eye strain 
Designing plant lighting while maintaining human comfort is the biggest challenge.

4 Aesthetic of Lighting
• Fixture design should match interior style 
• Consider:
o Fixture color (RAL shades)
o Mounting type (surface / recessed)
o Minimal visual obstruction

5 CCT (Color Temperature)
Common interior CCT options:
• 2700–3000K → Warm white
• 4500–5000K → Natural white
• 5700–6500K → Cool white
✔️ Grow lights should match interior CCT
✔️ Spectrum should still contain strong red + blue for plant health 

✅ Final Note
Indoor landscaping is not just about placing plants.
It requires a well-balanced grow light design that supports:
• Plant growth 
• Human comfort 
• Interior aesthetics 
A properly designed grow lighting solution ensures healthy plants and happy people