Dumb Lighting Question/Palm Recommendations

[JohnAndSancho]

So, I have a largeish south facing window in my office. I'm sure the glass has at least some degree of UV protection since the building was built in 2018. There is no shade. Would this be considered full sun? 

 

Also open to suggestions on seedlings I could stick in the window. I've got some year or so old A. Tuckerii seedlings that have been on my patio I could bring to work, but I'd like to fill the windowsill. I cooked some d. Lutescens and an Aloe Vera just to give y'all an idea of how much sun this window gets. Currently battling sugar ants and their accompanying aphids too, based on all the little tiny sticky specks I see on everything other than the snake plant and orange spider plant (that one LOVES this window)

[spike]

i wonder if an ultra tropical palm will work there, the temperature might be enough

Edited February 12, 2022 by spike

[JohnAndSancho]

1 minute ago, spike said:

i wonder if an ultra tropical palm will work there, the temperature might be enough

I'm here for suggestions. Humidity would be an issue tho. 

[teddytn]

Full sun from a window is usually south, southwest, or west facing. North and east don’t get enough sun in the northern hemisphere to fry plants lol. You could always put up a curtain that would act as a shade cloth, play with it and keep more sensitive palms in a little more filtered light. Just a thought

[Rickybobby]

Some sun is nice but nothings beats a 12 o’clock above direct sun 

[oasis371]

It sounds like full sun to me!  Of course, you can never replicate, full, outdoor sun in an indoor environment (no matter where you live). That office environment would work for a lot of palms, but I would focus on palms that can tolerant lower humidity. Hyophorbes.  Both Spindes and Bottles come to mind, but they can be funny about sun tolerance.  If they are unacclimated to direct sun, they burn BAD, REAL BAD.  Mine go from a basement under LED workshop lights to outdoors in deep shade for a few weeks first, then, they can take all the sun I can provide outside, in direct, unobstructed sun.  Weird.  Now, another potential factor with an office environment, is that you cannot always control temperatures.  I don't really know where you are, but a lot of offices reduce heating at night or over weekends.  Other good sun lovers are Mediterranean fans, Pygmy Dates, and Yuccas. I wouldn't just limit the office collection to palms.  Maybe consider a citrus plant, Orange Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae), some succulents (Jade plants, snake plants, etc.).  I used to grow a bougainvillea in my previous office and it always got attention for its gorgeous winter blooming.  You could increase the number of plants for the environment for adding shear curtains selectively.  BTW, Aloe vera are sun tolerant but even their color will be deeper green with some degree of filtered sun. Good luck!

[oasis371]

For some reason it won't let be edit.  Oh well, I was going to add Foxtail Tail palm for the office too.

[JohnAndSancho]

59 minutes ago, oasis371 said:

Good luck!

I've got a little snake plant in the window, and it's fine until I forget to water it. I've got a 2 gal spindle on the patio, too. These are all great ideas, and I'm looking to get lots of little small stuff to fill out the window. 

[JohnAndSancho]

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1128126509/hypophorbe-indicachampagne-bottle-palm

 

Would this cook in the window like D. Lutescens did? I love the colors on this. I'm hesitant to bring my Spindle into the office since its spent a year on my patio under shade, and - it's honestly kinda tall and stretched and needs a pot larger than my windowsill can handle, even though I love the coloring on it. Also, I've been looking at lots of aloes. I really want an Aloe Hercules and/or Aloe Microstigma to bring some color and/or growth. Chlorophytum Orchidastrum is VERY happy and VERY orange in the windowsill if that helps. My indoor HVAC system is completely stupid - it's pretty much bass-ackwards from whatever I set the thermostat at. When it's cold outside, my office is cold and uncomfortable - when it's hot outside, my office is hot and uncomfortable. 

[PalmsandLiszt]

If you want something big the fill the space, you could try a Ravenala. Their two-dimensional growth habit fits nicely behind big windows and they're pretty tolerant of temperature fluctuations, low humidity and direct sun (might need a fair amount of water to compensate, though).