Houseplants Outdoors in Summer: When, Where and How
Many houseplants can spend part of the year outdoors when the weather and the spot suit them. A good outdoor spot can give some plants strong light over the day and may support active growth, healthy new leaves or better flowering.12
Moving a plant outside is optional. If it is already growing well indoors, there may be no reason to move it. What matters is whether the plant is healthy enough for the change and whether your balcony, terrace or garden can give it the light, warmth and shelter it needs.
Outdoor weather can change quickly. Strong light, cool nights, wind, rain and direct sun on the container can all affect the plant at the same time.1 It is worth checking the spot before carrying the plant outside.
Should you put your houseplant outside?
What can a good outdoor spot offer?
Light is usually the main reason to move a houseplant outdoors. Even a sheltered balcony or shaded terrace can provide strong light for many hours of the day.
For plants that can make good use of the extra light, this may support active growth, healthy new foliage or better flowering.2 The result still depends on the plant and the spot.
A plant may eventually grow well in bright light while its current leaves are still easily damaged by strong sun. Leaves that developed indoors need time to adjust.
If your plant already gets good light indoors and is growing well, leaving it there is also a perfectly good choice.
Is your plant ready for another change?
Check the plant itself before checking the forecast.
A plant that is holding its leaves well, staying properly hydrated and growing steadily is a strong candidate for the move. Existing stress makes another change harder to manage.29
Delay the move if the plant is badly dehydrated, staying waterlogged, losing a lot of foliage, dealing with an active pest or disease problem, or recovering from serious root damage.
After repotting, judge readiness by the plant's recovery. Wait until it has settled and watering has become predictable again.26
The same applies after shipping or another stressful event. Give the plant time to recover before adding another big change.29
When leaving it indoors makes more sense
Some outdoor spaces are a poor match for the plant.
A very exposed balcony may be hard on a soft-leaved shade plant. A terrace with intense afternoon sun and nowhere sheltered may offer little for a Maranta. A spot where water collects around the pot can keep the roots wet for too long. A tall plant in a lightweight pot may be difficult to keep stable on a windy balcony.
Tropical plants that prefer warm conditions still need warm enough nights, even when the afternoons are hot.
If a plant already has an excellent indoor spot, leaving it there can preserve stable growth through summer.
Keeping a houseplant indoors can be the right summer-care choice.
Check the outdoor spot first
Before choosing where to place the plant, watch the outdoor spot through the day. Light, heat, wind and rain can change markedly within only a few metres.
How much light reaches the spot?
Does direct sun reach it? If so, does that happen in the morning, around midday or later in the afternoon? Is it brief, or does it last for several hours?
Outdoor shade can still provide strong daylight.1 A covered balcony, a place beneath a tree or a shaded terrace can work very well for plants that need protection from open sun.
Think about the whole day as well as the brightest moment. Several hours of bright shade can give a plant plenty of light, while a short burst of intense midday sun can be much harder on leaves that developed indoors.
Nearby surfaces matter too. Pale walls, large windows and paving can reflect extra light and heat into the spot.
Moving outside also changes the type of light reaching the leaves. Ordinary window glass filters much of the UV-B reaching an indoor plant. Outdoors, the leaves are exposed to UV-B as part of natural sunlight, which adds another reason for a gradual change.67
Does direct sun reach the pot?
Look at the pot separately from the leaves.
A plant can have shaded foliage while its nursery pot sits in full sun. Dark pots can heat up quickly and create a hot root zone even when the surrounding air feels moderate.8
This is especially worth checking with small pots, black nursery pots and containers sitting next to sun-heated walls or paving.
So ask two separate questions: how much sun reaches the leaves, and how much reaches the pot?
How exposed is the spot to wind?
A light breeze is usually manageable; a balcony exposed to wind all day needs more care.
Wind can make a plant lose water faster, especially in warm, dry weather. Stronger wind can also damage foliage.
Large leaves, soft fern fronds and long leaf stalks may tear, rub or bend repeatedly. Tall plants and plants growing on poles or trellises need stable pots and secure supports.
Check hanging pots too. A spot that feels sheltered near the floor may be much more exposed higher up.
What happens when it rains?
Some covered balconies receive almost no rain. Other spots get every shower.
Check whether rain can actually enter the pot and whether excess water can drain away again. Keep drainage holes open, and empty collected water so the nursery pot stays above standing water.
Also think about how often the pot gets wet. One shower may drain away quickly, while several rainy days in a row can keep the pot wet for much longer.
Many tropical plants can take rain outdoors.1 Focus on how much water reaches the pot, whether it can drain away and how quickly the plant is using that water.
How cool does the spot get overnight?
Night temperatures deserve their own check because a warm afternoon can be followed by a cool night.
Check nighttime temperatures before moving tropical plants that prefer warmth outside. Sheltered courtyards and spots close to a building may stay warmer overnight.
Can you move the plant under cover?
A plant is much easier to manage outdoors if you can move or protect it when the weather turns rough.
Think about what you would do if hail, strong wind, unusually cold nights or extreme heat were forecast.
Large plants may need more planning. Check the weight of the pot, the stability of any supports and whether you could realistically move the plant if needed.
Match your houseplant to the outdoor spot
Houseplants vary in the outdoor spots that suit them. Use these groups as starting points, then adjust for the exact plant and site.
| Outdoor spot | Representative plants | What matters most |
|---|---|---|
| Sunny after a gradual adjustment | Citrus × limon | Lemon is a true high-light container plant and is well suited to a sunny, sheltered summer position. Leaves that developed indoors still need time to adjust to stronger sun.211 |
| Bright and sheltered | Hoya carnosa, Monstera deliciosa, Epipremnum aureum, Philodendron hederaceum | Bright shelter suits this group. Hoya, Monstera and Epipremnum can adjust to brighter light, and Philodendron hederaceum suits partial shade and shelter. Introduce stronger sun gradually.13181922 |
| Bright shade with shelter | Anthurium andraeanum, Alocasia macrorrhizos | They can use plenty of light in a bright, sheltered spot.24 |
| Warm, sheltered shade | Maranta and related prayer plants, plus Nephrolepis exaltata | Warmth, shelter, enough moisture and protection from harsh sun and drying wind matter most. In swordferns, the amount of light received across the day affects growth and plant quality.1520 |
The exact plant, its health and the conditions it has been growing in still matter. Indoor-grown leaves need a gradual change before stronger sun, even in plants that can adapt to brighter conditions.34
Citrus × limon can use a sunny, sheltered outdoor position. A lemon that has spent a long time indoors still benefits from a gradual introduction to strong direct sun.211
When is the right time to move a houseplant outside?
Warm weather helps. Check the nights ahead as well as the afternoon temperature.
Check overnight temperatures
Night-temperature needs vary by species.
A plant may survive a cool night and still grow poorly if those temperatures continue.
For Maranta and related prayer plants, nights around 15 °C or warmer are a sensible starting point.1
Tropical foliage plants have species-specific temperature limits. Citrus can often stay outside through cooler weather. Sensitive tropical foliage needs a warmer starting point.
Check the temperature guidance for the plant you have and look at the nights ahead. Use the number together with the forecast and the plant's current condition.
Look at the forecast
Look for a run of warm enough nights and choose a period without a sudden temperature drop.
Choose a mild stretch of weather so the first days outside are free from a cold snap, heatwave or storm.
Avoid starting during extreme weather
If several days of intense heat, strong sun, high winds, hail or heavy rain are coming, wait for a calmer spell before starting the move.
A calmer spell makes it much easier to see how the plant is coping with its new spot.
Think about combinations of weather
Plants experience light, temperature, wind and water at the same time.
Cool weather can be harder on sensitive foliage when the light is strong.5 Hot, dry, windy weather increases water loss. A wet pot can stay wet for a long time when temperatures fall and the plant slows down.
Temperature makes more sense when you look at it together with the rest of the weather.
How to help a houseplant adjust to being outdoors
This gradual adjustment is often called acclimation. The plant's response should set the pace.134
How quickly it adjusts depends on where it was growing before, what kind of plant it is and where you eventually want to keep it.
Start somewhere more sheltered
For many tropical foliage plants, bright outdoor shade is a good first step.
This is especially important for plants that have spent months indoors. Their current leaves developed under indoor light. Even if the species can eventually grow in much brighter conditions, those leaves may still burn after a sudden move into strong sun.
Monstera is a good example. Leaves grown in shade respond differently when they suddenly receive intense light, so indoor-grown leaves need time to adjust before the plant reaches a brighter final spot.18
Increase the light gradually
Once the plant is doing well in its first outdoor spot, give it a little more exposure if that is where you ultimately want to keep it.
Where possible, avoid changing everything at once. For example, you can introduce more light while still protecting the plant from strong wind.
Watch what happens over the following days. If the leaves remain in good condition, you can gradually move the plant towards the spot where you want to keep it. If new damage appears, stop there or move it somewhere gentler.
Let the plant set the pace
A plant that is adjusting well should stay in much the same condition or start growing normally.
Existing leaves should remain healthy. Watering should become predictable, and you should be able to keep the potting mix within the moisture range that suits that plant. Bleached areas or dead patches appearing after each increase in light signal that the pace is too fast.
New growth is encouraging. Judge the whole plant by checking the older foliage as well and making sure it is staying properly hydrated.
New leaves may look a little different after the move. Monstera leaves grown in sun have been found to develop a thicker, denser structure.27
Going outdoors changes light, wind, rain, temperature swings and drying speed at the same time. A gradual move makes the change easier for the plant.
How care changes once the plant is outside
Outside, watering changes with the weather.
A pot may dry quickly during warm, windy weather, receive heavy rain the next day and then stay wet much longer when temperatures fall.
The best guide is what is actually happening inside the pot.
Check the potting mix before watering
Water-holding capacity changes how quickly a potting mix dries. Pot size, root growth and weather change that rate further.
Check how wet the mix is before watering again. Pot weight can also help once you know how the pot feels after a thorough watering and when the plant is getting ready for another drink. For a fuller method, see our houseplant watering guide.
Outdoor weather changes too quickly for a fixed watering schedule to stay reliable.
Rain can leave parts of the pot dry
Rain may wet only part of the root ball.10
When peat-based or other organic potting mixes become very dry, they can be difficult to wet evenly again. Water may run down gaps or channels and come out of the drainage holes while dry pockets remain around the roots.10
If it has rained and the plant still looks dehydrated, check the mix. Dry pockets can remain around the roots.
Repeated rain can keep the pot too wet
Several rainy days can leave the pot saturated for too long.
Roots need both water and air. When the potting mix remains completely soaked, oxygen around the roots drops and root function can decline.11
Wilting can appear in both dry and waterlogged pots. When the mix stays saturated, the roots may struggle to take up water properly.11
Let excess water drain away, and empty saucers or outer pots that leave the nursery pot standing in water.
Cool weather can slow drying
Warm-growing tropical plants often use water more slowly when temperatures fall. Low root temperatures can also reduce root water uptake.25
A pot that dried quickly during warm weather can therefore stay wet for much longer after a cool spell begins.
In cool, wet weather, the main concern is a pot that stays saturated while the plant is using very little water.
Long periods of rain can cause other problems
Repeated rain can leave leaves wet for long periods. Prolonged leaf wetness can favour some leaf diseases when the plant is susceptible.16
Heavy rain and frequent watering can wash some nutrients out of a potting mix.12 Keep feeding according to the plant's growth, root health and your usual fertiliser routine through wet spells.
Hot, dry or windy weather can make plants dry faster
Warm, dry, moving air can make a plant lose water very quickly.
A humidity reading on its own can be misleading. At a similar relative humidity, warmer air can make a plant lose water faster.23
Wind keeps replacing the moist air around the leaves, which can speed up water loss.9 Sun-exposed leaves can also become warmer than the surrounding air.24
A dark nursery pot in direct sun can create a hot root zone even when the forecast air temperature looks moderate.8
So even a plant with shaded leaves may struggle if its pot is sitting in strong sun.
On hot days, check the plant and the potting mix first. Water according to actual moisture, and shade or move a pot that is becoming very warm.
Protect plants from damaging weather
A normal breeze is usually manageable. Strong wind, hail and storms can physically damage a plant.913
Large leaves can tear or rub against nearby surfaces. Soft fern fronds can be damaged. Tall plants can become unstable, especially when they are growing on poles or trellises.
Before bad weather arrives, secure the pot and supports or move the plant under cover if you can.
Check hanging pots carefully too. They can swing strongly in exposed weather and need secure support.
Hail can bruise or break foliage.13 The damaged areas will stay marked. Healthy leaves can keep working, and the plant can grow new foliage.
If marks appear after a storm, include the recent weather in your assessment.
How to tell whether the outdoor spot is working
Look at whether the plant is staying stable, improving or getting worse.
Use several signs together.
Signs the plant is doing well
Most existing leaves should stay in much the same condition. A few older leaves may change after a big move. Ongoing new damage points to a problem.
Watering should also become easier to understand. You should start to recognise how quickly the pot dries in warm, windy, rainy and cooler weather.
New growth is encouraging. Confirm that the spot is working by checking the older foliage and the plant's hydration as well.
Leaves formed in brighter outdoor light may look a little different from indoor-grown leaves. That can be a normal response to the brighter spot.
Signs that the plant needs less exposure
If new bleached areas, pale damaged patches or dead spots appear after you give the plant more light, move it back to a gentler spot or stop increasing the exposure.
Repeated severe wilting is another reason to look more closely. First check how wet the potting mix is. Wilting can follow dry mix or soaked roots, and recent heat, wind or rain will often help explain what is going on.
A very hot pot, potting mix that stays soaked, increasing wind damage or a plant that keeps getting worse after a change in location are all reasons to reduce the exposure or change how the plant is being managed.
Wilting, yellowing, browning and leaf drop can have several causes. Check the light, weather and watering together; the pattern and recent changes will help narrow down the cause.
When to move the plant somewhere more sheltered
Move the plant when damage continues in its current spot or severe weather is on the way.
| What you notice | What to do first |
|---|---|
| Bleaching or dead patches after stronger light | Move the plant to a less exposed spot and give it time to recover. |
| Severe wilting while the potting mix is still moist | Move it somewhere gentler, then check whether the mix is staying too wet and think about the recent heat and weather. |
| The pot becomes very hot in direct sun | Shade the pot or move it. |
| The potting mix stays soaked | Protect the pot from more rain and make sure water can drain freely. |
| Strong wind, hail or a storm is forecast | Secure the plant or move it under cover. |
| You find an active pest or suspicious disease problem | Keep the plant away from the rest of the collection and identify the problem before treating it. |
Moving a plant back into shelter is part of good outdoor care and helps protect healthy foliage when conditions turn harsh.
How to bring houseplants back indoors
Bring plants inside before the weather becomes consistently too cold or otherwise unsuitable.115 An early return gives the plant an easier adjustment to indoor conditions.
Moving indoors is another big change. Light is lower, there is usually less air movement and the pot may dry much more slowly. The plant may also have picked up pests while it was outside.
Inspect the leaves and pot
Start with the leaves.
Check the tops and undersides, fresh growth, leaf stalks, nodes and stems. Look for visible insects, feeding damage and any new suspicious marks.28
Then inspect the pot.
Look around the rim, underneath the container, around the drainage holes and over the surface of the potting mix. Slugs and snails can hide beneath outdoor pots.17
Vine weevil is another outdoor-container pest worth knowing about. Fresh notches along leaf edges, especially together with unexplained wilting or decline, are a reason to check more closely for trouble around the roots.14
Also look for new spotting, soft or rotting tissue, or other changes that appeared while the plant was outside.
The aim of this check is to catch anything that needs attention before the plant goes back among the rest of your houseplants.
Check the roots when signs point below the surface
Keep a healthy root ball undisturbed. Check the roots when signs point to a problem below the surface.
Unexplained wilting, fresh notches along leaf edges, signs of a root pest or activity around the drainage holes are all reasons to look more closely. If the roots are soft, dark or collapsing, use our root rot guide for the next steps.
Deal with pests or disease before putting the plant back with the others
If you find an active problem, identify it as well as you can before choosing a treatment.
Clean the plant when that helps with the pest you found, use the appropriate treatment and keep the affected plant away from the rest of the collection while the problem is active.28 If the problem is spider mites, our spider mite guide covers inspection, treatment and follow-up.
Different pests develop at different speeds and hide in different places. Follow the treatment and checking advice for the pest you actually have, and keep looking for fresh activity before returning the plant to the rest of your plants. Keep checking the plant after it rejoins the collection as well, especially any areas where you previously found activity.28
Help the plant adjust to indoor light again
A plant that has spent weeks in brighter outdoor light has adjusted to that environment.15
Moving it back indoors can therefore be another big change.
Give it a good indoor spot and watch how it responds. It may grow more slowly indoors, and new leaves may look different in the lower light. Some older leaves may also react to the move.
Adjust watering and feeding indoors
Reset the watering routine once the plant is back inside.
Lower light, different temperatures and less air movement can make the pot dry much more slowly. Check the potting mix and water according to how quickly it now dries indoors.
Feed according to active growth and healthy roots. Wait for the plant to settle before increasing fertiliser; slower indoor growth may need less.
Quick outdoor-houseplant checklist
- Benefit and plant health: Would this plant benefit from going outside, and is it healthy enough for the move?
- Light and shelter: Does the outdoor spot have the right light and enough shelter?
- Pot heat: Does direct sun hit the pot as well as the leaves?
- Temperature and forecast: Are the nights warm enough, and is the next stretch of weather mild enough to start?
- Drainage and watering: Can rain drain freely, and can I water according to the actual moisture in the potting mix?
- Wind and bad weather: Are the plant, pot and supports stable, and can I move the plant under cover if needed?
- Adjustment: Am I increasing the light gradually and watching how the plant responds?
- Warning signs: Do I know which changes would make me pause or move the plant somewhere gentler?
- Return indoors: Can I inspect the leaves, pot and potting mix before bringing it back inside?
- Indoor care: Am I ready to adjust watering and feeding once the plant comes back indoors?
Sources and further reading
- Royal Horticultural Society. Moving houseplants outdoors for summer. RHS guidance.
- Li, T., Heuvelink, E., van Noort, F., Kromdijk, J. & Marcelis, L. F. M. (2014). Responses of two Anthurium cultivars to high daily integrals of diffuse light. Scientia Horticulturae, 179, 306–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2014.09.039.
- Adams, W. W., Osmond, C. B. & Sharkey, T. D. (1987). Responses of Two CAM Species to Different Irradiances during Growth and Susceptibility to Photoinhibition by High Light. Plant Physiology, 83(1), 213–218. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.83.1.213.
- Sims, D. A. & Pearcy, R. W. (1989). Photosynthetic characteristics of a tropical forest understory herb, Alocasia macrorrhiza, and a related crop species, Colocasia esculenta, grown in contrasting light environments. Oecologia, 79, 53–59. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378239.
- Hogewoning, S. W. & Harbinson, J. (2007). Insights on the development, kinetics, and variation of photoinhibition using chlorophyll fluorescence imaging of a chilled, variegated leaf. Journal of Experimental Botany, 58(3), 453–463. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erl219.
- Duarte, I., Rotter, A., Malvestiti, A. & Silva, M. (2009). The role of glass as a barrier against the transmission of ultraviolet radiation: an experimental study. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 25(4), 181–184. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0781.2009.00434.x.
- Krause, G. H., Grube, E., Virgo, A. & Winter, K. (2003). Sudden Exposure to Solar UV-B Radiation Reduces Net CO2 Uptake and Photosystem I Efficiency in Shade-Acclimated Tropical Tree Seedlings. Plant Physiology, 131(2), 745–752. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.014076.
- Witcher, A. L., Pickens, J. M. & Blythe, E. K. (2020). Container Type and Substrate Affect Root Zone Temperature and Growth of ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae. Horticulturae, 6(2), 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae6020022.
- Gardiner, B., Berry, P. & Moulia, B. (2016). Review: Wind impacts on plant growth, mechanics and damage. Plant Science, 245, 94–118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.plantsci.2016.01.006.
- Michel, J.-C. (2015). Wettability of Organic Growing Media Used in Horticulture: A Review. Vadose Zone Journal, 14. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2014.09.0124.
- Drew, M. C. (1997). Oxygen Deficiency and Root Metabolism: Injury and Acclimation Under Hypoxia and Anoxia. Annual Review of Plant Physiology and Plant Molecular Biology, 48, 223–250. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.arplant.48.1.223.
- Broschat, T. K. (1995). Nitrate, Phosphate, and Potassium Leaching from Container-grown Plants Fertilized by Several Methods. HortScience, 30(1), 74–77. https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.30.1.74.
- Royal Horticultural Society. Weather damage. RHS guidance.
- Royal Horticultural Society. Vine weevil. RHS guidance.
- Conover, C. A. & Poole, R. T. (1984). Acclimatization of Indoor Foliage Plants. In J. Janick (Ed.), Horticultural Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118060797.ch4.
- Rowlandson, T., Gleason, M., Sentelhas, P., Gillespie, T., Thomas, C. & Hornbuckle, B. (2015). Reconsidering Leaf Wetness Duration Determination for Plant Disease Management. Plant Disease, 99(3), 310–319. https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-05-14-0529-FE.
- Royal Horticultural Society. Jobs for October: Greenhouse, conservatory and houseplants. RHS guidance.
- Demmig, B., Winter, K., Krüger, A. & Czygan, F.-C. (1987). Photoinhibition and Zeaxanthin Formation in Intact Leaves: A Possible Role of the Xanthophyll Cycle in the Dissipation of Excess Light Energy. Plant Physiology, 84(2), 218–224. https://doi.org/10.1104/pp.84.2.218.
- Brito, C., Mantuano, D., De Toni, K. L. G. & Mantovani, A. (2025). Increasing leaf sizes of the vine Epipremnum aureum (Araceae): photosynthesis and respiration. PeerJ, 13, e19214. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.19214.
- Seltsam, L. & Owen, W. G. (2022). Photosynthetic Daily Light Integral Influences Growth, Morphology, Physiology, and Quality of Swordfern Cultivars. HortScience, 57(12). https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI16717-22.
- Royal Horticultural Society. Citrus × limon (F) — lemon. RHS plant profile.
- Royal Horticultural Society. Philodendron hederaceum. RHS plant profile.
- Koehler, T., Wankmüller, F. J. P., Sadok, W. & Carminati, A. (2023). Transpiration response to soil drying versus increasing vapor pressure deficit in crops: physical and physiological mechanisms and key plant traits. Journal of Experimental Botany, 74(16), 4789–4807. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erad221.
- Lian, X., Ji, J., Fang, J., et al. (2026). Leaf temperature and its departure from ambient air temperature. Nature Plants, 12, 1189–1202. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-026-02304-w.
- Aroca, R., Porcel, R. & Ruiz-Lozano, J. M. (2012). Regulation of root water uptake under abiotic stress conditions. Journal of Experimental Botany, 63(1), 43–57. https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/err266.
- Poni, S., Tagliavini, M., Neri, D., Scudellari, D. & Toselli, M. (1992). Influence of root pruning and water stress on growth and physiological factors of potted apple, grape, peach and pear trees. Scientia Horticulturae, 52(3), 223–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(92)90023-6.
- Díaz-Valverde, V., Avalos, G. & Quesada-Fonseca, J. (2025). Phenotypic differences in sun and shade leaves of Monstera deliciosa (Araceae). Revista de Biología Tropical, 73. https://doi.org/10.15517/rev.biol.trop..v73i1.56794.
- UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program. (2020). Houseplant Problems. UC IPM guidance.
- Jiang, Z., van Zanten, M. & Sasidharan, R. (2025). Mechanisms of plant acclimation to multiple abiotic stresses. Communications Biology, 8, 655. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08077-w.
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