This study was carried out to obtain fundamental information on the proper growing condition of foliage plants in interior environments. Six kinds of foliage plants, Ceropegia woodii, Begonia semperflorens, Fittonia verschaffeltii argyroneura, Pilea cadieri, Saintpaulia ionantha, and Perperomia obtusifolia, were grown during three months in five indoor sites where the light intensities were remarkably different.
The maximum light intensities of the side of south-window and north-window were 10,000∼6,700 lux, the sites farthest from south-window and north-window 900∼340 lux, and the western veranda 155,000 lux.
All the six kinds of foliage plants grown in the side of window had maximum average leaf area and those grown in the sites farthest from window had minimum average leaf area except Ceropegia and Fittonia.
The leaves of 4 kinds of foliage plants grown in western veranda except Ceropegia and Fittonia had one layer of the longest and the most compact palisade cells with most chloroplasts and in the sites farthest from window poorly developed and thinnest palisade layer with greatest proportion of intercellular space in the spongy parenchyma. The palisade cells of leaves in the side of window were thicker and shorter than those of western veranda.
Begonia in western veranda and in the side of window had same thickness of palisade cells. Whereas Fittonia grown in the side of window showed the thickest and longest palisade parenchyma and spongy parenchyma.
Although the leaves of Ceropegia grown in western veranda showed compact and regular mesophyll cells like CAM plants, in the side of window and in the sites farthest from window had thinner and more widely spaced cells with chloroplasts dispersed throughout the mesophyll cells. Peperomia showed multiple epidermis.
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