North-facing balconies have a reputation as the shady, difficult aspect, and that reputation comes from gardening advice written for London and Hamburg. In the UAE the same aspect gets far more usable light. This guide explains why, sets out when a north balcony here gets direct sun, lists the plants that suit it and the ones that don't, and covers care through the year.
Why a UAE north balcony gets more light than a European one
A north-facing balcony gets most of its light from the open sky and from sunlit surfaces opposite it. At Dubai's latitude of 25°N the winter noon sun stands about 41° high, against about 15° in London, so the street, paving and buildings facing a UAE north balcony are lit far harder and bounce more light back.
The totals show the gap. A flat surface in Dubai receives roughly twice the solar energy over a year that the same surface in London receives. Part of that arrives as direct sun, and a large share as bright diffuse light scattered by the dust haze that sits over the Gulf coast.
Building colour adds to it. The beige, sand and white facades common across UAE towers act as reflectors facing straight into north balconies across the street. A European north balcony, facing brick or grey render under a low winter sun, gets a small fraction of that.
The practical result is measurable with a phone light meter. Held facing out from a UAE north balcony at noon in January, it commonly reads 8,000 to 15,000 lux. A London north balcony in December reads under 3,000 on most days. The first figure is bright shade, the level shade-loving garden plants grow well in.
How much direct sun a north balcony gets in the UAE
From late March to late September a UAE north balcony gets direct sun in the early morning and late afternoon, because the summer sun rises north of east and sets north of west. At the June solstice it rises about 26° north of due east over Dubai, and it sets the same distance north of west.
The slab of the balcony above blocks the sun once it climbs, so direct rays reach the plants only while the sun is low. In practice that's the first 2 hours or so after sunrise and the last 2 before sunset, the gentlest sun of the day.
From October to March a north balcony gets no direct sun at all. That's the season when every other aspect is at its most pleasant too, so the north balcony trades winter sun for summer protection. It's the one outdoor space in the building where soft foliage plants can get through July.
Plants that suit a north balcony
Plants that want bright shade and no midday sun do well on a UAE north balcony. Eight reliable choices are lady palm, Philodendron 'Xanadu', Monstera deliciosa, ZZ plant, foxtail fern, aglaonema, spider plant and, from October to April, begonias for colour.
- Lady palm, Rhapis excelsa, grows slowly to 1.5 m in a large pot and keeps its dark green fans in shade.
- Philodendron 'Xanadu' makes a dense 1 m clump of deeply lobed leaves.
- Monstera deliciosa grows faster outdoors in humid shade than it does indoors.
- ZZ plant takes the summer heat on a north balcony as long as the pot never sits in water.
- Foxtail fern, Asparagus densiflorus 'Myersii', sends up upright plumes that handle heat better than true ferns.
- Aglaonema colours up well in outdoor bright shade.
- Spider plant fills hanging pots and throws runners over the rail.
- Begonias give flowers through the cool months and go over when the heat arrives in May.
Mix one tall anchor, such as the lady palm, with lower foliage in front. The balcony reads as a planted room, and the taller plant shades the pots behind it during the early summer sun.
Plants that sulk on a north balcony
Plants that need 6 or more hours of direct sun to flower sulk on a north balcony. Bougainvillea, hibiscus, frangipani and desert rose grow leaves there but give few flowers. Cacti and sun-loving succulents stretch and pale within a season.
None of these die outright. They just never look the way they do on a sunny wall. A bougainvillea on a north balcony produces long green shoots and a handful of bracts in spring. Culinary herbs do slightly better, since mint and parsley manage with bright shade, but basil stays thin.
Caring for a north balcony through the year
A north balcony needs less summer watering than any other aspect, since no midday sun reaches the pots. From June to September, check pots under 30 cm every 2 days and water when the top 3 cm are dry. From October to May, once or twice a week is enough.
October and November are the planting months. Plants set out then have 7 cool months to root in before the humid heat of July. Summer humidity on the coast suits the tropical foliage here, and the lack of direct sun keeps leaf temperatures down.
Wind is the one thing aspect doesn't change. A north balcony on a high floor still takes the shamal from the north-west side-on. For shade and part shade species that suit this aspect, the outdoor plants collection is the place to compare heights and pot sizes before planning the balcony.
FAQ
North balcony owners in the UAE usually expect bad news, and the answers below mostly deliver the opposite. The questions cover how much light the aspect really gets and which plants belong there, plus one on flowering.
How much light does a north-facing balcony get in the UAE?
A north-facing balcony in the UAE gets bright shade all year, reading around 8,000 to 15,000 lux at noon in winter, plus 2 hours or so of low direct sun at each end of the day from late March to late September. That's more usable light than a north balcony in Europe.
What plants suit a north balcony?
Lady palm, Philodendron 'Xanadu', Monstera deliciosa, ZZ plant, foxtail fern, aglaonema and spider plant all suit a UAE north balcony. Begonias add colour from October to April. Avoid plants that need 6 hours of direct sun to flower.
Can flowering plants grow on a north balcony?
Yes, but only shade-flowering types. Begonias and impatiens flower well there from October to April. Sun-flowering shrubs such as bougainvillea and hibiscus grow on a north balcony but produce few flowers, because they need 6 or more hours of direct sun.