A better understanding of each of these factors and how they affect plant growth should help even the brownest thumb to have better luck with indoor foliage. One of the most misunderstood aspects of growing houseplants is light. Sunlight is the source of light in nature. Each color has a specific wavelength. We don't realize it, but sunlight is much brighter and has a broader range of wavelengths than our artificial light sources.
Incandescent bulbs produce a large quantity of red and far-red light.
It is the far-red light that causes light bulbs to get hot. The primary colors used by the plant are the blue and red wavelengths. The same effect can be accomplished by using both incandescent and fluorescent bulbs in the same room. Plants don't absorb the green wavelengths. Green is reflected back allowing our eyes to see the plant leaf as green.