John I've also heard of people who grow some orchids in a north window with success. It is weird. Again, it's so hard to give a definitive answer to some of these light questions without actually seeing the growing area.

One entire side of my house faces north and yet I am able to grow and bloom things outside that I theoretically shouldn't be able to do because of the exposure.

In my situation, there is a very large, white stucco house across the street. That surface faces south and reflects a ton of very bright light back across the street to my shade garden. So even though it is a northern exposure, it does receive a lot of extra light.

All these variables can drive one nuts.