Choose plants for a specific light and space

You have a spot and want things that will actually live in it.

Recommend plants for the exact spot I describe.

First, translate my description into a light level in proper terms: full sun, partial shade, bright indirect, low light, and roughly how many hours of direct sun. Tell me if my description is too vague to work from and what to observe over a day.

Then give me six to eight candidates as a table:
- Name (common and botanical)
- Mature size, not nursery size
- Why it suits this spot specifically
- How much it will forgive me, on a scale from tough to fussy
- Anything that rules it out for some households: toxicity to pets, invasive habit, allergenic pollen

Rules: no plant that merely tolerates these conditions while looking miserable. Say which ones will actually thrive. Pick a top recommendation and a second choice, and say what you would not buy for this spot even though shops sell it for it.

The spot:
Indoors or out, and where I am:
How much attention I will realistically give:

Choosing plants. Matching plants to your light, your climate and the small print on the label before you buy.