How much light does a plant really need?

Whenever a new plant is acquired for the garden, gardeners need to keep a few
things in mind. To ensure a long, happy life for the plant, it must be hardy to
your garden's climate and it needs to receive the proper amount of sunlight.

Determining whether or not a particular plant will survive the winter cold and
summer heat is usually quite simple. The growing zone for plants is typically
listed on the plant tag if the plant has been purchased from a nursery, and
growing zone maps can be found in nearly every seed catalog or online.

But sometimes the light requirements listed on plant tags can be awfully
confusing. What is the difference between "light shade" and "filtered shade"?
And what exactly is "full sun"?

If a plant requires full sun, this means it should be planted in a spot where it
will receive no less than six hours of unshaded sunlight each day. Most
vegetable plants and many flowering plants require full sun.

Plants that require full shade should be planted where they will receive no
direct sunlight. Locate plants with full shade requirements on the north side
of your house or beneath a shade tree. Hostas, ferns and many woodland
wildflowers require full shade or filtered shade.

Filtered shade is often found beneath trees that have more open canopies.
The area is mostly shaded, but some dappled sunlight does reach the ground
beneath the trees. A plant that grows well in filtered shade will generally
perform just as well in part shade.

An area that receives four to five hours of shade daily is considered to be in
part shade. A partly shady area may receive direct sunlight in the early
morning or late afternoon, but is in full shade the remainder of the day.
A plant that typically requires full sun will survive in part shade but may
not bloom well.

If an area receives two to four hours of shade during the growing season,
this would be considered light shade. A plant that needs full sun will tolerate
light shade, especially if they are shaded during the hottest part of the day.
In particularly warm climates, full sun plants will appreciate receiving some
light shade to help them deal with the heat.