​

Sunlight Requirements for Plants

​*Full sun - more than 6 hours of direct sun per day, ***including some midday afternoon sun***

*Part sun - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, ***including some midday afternoon sun***

*Part shade - 4 to 6 hours of direct sun per day, morning or evening ***No midday afternoon sun***

*Full shade - less than 4 hours of direct sun per day, preferably in the morning  ***No midday afternoon sun***

What is Full Sun?

Full sun is defined as more than six hours of direct sun per day. If you live where there are few trees, your garden may not see any shade at all during the day. Maybe your plants face South and have nothing obstructing the sun from mid-morning until early evening. Any amount of sun greater than six hours is considered full sun.

What is Part Sun?

​

Part sun is defined as four to six hours of direct sun per day. Not all those hours need to be accrued consecutively—it could mean a few hours of morning sun plus a few more in the afternoon. When a plant prefers part sun, although it does not need to be in direct sun all day, it will grow and bloom best with at least some of those hours being in the afternoon. These plants need some heat and intense sun exposure in order to produce flowers and new growth.

​

​

What is Part Shade?

 

​Part shade is also defined as four to six hours of direct sun per day, which should come in the morning, late afternoon and evening hours when the sun’s rays are less intense. We say that plants which prefer part shade enjoy “cool sun”, meaning direct sun in the morning or evening and protection from the hot midday sun.

​

 

What is Full Shade?

 

​Full shade is defined as less than four hours of direct sun per day. Notice we didn’t say zero hours of direct sun—that would be dense shade which is the darkest of all light levels where few plants can survive. Full shade loving plants enjoy a few hours of sun each day, preferably in the morning.

​