Full Sun to Shade
If you are new to gardening, some terms can seem confusing. You go to the store to buy a plant, or you are researching online, and you see, “this plant needs full sun, shade, partial shade, partial sun.” This can be intimidating.
So let's discuss the differences and list a few vegetables that grow in each setting. Understanding these terms can help you skip a common problem encountered by most beginning gardeners; planting a sun-loving plant in the shade or a shade-loving plant in the sun. The amount of light available to the plant directly relates to the plant's ability to produce food through photosynthesis, which in turn impacts its health and vigor.
Full sun
Full sun is described as 6 or more hours of direct sunshine. There is a catch, all of this sunshine does not have to be received in a continuous setting. For example, a plant could receive 2 hours of morning sunshine, from 8-10am followed by shade from 10am- 1pm and then direct sun from 1pm until sunset at 7pm. Even though the 6+ hours of sun is interrupted by a shaded period, the plant still received more than 6 hours of direct sun.
With plants that love full sun, it is impossible for them to obtain too much sun exposure. Honestly, the more, the better, some of these vegetables like tomatoes, want more than 8 hours of direct exposure.
Plants that thrive in full sun
Tomatoes
Peppers
Eggplants
Cucumbers
Squash
Peas
Beans
Corn
Daisies
Dahlias
Cosmos
Partial Sun
Depending on who you ask partial sun and partial shade are interchangeable. For the sake of this post, I will differentiate between the two.
Partial sun is described as an area that receives 4-6 hours of sunlight a day. Just like with full sun, this does not have to be continuous.
Plants that thrive in partial sun
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Radish
Peas
Parsnips
Broccoli
Asparagus
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Cauliflower
Rhubarb
Bok Choy
Garlic
Celery
Chinese Cabbage
Kale
Horseradish
Kohlrabi
Partial Shade
Partial shade is an area that receives between 2-4 hours of direct sunlight a day. They also receive filtered light through the day. So imagine plants growing on a forest floor underneath the canopy of the trees. These plants receive light, yes, but it is being blocked and filtered by the leaves and branches of the trees. These shaded areas create their own microclimate.
Plants that thrive in partial shade
Lettuce
Kale
Arugula
Mustards
Collards
Spinach
Swiss Chard
Mizuna
Leeks
Bok Choy
Shade
The shade is an area that receives less than 2 hours of direct sunlight a day. I do not recommend any vegetables for the completely shaded area, but there are still plants that thrive in these conditions. Plants that prefer these conditions usually have thin, broad leaves; the broadness of the leaves a greater surface area to absorb whatever sunlight makes it through. These plants are typically damaged by receiving too much sun exposure. Due to the characteristics, some ground covers fall into this category.
Do not let the fact that these plants prefer shade fool you, they are still able to produce stunning colors throughout the seasons. You will notice that there are no vegetables on this list. That is because vegetables will not thrive in these conditions
Plants that thrive in the shade
Wild Ginger
Dogwood
American Holly
Plumbago
Lenten Rose
Dead Nettle
Coral Bells
Astilbe
Foxglove
Hydrangea
Persian Shield
Hosta