The Urban Permaculture Farm Magazine

Why is it that all plants, grass seed, shrubs and trees are classified in the garden center by their sunlight needs.? We've all seen the signs - Full Shade, Part Sun, etc, but what exactly do these different light classifications mean and why are they so important? The sunlight needs of any plant depend on where it's originally from, what it does, and how it reproduces.

Here are the four best ways to classify plants, based simply on hours of sunlight received in one day.

Full shade 0-2 hours direct sun
Part shade 2-4 hours direct sun
Part sun 4-6 hours direct sun
Full sun 6-8 hours direct sun

Let's talk about full shade. It's true that fewer plants will grow here than in full sun, but you can still find beautiful options for this area as well. Think woodland. Plants that are happy here are usually the ones that decorate the floor of a forest underneath huge trees, so they are used to getting little, if any, direct sunlight. Ask your local garden center for suggestions for this sunlight condition and you may be happily surprised at how many choices there are.

Part shade can be confusing. There's definitely more options available than in full shade, but don't whip out the daisies just yet. What this category likes is a little bit of sun but enough shade to keep it mostly cool and moist. Most part-shade lovers will make a flower, usually a small or delicate one, but still very pretty.

You can start to think seriously about flowers with part-sun. Although they will almost always take more sun, many flowering plants will bloom quite well in part-sun. From daylilies to daffodils, you will be able to plant a lot of varieties of perennial, as well as shrubs like roses, with good success.

Full sun is the grand Poobah of all categories, allowing the widest range of choices for most flowering plants, vegetable s and herbs. All vegetables need a lot of sun to produce-there's a lot of work that goes into making a tomato or green bean or cucumber, and it's all powered by the sun, via photosynthesis. This is also the best option for traditional plants like roses, peonies, sunflowers, daisies and poppies.

What you need to always remember is that sunlight is absolutely the first consideration when choosing plants. You cannot fudge this area and have great results. If you put a full sun plant in part-shade you will grow a lot of wimpy looking foliage but not the flower you want. A full shade plant in full sun will probably do even worse by simply withering up and dying. Choosing plants that are right for your sunlight is always the best place to start.

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