Gardening 101: Part Sun? Part Shade? What Does it all Mean?

For many plant shoppers reading labels can be a little confusing. Knowing what to look for and understanding garden jargon will save you time, money and stress.

The most confusion comes from how much sun a plant will need. The following should help shed some light on what it all means…

Full Sun means the plant will need a minimum of 6 hours for direct sunlight.

Partial Sun or Partial Shade means they require between 3 – 6 hours of sun per day. Partial Sun usually infers the plant does well with more sun than shade and vice versa.

You may also run into another description where a plant is labeled something like, part shade to full sun.This would mean the plant can handle a wide variety of conditions when it comes to sun. Although, most plants labeled like this will be more floriferous or their foliage will be brighter with more sun.

Filtered Sun means the plant does well beneath the canopy of a loosely leafed deciduous tree that offers some light to penetrate. Many plants labeled partial sun or shade will do well here depending on the amount of light available to them.

Full Shade means the plant should grow in places with less than 3 hours of direct sun per day. Most species require at least some additional hours of filtered sun.

Understanding garden terminology will answer many of your questions. See our quick glossary of termsfor easier shopping!