Gardening

Sun Exposure Guide

Match plants to your light conditions

Find plants suited to your garden's light conditions. Filter by full sun, partial shade, or full shade requirements to choose the right plants for each spot.

Sun Exposure Guide

Select your garden's light conditions to find plants that thrive there.

Recommended Plants

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How to Use

1
Assess your garden's light
Observe how many hours of direct sunlight each area receives. Track from morning to evening on a clear day.
2
Select a light category
Choose full sun (6+ hours), partial shade (3-6 hours), or full shade (under 3 hours) to filter plants.
3
Browse matched plants
Review species suited to your light level, with notes on heat tolerance and preferred sun timing.

About

Light is the energy source that drives photosynthesis, and matching a plant to the right amount of sunlight is one of the most critical decisions in garden design. A sun-loving lavender planted in deep shade will stretch, refuse to flower, and eventually succumb to fungal disease, while a shade-loving hosta planted in full afternoon sun will scorch, bleach, and wilt within weeks.

The Sun Exposure Guide helps you avoid these costly mismatches by organizing plants into three standard light categories used throughout the nursery industry: full sun (six or more hours of direct sunlight), partial shade (three to six hours, ideally morning sun), and full shade (fewer than three hours of direct light). For each plant, the guide notes whether it prefers morning or afternoon sun, how it performs at the boundary between categories, and whether it needs protection from intense afternoon heat in southern zones. Light needs interact with other growing conditions: a plant that demands full sun in Zone 5 may actually prefer partial shade in Zone 9 where summer temperatures regularly exceed 95 degrees. The guide flags these regional adjustments so you can make confident planting decisions regardless of where you garden.

FAQ

What counts as full sun in gardening?

Full sun means six or more hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. The hours do not need to be consecutive -- a spot that gets four hours of morning sun and three hours of afternoon sun qualifies as full sun. Most vegetables, many flowering perennials, and nearly all fruit-bearing plants require full sun to produce well. In hot southern climates, some full-sun plants benefit from afternoon shade to prevent leaf scorch.

Is morning sun or afternoon sun better for plants?

Morning sun (east-facing exposure) is gentler and less likely to scorch leaves, making it ideal for shade-tolerant and woodland plants. Afternoon sun (west-facing) is more intense and hotter, which suits heat-loving plants like tomatoes and peppers but can stress moisture-loving species. Plants labeled 'partial shade' generally prefer morning sun with afternoon protection, while 'partial sun' plants tolerate and sometimes prefer the hotter afternoon exposure.

Can full-sun plants survive in partial shade?

Most full-sun plants will survive in partial shade but with reduced performance: fewer flowers, leggier growth, and lower fruit or vegetable yields. Some adaptable species like coneflowers and black-eyed Susans tolerate light shade gracefully, while others like lavender and most herbs become weak and disease-prone without adequate sun. If your sunniest spot gets only four to five hours of direct light, look for plants described as 'full sun to part shade' in their requirements.

How do I measure sunlight hours in my garden?

The simplest method is direct observation: on a clear day near the summer solstice, check each garden area every hour from 8 AM to 6 PM and note whether it is in direct sun or shade. Mark areas as full sun (6+ hours), partial shade (3-6 hours), or full shade (under 3 hours). Remember that sun patterns change with the seasons as the sun angle shifts, so a spot in full sun in June may be in shade in December.

What grows well in full shade?

True full-shade plants (under three hours of direct sun) include hostas, ferns, astilbe, brunnera, heuchera, bleeding heart, lily of the valley, and many native woodland wildflowers. For shrubs, consider rhododendrons, azaleas, hydrangeas (especially oakleaf and smooth types), and Japanese maples. Few vegetables thrive in full shade, though lettuce, spinach, and some herbs like mint and chervil tolerate it.