Plant foliage is beautiful to look at, and even more wonderful when you consider the work it does to keep plants healthy and well fed. At the risk of presenting a dissertation on photosynthesis, we'll stick to the basics to present an explanation of how sunlight can effect and damage foliage.
Plants that require full sun can be sunburned! Plants that require full shade can be killed by even a small amount of sunlight.
This is because leaves are structured, or specialized, by species to absorb specific amounts of light to provide adequate nutrition for the plant's survival. Woodland plants, for example, have adapted to their environmental niche by developing the ability to photosynthesize adequate nutrients from very little sunlight. By the same token, plants that require full sun are set up to protect themselves from the strong, damaging rays of the sun, while still being able to use a certain amount for survival.
Therefore, when a plant that is structured to receive full sun is placed in a fully or almost fully shaded area, it's own protective mechanisms prevent it from taking in enough sunlight to survive. And when a plant that is developed for shade is placed in full sunlight, those unprotected cells which are poised to search out little bits of light from any possible source are inundated and overcome by the full blast of sunlight - cooked...
Plants that are adaptable to almost any lighting situation, or at leaset to one end of the spectrum of the other, will require a period of adjustment. Not only do they need to get their roots established to provide adequate moisture to the foliage, but the very leaves themselves must become adapted to the particular lighting of the place they will call home. Gardeners can help plants during this difficult time by providing adequate water (without overwatering - another topic!), and sometimes even temporary shading with a chair or draped sheet - especially useful to those diehards who are driven to keep planting even during the harshest hot weather months.
Use the information below to determine which light category your area fits into. Remember that one end of a short bed can be completely different from the other, depending on the direction and the amount and positioning of surrounding structures and trees. You might go from full shade to full sun, with everything in between. Some of the plants have been labeled differently than other sources might list them - VVN gardens have proven some plants to be more tolerant that they officially should be, but soil, moisture and other factors can all combine to effect success and failure. In other words, nothing is 100%, but we'll do our best to direct you to things tried and true, and to help you experiment when you're ready to try something new.
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Full sun means there is no protection from sunlight at any time of the day. This is the harshest place for plants to survive during the hot summer months. Success can be found with the use of native prairie wildflowers and their kin. These plants have evolved to survive heat, drought, poor soil, wind and direct sunlight. There are many cultivated varieties of these plants which retain the hardiness needed to survive this lighting category. Plants listed in this category can sometimes tolerate up to a couple of hours of shade during high summer, and would be an acceptable choice for a west side of the house planting, where the morning is shaded and the afternoon receives hot afternoon sun. |
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Plants under this category need sunlight to be happy, but usually will benefit from some relief. Generally, the sunny end of the spectrum is considered to be no less than five hours of sunlight each day. While plants in this category may survive quite well with less than five hours per day, flowering may be signifigantly effected. Plants in this category would do well on a south, west or east side of the house planting, but will benefit from protection from hot afternoon sun. |
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Plants listed specifically in this category are few, as it seems most plants favor the sunny or shady end of the spectrum, rather than being strictly limited to the middle ground. These plants recoil from most direct sunlight (limit it to early to mid-morning) but require some dappled light to survive. |
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Plants in this category generally prefer the shady end of the light spectrum, and can be damaged by too much direct sunlight. Any more than three to four hours of direct light could cause serious damage, and hot afternoon sun should definitely be avoided. Use these plants on the north and east side of the house. |
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Full shade indicates a densely covered area receiving at best only a light dappling of sunlight through tree foliage, or indirect light bending around a corner. Few flowering things things do well in these circumstances, while many more subtle foliage plants will thrive. Fully shaded gardens can be modeled after nature, with an eye towards woodland understory growth. Ferns, hostas, soloman's seal, astilbes, climbing hydrangea, virginia creeper, ajugas, lenton rose, bleeding heart, and coral bells are a few that can perform quite well in this circumstance. Plants listed with this label cannot tolerate anything more than full shade, and should be used on north-facing plantings or under thick protective tree and shrub growth, or some other protection. |
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Plants in this category are just fun-loving, adaptable species that are willing to grow wherever life takes them. Be aware, however, that survival doesn't necessarily mean gorgeous or thriving! While a plant may continue to live in full, hot sun, for example, it may not grow lushly, or spread (in the case of groundcovers) as well as it would with a small amount of afternoon shade. This may be acceptable where spring and fall conditions allow adequate periods for healthy growth. |
It is important to be aware that light situations can changed depending on time of year. The best way to ascertain your lighting is to simply watch the area and make notes during the course of the year. Areas that change drastically should be planted with species that cross over from full to partial shade or sun, or those that can grow well in either extreme.
Another thing to be aware of is the prospect for planting small shade gardens beneath large shrubs centered in full sun beds. Gardeners can achieve quite a diversity by creating shade with their sun loving, taller specimens.