What Degree of Shade Falls on Your Plants?

Varying from deep shade to partial sun with many gradations, shade can be a subjective term. Plants and shrubs that do well in the shade need to be planted in the best spots of your garden to work. Part of garden planning is to study your yard and the movements of the sun upon it before making your plant and shrub selections.

Use the levels of shade described below to help you make the best selections for your shaded areas. It is important to keep in mind where you live. If a plant specifies doing well with morning shade and afternoon sun, this plant will do well very differently in northern areas compared to southern areas. The northern areas are more forgiving than the deep south where the afternoon sun can still be very hot. Your own experience with particular plants in your area will be a deciding factor. So treat these descriptions of shade as a general guide only.

Examples of deep shade are beneath evergreen trees and under decks. Deep shade is usually also a dry shade depending on the density of the trees’ needles or the distance between the planks on the deck flooring. Obviously, this is the most difficult shade site to grow plants.

Full shade is found beneath mature deciduous trees such as oaks and maples. It can also be a dry shade especially under maples depending on how many branches and leaves the tree bears when it is full. Woodland plants, in particular like spring sun and summer shade. Summer shade is provided by deciduous trees as they leaf out.

High shade is the shade beneath trees that have been limbed up exposing a rather tall trunk. This is a very desirable type of shade.

Dappled or filtered shade is a continuous shifting pattern of shade. This degree of shade is most ideal for growing shade plants. The shade here is constantly changing which is a good thing.

Light or partial shade receives full shade for at least two to three hours during mid-day. Full sun plants may still do well in such a situation since they get about five to six hours of sun during the day. Full sun is five or more hours of direct sun.

Half shade is depicted by shade falling on your plants for four to five hours with some periods of full sun and of full shade. Half shade is usually more sun than most shade plants can tolerate.

Northern exposure means that the plants or shrubs planted on the north side of walls, fences or a row of solid trees get no direct sun even though the site is open to the sky. Morning sun provides light but without the constant baking of the early afternoon sun. Remember that where you are located in latitude affects the degree of morning and afternoon sun.

Whatever your selection of shade plants ends up being, they do all the better with the proper amount of watering. To make the task of watering easier, it is best to keep your hose on a garden hose reel.

Dayelle Swensson is an avid writer for the web on a number of topics. Having gardened herself for many years, she is able to advise others about a variety of things including gardening tips, lawn and tree care, watering, hose reel and keeping your home garden looking good and healthy.