What Is Part Shade for Planting?

Impatiens grow best in part sun.

When you buy plants at the garden center, you'll notice that the plant pokes show the light requirement for the plant. But what exactly is part shade or part sun, and how do they differ from each other?

Terms

The four most common light requirement definitions are full shade, part shade, part sun and full sun. Sometimes the light requirements are shown by a symbol rather than the words, so it's important to know what the symbols mean as well.

Full Shade

Full shade describes an area that receives no more than two hours of sun per day. Its symbol is a solid circle.

Part Shade

Symbolized by a half-solid circle, part shade means an area that receives between two and four hours of sun per day.

Part Sun

Part sun indicates between four and six hours of sun per day. The symbol is a half-solid sun.

Full Sun

Full sun is anything more than six hours of sun per day and it's depicted as a solid sun.

Considerations and Identification

Some plants grow well in more than one light environment. All tolerated light requirements will be listed in the description. Use a light meter to help identify what your garden's light environment is and choose plants accordingly.

References

• Learn2Grow: Shedding Light on Gardening Success
• University of Illinois Extension: Stepping Stones to Perennial Garden Design: Site Assessment

Resources

• University of Illinois Extension: Stepping Stones to Perennial Garden Design