Shade explained

For the most success in shade, choose plants that do best in the various types your garden receives during the day. Use these definitions to better understand different areas and then let them guide you at the garden center, as you check plant tags.

Light shade This is an area that’s completely shaded for two to four hours during the heat of the day (between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.).

Filtered shade A space like this may seem completely shaded all day, but sunlight still makes it through tree branches or an arbor.

Part shade A part-shade garden receives four to five hours of shade. This may be where trees are planted close together or where a tall wall blocks the sun for a longer time.

Full shade These spaces, like you might find under a group of trees with a multi-story canopy or beneath a building overhang, are shaded all day. But there’s still some reflected light from nearby sunny areas.

Dense shade These are the darkest areas, with day-long shade and no reflected light. You might find this under a very dense, low-branched tree or in a narrow space between two very tall buildings.