For gardening needs why is “shade” different from “sun” when the items in shade are also visible/lit? For plants that require “sun” would it be better if they are in direct sunlight without warmth versus in shade with warmth? What does direct sunlight provide that shade cannot during the day?

Question

For gardening needs why is “shade” different from “sun” when the items in shade are also visible/lit? For plants that require “sun” would it be better if they are in direct sunlight without warmth versus in shade with warmth? What does direct sunlight provide that shade cannot during the day?

In: 1

Answer 1

I would never say “better” because certain plants prefer shade to direct sunlight and also vice versa.

But basically, more sun means more light to produce energy with at the cost of needing to spend more resources to block UV radiation (plants also don’t want to get a sunburn) and water loss.

So it depends on where the plant evolved for what they prefer. Plants that evolved in the desert might prefer drier and sunny conditions so when you transplant them out of their native environment to your backyard, you need to imitate their native environment.