Light and exposure

How much light the plant wants, outdoors or in.

Full sun

At least 6 hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight during the growing season.

Typical spot: South-facing spot, or an open bed with nothing overhead or to the south casting shade.

For example: most flowering perennials, roses, lavender, salvia

Part shade

Roughly 3–6 hours of direct sun a day, or all-day bright, dappled light without harsh direct sun.

Typical spot: Under the edge of a tree canopy, or a bed that gets morning or evening sun but is shaded at midday.

For example: hellebores, hydrangeas, most ferns

Shade

Less than 3 hours of direct sun a day, including deep shade under dense tree canopy or against a north-facing wall.

Typical spot: North-facing beds, dense tree cover.

For example: ivy, skimmia, many ferns

Bright indirect light

Indoors: plenty of daylight all day but little or no direct sun on the leaves — near a bright window, out of the beam of hot midday or afternoon sun through the glass.

Typical spot: A metre or two back from a south- or west-facing window, beside it rather than in it, or close to an east-facing window where only soft morning sun reaches the plant.

For example: monstera, peace lily, calathea, most ferns grown indoors

What aspect changes

SouthGets the most sun through the day and the most heat — the warmest, brightest aspect, but also the first to dry out and the site most likely to scorch tender new growth in a heatwave.

NorthGets the least direct sun and stays coolest — genuinely useful for shade-tolerant plants and for anything that resents hot afternoon sun.

EastGets morning sun — gentler and cooler than afternoon sun, but notoriously risky for frost-sensitive flower buds and new growth, since rapid thawing in direct morning sun after a cold night causes more damage than a slow thaw in shade.

WestGets afternoon and evening sun — often the hottest exposure in high summer, since it catches the sun through the warmest part of the day.