Do Shadows Affect the Growth of a Plant?

Why Plants Need Light

• Light is one of the major needs that plants possess. Without sufficient light, they will not grow to their full potential and will not be healthy. Many plants, such as the common tomato, need many hours of direct sunlight every day. Others, such as orchids, prefer bright indirect light. All plants use light to produce food by converting carbon dioxide and water into sugars through photosynthesis. Plants utilize two molecules to produce sugars, but those molecules must first become supercharged. Sunlight causes this to happen.

Low Light Plants

• When we look at plants that are able to grow in the deeply shaded understory of a rainforest, we see only ferns, algae and fungi such as mushrooms. These are the few plants that can survive in the shadows of large trees. They grow without much light and would be harmed if the light were to become intense. If you want to grow plants inside your dark home or in a heavily shaded yard, some plants perform well in darker areas including dracaenas, philodendrons, pothos, ti and snake plant.

Effect of Heavy Shadows

• When large trees, or even buildings, cast heavy shade on sun-loving plants, they become leggy, or tall and spindly, as they reach for the light. They are unable to produce the food they need to survive because the light is insufficient. They can lose their leaves and might become susceptible to insect or disease attacks due to their weakness. On the other hand, a fern or other low light plant will thrive under the same conditions.

What Plants Need

• When plants are forced to grow in environments with smog or other pollution, they suffer. Soil is essential for most plants because they take water and minerals from it. Water is important for plants to survive, although some, such as cacti, can survive with very little. Space is the final environmental need of plants; small plants need less space than large trees. If a plant must compete for space with weeds or other plants, it will remain small or stunted and may even die.