Shade influences every ecosystem. Where it is scarce, some vegetation adapts to harsh exposure to sunlight. Some develops glaucous foliar color to reflect some of the sunlight.

Some develops tomentum, or foliar fuzz, to shade its foliar surfaces below.

Where shade is abundant, understory vegetation adapts as efficiently. Essentially, it is made for shade.

Understory vegetation naturally grows beneath larger trees and shrubbery. It is therefore more tolerant of partial shade. Some tolerates significant shade.

Ferns that inhabit forest floors beneath shady redwood trees are notable examples. So are most houseplants that originated from tropical rainforest. Naturally, most live in the shade of bigger forest trees.

Not all understory vegetation is diminutive. Some Japanese maple trees can

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