• Woodland clearings play home to plants that thrive in the sun.forest image by Jaroslav Pohl from Fotolia.com
  
  The majority of woodland plant varieties require at least partial shade to grow because most of the sunlight in this setting gets filtered out by the canopy of trees. Many species, however, survive and even thrive in the full sun of clearings, wildfire damage and meadows.
  
  

Black-eyed Susan

• Black-eyed SusansBee on a black eyed susan flower image by Steve Johnson from Fotolia.com
  
  The black-eyed Susan is a flower variety that is also known the by the names gloriosa daisy or yellow ox-eye daisy. This is a woodland flower that is commonly found in clearings, meadows and other areas with unobstructed sun. It is a perennial that reaches an average height of 18 to 24 inches. This flower can be found in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 10. It thrives in full sun although it can tolerate some shade. The black-eyed Susan blooms from mid-summer to early fall. The flowers are vibrant yellow and attract butterflies as well as birds. It should be noted that black-eyed susan leaves and flower parts are poisionous to humans if eaten. For this reason, this flower is resistant to deer and rabbits. They are also drought resistant and overwatering can be detrimental to the plant's health.
  
  

Roundleaf Dogwood

• The roundleaf dogwood is a woodland shrub that survives best in full sun. It is also known by the scientific name Cornus rugosa. It can be cultivated in USDA hardiness zones 3 through 7. The plant reaches an average height of 8 to 10 feet. It blooms white or near white flowers from late spring to early summer. The roundleaf dogwood can be propagated from hardwood cuttings or from seeds, which can be harvested by allowing the fruit to ripen and then cleaning and drying the seed inside. The flowers on this plant are attractive to birds, bees and butterflies.
  
  

Morning Glories

• A morning glorymorning glory image by JLycke from Fotolia.com
  
  The morning glory is a climbing vine that can grow up to 12 feet. It is a woodland plant that grows so that all of its leaves and flowers face the sun. The plant is an annual that prefers full sun. It blooms from mid-summer into early fall. The flowers can be white, violet, scarlet, pink or red. This plant is self-sowing and will sprout seedlings next season unless you remove the dead flowers. It can be propagated by growing from seeds. To collect seeds from your current plants, first allow the seed pods to dry while still on the plant and then break the open to harvest the seeds. The flowers of this plant attract bees, butterflies and birds.