It's a fact that most plants do best if they grow in a sunny location, and this is especially true of vegetables. Most species of edible vegetables need at least 6 hours of daily sun to really produce at optimal levels. This is not a universal rule, however.

As a basic rule of thumb, vegetables that are grown for their fruit or roots—such as tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, squash, potatoes, or carrots—require full sun, which is defined as a garden location that receives at least six hours of direct sun each day. But vegetables that are grown for the leaves, stems, or buds often do quite well without full sun. A good number of vegetables can produce nicely with three to six hours of sunlight per day, or with constant dappled sunlight for the entire day.

Keep in mind, though, that no vegetables can thrive in deep, dense shade. While ornamental gardeners have a few choices for plants to grow in full shade, that's not the case with vegetable gardeners.

Here are 16 edible plants that will produce well if they receive three to six hours of direct sunlight each day, or constant dappled light for the full day.