I am in zone 8A & it needs afternoon shade in my yard.

zone is a bit vague.. how about big city names....

the change of the seasons is triggered by changing light levels..

plants slow down if not go dormant.. due to such.. its normal...

dormant plants do not need a lot of light ... like the leafless plum tree .... and winter plants need very little.. presuming they are in slow motion ...

i suspect you dont have anything to worry about.. based on light levels alone...

most things that enjoy heat of the day shade ... it is a watering issue.. lacking water during the hottest part of the day... and hence the shade helps...

all that said.. i dont know san jose.. and if the above changes due to san jose ...

ken

As Ken has said, the season change is upon us. That said, the position of the sun is much lower now and casts shade differently than in May, June and July. I also began planting a new flower bed in August. That area was all sun then, now the shade from the tree is casting much more shade in the area. I would go ahead and plant the coneflowers in that flowerbed. They are very hardy plants, though my experience with the hybrids has been hit and miss. The true native purple ones will grow in in sun and easily reseed themselves.

debra