To a plant, the sun's light is not exclusively energy for photosynthesis, it also provides information about time and prevailing conditions. The plant's surroundings may dampen or filter solar energies, presenting plants with different spectral profiles of their light environment. Plants use this information to adjust form and physiology, tailoring gene expression to best match ambient conditions. Extensive literature exists on how blue, red and far-red light contribute to plant adaptive responses. A growing body of work identifies effects of green light (500-565 nm) that also shape plant biology. Green light responses are known to be either mediated through, or independent of, the cryptochrome blue light receptors. Responses to green light share a general tendency to oppose blue- or red-light-induced responses, including stem growth rate inhibition, anthocyanin accumulation and chloroplast gene expression. Recent evidence demonstrates a role for green light in sensing a shaded environment, independent from far-red shade responses.