A greenhouse experiment was conducted to determine the effects of medium components and shade treatment on the growth, contents of total phenolics and flavonoids, and 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of Youngia sonchifolia. Substrates combined with coco peat and perlite (ratio 70:30 or 50:50, v/v) showed higher plant length, leaf area, and fresh weight than single substrate (P<0.05). Shade treatment also significantly reduced plant height, root length, leaf areas, and fresh weight (P<0.05) with increasing of the degree. Shading treatment, however, increased contents of total phenolics [mg ferulic acid equivalents $kg^{-1}$ dry wt.] and total flavonoids [mg naringin equivalents $kg^{-1}$ dry wt.] in shoot parts of Y. sonchifoli, showing 110.2 to 119.2 and 128.3 to 146.7 mg $kg^{-1}$, respectively. The antioxidant potential of the methanol extracts from the plants dose-dependently increased DPPH free radical scavenging activity, and the activity was higher in shoots (50.2 to 80.8%) than in roots (47.7 to 49.8%), and in shading treatment than in no shade.