The dense canopy of a shade tree provides a cool hideaway on a hot summer day.
What it doesn’t provide is enough light for grass and many flowers to grow, but don’t get discouraged! With these plants, you can have your shade and garden too.
Keep in mind that many shade-loving plants will not have the same large blooms that sun-lovers generally have.
Add interest by combining different foliage textures and colors. Most varieties do best with filtered/dappled light, those marked with an asterisk (*) will handle dense shade, though they may not bloom as much.
Perennials
Annuals
Begonia, Novelty
Begonia, Traditional Bedding
Begonia, Tuberous
Browallia
Caladium
Coleus, Shade Varieties
Fern, Boston
Fern, Kimberly Queen (Can also take Sun)
Fuchsia
Hypoestes (Polka Dot Plant)
Impatiens, New Guinea
Impatiens, Traditional Bedding
Purple Spiderwort (T. zebrinus)
Streptocarpus (Streptocarpella)
Torenia (Wishbone Flower)
Hellebore
The first to bloom in spring. Blooms range from white to near-black.
Perennials
Acorus (Sweet Flag Grass)*
Aruncus
Astilbe*
Bergenia*
Brunnera*
Carex (Sedge)
Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)*
Epimedium (Barrenwort)*
Helleborus*
Heuchera (Coral Bells)
Heucherella (Foamy Bells)
Hosta*
Ligularia*
Perennial Ferns*
Polemonium (Jacob’s Ladder)*
Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal)*
Pulmonaria (Lungwort)*
Tiarella (Foamflower)
Tradescantia (Spiderwort)
Tricyrtis (Toad Lily)*
Shrubs
Many of the listed shrubs prefer to receive some sun during the day, or filtered light. When planted in dense shade, they may grow slower than usual.
Azalea
Boxwood
Dogwood, select varieties
Fothergilla
Hamamelis (Witch Hazel)
Holly, select varieties
Hydrangea (needs some sun to bloom)
Itea (Sweetspire)*
Japanese Maple
Kerria japonica*
Nandina*
Pieris japonica*
Rhododendron
Serviceberry
Viburnum, some varieties
Wintergreen (Gaultheria)*
Yew*
Ground Covers
Aegopodium (Snow-on-the-Mountain)*
Ajuga (Bugleweed)
Boston Ivy
Convallaria (Lily of the Valley)*
English Ivy
Galium (Sweet Woodruff)*
Lamium (Deadnettle)*
Liriope
Lysimachia (Creeping Jenny)
Pachysandra*
Vinca Minor (Myrtle)*
Resources
American Hosta Society
americanhostasociety.org
Perennial Plant Association
perennialplant.org
Perennial Resource
perennialresource.com
Missouri Botanical Gardens Plant Finder
missouribotanicalgarden.org
Click on “Plant Finder” under the “Gardens and Gardening” tab
