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Top Plants For Shade

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

Acorus with vibrant yellow and green variegated grass-like foliage

Acorus*

Heart-shaped silver Brunnera leaves with dark green veining

Brunnera*

Helleborus*

Ligularia with bold green foliage and tall yellow flower spikes in a shade garden

Ligularia*

Pulmonaria with spotted leaves and pink and blue bell-shaped flowers

Pulmonaria*

Aruncus

Variegated Carex sedge with arching green and cream-bladed foliage

Carex (Sedge)

Heuchera

Perennial Ferns*

Tiarella plant with white flower spikes and green foliage marked with burgundy

Tiarella

Astilbe*

Pink heart-shaped Dicentra flowers hanging over bright chartreuse foliage

Dicentra*

Heucherella

Polemonium Jacob’s Ladder with clusters of lavender-blue flowers and fern-like foliage

Polemonium*

Tradescantia

Bergenia in bloom with clusters of pink flowers and bold green foliage in a decorative pot

Bergenia*

Delicate pink Epimedium Barrenwort flowers with heart-shaped leaves

Epimedium*

Large blue-green Hosta leaves with rippled edges in a shaded garden

Hosta*

Polygonatum*

Tricyrtis*

Annuals

Usually bloom best with some morning sunlight or filtered light. May not bloom in complete shade.

Double-flowered pink begonias with soft yellow centers

Begonia

Boston Fern

Close-up of Beacon Bright Red Impatiens flower with dark green leaves

Impatiens

Browallia

Kimberly Queen Fern

Purple Spiderwort

Caladium

Fuchsia

Streptocarpus

Coleus

Hypoestes

Torenia

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

Hamamelis

Japanese Maple

Rhododendron

Yew

Green Velvet Boxwood shrubs in a neatly rounded, dense formation

Boxwood

Holly

Japanese Kerria shrub with bright yellow flowers and lush green foliage

Kerria Japonica*

Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry Tree with white spring blossoms

Serviceberry

Variegated gray-green leaves with ivory margins on Wolf Eyes Dogwood

Dogwood

Endless Summer Hydrangea with large pink, blue, and purple blooms in full flower

Hydrangea

Nandina*

Korean Spice Viburnum shrub with clusters of fragrant white blooms and green foliage

Viburnum

Fothergilla shrub with white bottlebrush blooms and green foliage in spring garden bed

Fothergilla

Itea* (Sweetspire)

Spirea

Pieris Japonica*

Wintergreen* (Gaultheria)

Ground Covers

Aegopodium*

English Ivy with glossy, lobed green leaves

English Ivy

Creeping Jenny trailing from a container with vibrant chartreuse foliage

Creeping Jenny

Close-up of deep purple Ajuga foliage with glossy texture

Ajuga

Galium*

Pachysandra groundcover with glossy green foliage

Pachysandra*

Boston Ivy

Lamium with soft pink blooms and silver-green foliage

Lamium*

Lavender Vinca Minor Myrtle flowers with glossy green foliage

Vinca Minor* (Myrtle)

Lily of the Valley with white bell-shaped flowers and green leaves

Lily-of-the-Valley*

Liriope with variegated foliage and purple flower spikes

Liriope

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
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