In woodland gardens or on the north or east side of a building, where there is some shade, you should plant perennial flowering plants that do well in the shade. Check out our list of the best perennials for shade. Youll find plenty of flowers that grow in shade here at PDN!.
Gardening in shade presents some unique challenges especially when it comes to adding color. Many shade-loving plants have subdued flower colors or dark foliage. But with the right selections, you can create a vibrant, eye-catching garden even in heavily shaded areas. Here are 15 of the most colorful plants that can brighten up those shady spots in your landscape.
Colorful Shade-Loving Perennials
Perennials are workhorse plants that come back year after year. Choosing varieties with bright blooms or foliage is a great way to inject color into shaded garden beds and borders.
Coral Bells (Heuchera)
Few perennials offer the dazzling foliage effects of coral bells. The ruffled leaves come in a huge range of colors like burgundy, chartreuse, silver, peach and neon pink. New cultivars are constantly being introduced. Grow coral bells in part sun to full shade and watch them light up those gloomy corners.
Astilbe
With flowers in shades of red, pink, salmon, white and purple, astilbe are ideal for adding pops of color to shady gardens. These moisture-loving perennials do best in rich, humus-y soil. Deadhead spent blooms to encourage reblooming.
Lungwort (Pulmonaria)
The flowers of pulmonaria range from blue to pink to white But it’s the foliage that makes this shade plant so special, The leaves are prominently splashed and spotted with silver Plant lungworts en masse for a big impact,
Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa)
Looking to add a bold punch? The arching cascading leaves of Hakonechloa come in vibrant shades of yellow, chartreuse pink and red. For maximum impact, use these colorful grasses as specimen plants.
Bigroot Geranium (Geranium macrorrhizum)
Sometimes called cranesbill, these hardy geraniums thrive in shade. The magenta-pink flowers pop against the deeply cut, fragrant foliage. Bonus: deer and rabbits avoid these plants.
Dead Nettle (Lamium)
Lamium offers some of the brightest, showiest foliage and blooms you’ll find for shade gardens. Look for varieties like ‘White Nancy’ with silver leaves and white flowers, ‘Beedham’s White’ with green and white foliage, and ‘Pink Chablis’ with pink flowers.
Shade Annuals & Tropicals
For an instant pop of color even in deep shade, consider fast-growing annuals and tropical plants. Though they last just one season, it’s easy to replant them each year.
Begonia
Few annuals can match begonias for colorful blooms and foliage. The Dragon Wing types offer large clusters of pink, red or white flowers on lush green leaves. Meanwhile, the Rex and rhizomatous types are grown for their dramatic patterned leaves in silver, pink and red.
Impatiens
Impatiens are staples in shady beds for good reason – they flower profusely in shade! Choose from standard types and New Guinea hybrids in just about every color except blue. Just beware impatiens downy mildew disease.
Caladium
The lush, elephant ear-like leaves of caladium come in an incredible array of patterns, veins, speckles and colors. Plant them as accents in pots or massed as colorful groundcovers for deep shade.
Coleus
With their kaleidoscopic foliage colors, coleus are like living works of art. You’ll find varieties in every hue from chartreuse to burgundy to neon pink. For maximum color, snip off any flower spikes that appear.
Wax Begonia
Wax begonias are great for adding non-stop color to shady gardens from spring through frost. Plant in hanging baskets or in the ground. Look for varieties with colorful leaves and rose, pink, white or red blooms.
Colorful Shrubs for Shade
Add a pop of color even in dense shade under trees and on the north side of your home using colorful shrubs.
Oakleaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia)
Oakleaf hydrangea boasts showy panicles of white flowers and foliage that turns vibrant shades of red and purple in fall. When planted in part shade, the leaf colors are richest.
Fothergilla (Fothergilla)
Native fothergilla shrubs display white fuzzy flower spikes in spring, vibrant fall foliage, and brightly colored stems in winter. Plant in acid soil in light to full shade.
Hearts-a-Bustin’ (Euonymus americanus)
The lime green leaves and pink capsules give this shrub its common name. In fall, the foliage turns bright red and pink. Plant it against a dark backdrop to make the colors pop.
Ninebark (Physocarpus)
Varieties like ‘Dart’s Gold’ and ‘Diabolo’ offer vivid gold or deep purple foliage on these hardy, easygoing shrubs. Plant in part sun to full shade.
Summersweet (Clethra alnifolia)
Summersweet is prized for its fragrant white flower spikes in summer. It takes part sun to full shade and has yellow fall color. For extra color, choose a variety like ‘Ruby Spice’ or ‘Hummingbird’ with pink blooms.
Vibrant Vines & Groundcovers
Don’t overlook vines and groundcovers when looking to add pops of color in shade. They make great alternatives to flowers and foliage plants.
Sweetspot Goldheart Honeysuckle
This non-vining honeysuckle stays compact at 12-18 inches tall but packs a punch with its vibrant golden foliage that illuminates shady spots. Yellow flowers in summer are a bonus.
Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)
The chartreuse foliage and yellow flowers of creeping Jenny stand out against darker plants and mulch. It spreads readily to form a vibrant groundcover in part to full shade.
Persian Ivy (Hedera colchica)
Far showier than English ivy, Persian ivy comes in colorful varieties like ‘Sulphur Heart’ with yellow and green variegated leaves. Plant it on walls, fences, trunks and poles.
Variegated Bishop’s Weed (Aegopodium podagraria)
The cream-splashed leaves brighten up shady areas under trees and shrubs. Though vigorous, bishop’s weed is easy to control by simply ripping out unwanted runners.
Dragon’s Tongue Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum)
Wild ginger makes an eye-catching evergreen groundcover with its heart-shaped, dark green leaves marked with a central silver/white streak. Plants spread slowly in shade.
Tips for Growing Colorful Plants in Shade
When selecting colorful plants for shade, focus on their light requirements. Some may need just morning sun or dappled sun while others thrive in deep or full shade.
Improve soil with compost and mulch to retain moisture and nutrients. Water during dry spells. Group plants together for maximum impact rather than dotting singly.
Use color schemes like contrasting foliage colors (red leaves against chartreuse) or complimentary flower colors (yellows with purples).
Add colorful containers like glazed pots and statuary and decorate with glass art to also brighten up shadowy areas.
With the right plant choices, even notoriously dark parts of your landscape can be transformed with dazzling displays of color. Try some of these shade-loving beauties to inject vibrance into those challenging low-light areas.
Top 10 Perennial Flowers that Grow in Shade
In shade gardens, light colored flowers stand out really well. We recommend white perennial flowers for shade, or pale yellow or pink.
- Calanthe – small orchid flowers that like shade
- Cypripedium, or ladyslipper orchids, are very popular flowers that do well in partial shade.
- Dicentra – bleeding hearts are quintessential shade loving plants
- Edgeworthia – fragrant winter flowering plants for shade
- Early spring shade plants that look like fairy wings are epimedium. both in leaf and flower.
- Some of the best flowers for shade are gloxinia, which has bright red flowers in the summer.
- The lenten rose is one of the best shade-loving perennials because it blooms for a long time in the winter.
- iris: shade iris have smaller blooms than sun iris, but the designs on them are more complicated.
- Lycoris are perennials that do well in part-shade and flower in late summer.
- Paeonia: Woodland peonies have very big flowers that grow in shady places.
Top 10 Shade Tolerant Plants for Texture
When gardening with plants for shade, dont forget about texture either. Ferns that can grow in shade have a very fine texture that goes well with the coarse texture of other shade-tolerant perennials.
- With their unique frond shape, adiantum ferns are very hardy and grow well in shade.
- Alocasia – tall shade perennials with large shiny leaves
- Amorphophallus are strange, tall shade plants in the woodland garden that have amazing flower and leaf shapes.
- Arisaema – jack-in-the-pulpit has tall, candy-striped flowers that are purple and white.
- Athyrium – lady fern features a feather-plume-like textured leaf
- Helleborus – leathery, hand-shaped, leaves on this shade plant
- Hosta are perennials that grow in shade and make beautiful mounds in a woodland garden.
- Onychium – very fine textured fronds on this shade fern
- Polygonatum: These are tall shade plants with leaves that look like stairs.
- Zingiber – large, tropical leaves with a mild ginger scent
15 Shade-Loving Plants That Are Perfect For Your Garden! // PlantDo Home & Garden
FAQ
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