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What bushes do well in shade


Gardening in the shade | UMN Extension

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Quick facts

Diversity in landscape lighting can add interest and a sense of discovery to your yard and garden. This includes a diversity of plants, the use of structures and containers, and having various levels of light from full sun to full and even deep shade. Created by trees, landscape light allows you to be creative in various parts of your yard and garden.

Trees are valuable additions to landscapes.

See The Benefits of Trees from the National Arbor Foundation.

The National Tree Benefit Calculator can help you estimate the value your trees provide to your landscape and neighborhood.

Creating shade

Create shade by using structures like pergolas and layering taller perennials and climbing plants so they block sun from other plants, shading them.  Tuck low-growing plants under other plants, creating a shady growing environment. A large Sagae Hosta provides shade for big root geraniums.

Planning a shade garden

Know your site conditions

Creating shade gardens can be a challenge, but one that, as gardeners facing warmer, drier summers, we should embrace in order to have a long-lived, healthy landscape. The first step is to understand your growing conditions: 

Having a basic knowledge of the garden area will help you choose the plants that will grow best in your site and your plants will thrive, not just survive. A plant won’t perform well in conditions that differ from what it needs to grow. The plant will be stressed and unable to reach its full size, form and shape, nor will it produce healthy leaves and flowers. Plants growing in less-than-optimal conditions are also more likely to succumb to diseases and insect damage.

“Right Plant, Right Place” plant selection video series

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Plant lists

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Deciduous shrubs that grow well in shade

Common name Scientific name Height Width Optimal soil conditions Hardiness zones Light requirements
Northern lights azalea Rhododendron Northern lights series 5 ft. 3 ft. Well-drained soil with a pH 4.5-5.5 3-7 Full sun to part shade
Iroquois Beauty glossy black chokeberry Aronia melanocarpa 'Morton' 2-3 ft. 4-5 ft. Average, well-drained soil 3-8 Full sun to part shade
Garden Glow™ dogwood Cornus hessei 'Garden Glow' 4-6 ft. 4-6 ft. Moist average soil 2-7 Dappled to full shade
Gray dogwood Cornus racemosa 8 ft. 6 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 2-9 Full sun to part shade
Red twig dogwood Cornus sericea 2-10 ft. 2-10 ft. Adaptable; prefers moist, well-drained soil with a pH 6.1-8.5; salt sensitive 2-7 Full sun to part shade
Tartarian dogwood Cornus alba 3-10 ft. 3-10 ft. Adaptable; prefers moist, well-drained soils with a pH 5.5-7.0 3-7 Full to part shade
Bush honeysuckle Diervilla lonicera 3-5 ft. 3-5 ft. Moist to dry, well-drained soils with a pH of 6.1-6.5 though adaptable to higher; tolerates drought 3-7 Full sun to full shade
Annabelle hydrangea Hydrangea arborescens 'Annabelle' 5 ft. 5 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 3-9 Dappled to part shade
Panicle hydrangea Hydrangea paniculata 2-8 ft. 3-8 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 3-8 Full sun to part sun
Lace shrub Stephanandra incisa 'Crispa' 1 ft. 3 ft. Average soil 4-7 Part shade
Blue ice bog rosemary Andromeda polifolia 'Blue ice' 1 ft. 3 ft. Wet or evenly moist soil  2-6 Full sun to part shade
Snowberry Symphoricarpos albus 4 ft. 4 ft. Moist average soil 4-7 Full sun to part shade
Tiger Eye sumac Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger' 6 ft. 6 ft. Sandy, well-drained soil 4-8 Full sun to part shade
Hummingbird summersweet Clethra alnifolia 'Hummingbird' 3 ft. 3 ft. Moist soil 3-8 Full sun to full shade
Dwarf European viburnum Viburnum opulus 'Nanum' 2 ft. 3 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 3-8 Full sun to part shade
Highbush cranberry Viburnum trilobum 10 ft. 5 ft. Average soil 2-7 Full sun to part shade
Nannyberry Viburnum lentago 15 ft. 6 ft. Average moist soil 4-7 Full sun to part shade
Mount Airy witch alder Fothergilla gardenii x major 'Mount Airy' 6 ft. 4 ft. Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5.0 - 7.0 4-9 Full sun to part shade

Evergreens for shade

Common name Scientific name Height Width Optimal soil conditions Hardiness zones Light requirements
Holmstrup arborvitae Thuja occidentalis 'Holmstrup' 8 ft. 3 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 2-9 Full sun to part shade
Chicagoland® Green boxwood Buxus x 'Glencoe' 3-4 ft. 3-4 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Aurea compacts hemlock Tsuga canadensis 'Aurea Compacta' 6 ft. 6 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 3-8 Full sun to full shade
Eastern hemlock (MN native plant) Tsuga canadensis 40-70 ft. 25-35 ft. Cool, moist, organic soil 3-6
Dwarf Bright Gold yew Taxus cuspidata 'Dwarf Bright Gold' 4 ft. 6 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 2-7 Full sun to full shade
Taunton yew Taxus x media 'Tauntonii' 3 ft. 6 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 4-7 Part to full shade
Japanese yew Taxus cuspidata 10-25 ft. 5-10 ft. Sandy, moist, well-drained soil 4-7 Full sun to full shade

Small deciduous trees for shade

Common name Scientific name Height Width Optimal soil conditions Hardiness zones Light requirements
Juneberry, Serviceberry (MN Native Plant) Amelanchier species 15-40 ft. Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5. 5-7.0 2-8 Full sun to full shade
Northern Strain redbud Cercis canadensis 'Northern Strain' 20-30 ft. 25-35 ft. Moist, well-drained soil, adaptable to soil pH 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Sour gum Nyssa sylvatica 30-50 ft. 20-30 ft. Moist, well-drained soil with a pH 5.5-6.5 4-9 Full sun to part shade; sheltered planting location. Look for trees grown by northern nurseries.
Witchhazel (MN native plant) Hamamelis virginiana 10-20 ft. 20-25 ft. Moist soil, avoid very dry 3-8 Full sun to full shade
Hop tree, wafer ash (MN native plant) Ptelea trifoliata 15-20 ft. 5-15 ft. Adaptable; prefers moist, organic soil 3-9 Full sun to full shade
Speckled alder (MN native plant) Alnus rugosa 15-25 ft. 5-15 ft. Wet, highly organic soil 3-6 Full sun to part shade
American bladdernut Staphylea trifoliate 10-15 ft. 10-15 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 4-8 Full to deep shade
Blue beech (MN native plant) Carpinus caroliniana 20-30 ft. 20-30 ft. Deep, moist organic soils with a pH 4.0-7.4 3-9 Full sun to full shade
Canada Red chokecherry (MN native cultivar) Prunus virginiana 'Canada Red' 25-30 ft. 15-20 ft. Moist, well-drained soil 2-10 Full sun to part shade
Pagoda dogwood Cornus alternifolia 15-25 ft. 22-35 ft. Moist soil with a pH 5.5-6.5 3-7 Full sun to part shade
Ironwood, American hop hornbeam (MN native plant) Ostrya virginiana 25-40 ft. 20-30 ft. Average to dry soil, rocky slopes, old fields 3-9 Full sun to full shade

Tall perennials for shade

Common name Scientific name Height Width Optimal soil conditions Hardiness zones Light requirements
Big leaf ligularia Ligularia dentata 48 inches 48 inches Moist to wet soils 3-8 Filtered to heavy shade; north side of buildings. Wilts in full sun / heat of the day.
Leopard plant Ligularia przewalskii 48-72 inches 24-36 inches Medium to wet organic soils 4-8 Full shade
Bleeding heart Dicentra spectabilis 24-36 inches 24-36 inches Moist soils; tolerates boggy soil 2-9 Part shade. This plant goes dormant in early summer after blooming.
Bowman's root Gillenia trifoliata 24-36 inches 36 inches Moist, well-drained soil; tolerates drier soils 4-8 Full sun to part shade
Cinnamon fern Osmunda cinnamomea 48 inches 36 inches Moist, organic, well-drained soil with a pH 5. 5-6.5 3-8 Part shade to full shade
Royal fern Osmunda regalis 36 inches 36 inches Moist to wet soil with a pH 3-10
Ostrich fern Matteuccia struthiopteris 48 inches 36 inches Moist, organic soil with a pH 5.5-6.5. Fronds will scorch and dry up if soil become dry. 4-7 Part to full shade
Culver's root Veronicastrum virginicum 36-60 inches 24-48 inches Moist to wet average soil 4-9 Full sun to part shade; best in afternoon shade
Astilbe, False spiraea Astilbe x arendsii 24-48 inches 24 inches Moist rich organic soil; moisture is the most important requirement for optimum performance 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Foxglove Digitalis purpurea 24-60 inches 12-30 inches Moist, well-drained soil 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Goat's beard Aruncus dioicus 48-72 inches 72 inches Moist soil 3-7 Part shade
Joe-Pye weed Eutrochium maculatum 48-84 inches 36-48 inches Moist, rich organic soil; best if it doesn't dry out. 4-9 Full sun to dappled shade
Martagon lily Lilium martagon 36-48 inches 12 inches Moist, well-drained organic soil with slightly alkaline pH 3-8 Full sun to part shade; flowers last longer in shade
Great bellflower, milky bellflower Campanula lactiflora 36-60 inches 24 inches Well-drained soil 3-6 Part shade
Monkshood Aconitum napellus 36-48 inches 12-18 inches Moist, organic soil 4-8 Part shade
Queen-of-the-meadow Filipendula ulmaria 48 inches 36 inches Moist, organic soil 3-9 Part shade
Queen-of-the-prairie Filipendula rubra 72-96 inches 36-48 inches Moist to wey, organic well-drained soil 3-8 Full sun to part shade
Rodgersia Rodgersia aesculifolia 36-72 inches 36-60 inches Moist, well-drained soil 4-7 Full sun to part shade
Black snakeroot, black cohosh Actea racemosa (syn. Cimicifuga racemosa) 48-60 inches 24-48 inches Moist, well-drained soil 3-9 Full sun to part shade
White Pearl snakeroot Actea simplex 'White Pearl' (syn. Cimicifuga simplex) 48-60 inches 24-36 inches Moist, organic soil 4-8 Full sun to part shade
Tall meadow rue Thalictrum dasycarpum 36-60 inches 36-48 inches Moist, well-drained, organic soil 4-7 Full sun to dappled shade to part shade
Turtlehead Chelone lyonii 36 inches 24 inches Moist to wet organic soil 3-8 Full sun to part shade

Ground covers for shade

Common name Scientific name Height Optimal soil conditions Hardiness zones Light requirements
Gray's sedge, mace sedge Carex grayi 24 inches 36 inches Average to wet soil 4-9 Part shade to full shade
Weak-stemmed wood sedge Carex laxiculmis 6-10 inches 6-12 inches Average to moist soil Part shade to full shade
Japanese sedge Carex morrowii 6-15 inches Average to moist soil Part shade to full shade
Palm sedge, Muskingum sedge Carex muskingumensis 24-36 inches 24-36 inches Average to wet soil 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Pennsylvania sedge, sun sedge Carex pensylvanica 6-12 inches 6-12 inches Average to dry soil 3-8 Full sun to full shade
Plantain sedge, seersucker sedge Carex plantaginea 8-15 inches Average to moist soil Part shade to full shade
Broad-leafed sedge Carex siderosticha 12-18 inches Average to moist soil Part shade to full shade
Catlin's Giant Bugleweed Ajuga reptans 'Caitlin' 10 inches 15 inches Moist soil. Tolerates dry soil. 3-10 Full sun to full shade
Sweet Woodruff Galium odoratum 6 inches 12 inches Adaptable. Tolerates dry soil. 4-8 Part shade
Japanese Spurge Pachysandra terminalis 8 inches 12 inches Moist, well-drained organic soil. 4-8 Full sun to part shade
Striped Moptop Sedge Carex caryophyllea 'Beatlemania' 6 inches 12 inches Moist soil 4-9 Full sun to part shade
Rat-stripper Paxistima canbyi 12 inches 48 inches Dry, well-drained soil; tolerates sandy soil. 4-8 Part shade to full shade
Barren Strawberry Waldsteinia ternata 8 inches 15 inches Adaptable 4-8 Full sun to part shade
Wild Ginger Asarum canadense 8 inches 8 inches Prefers evenly-moist soil. Tolerates dry soil. 2-6 Part shade to full shade

Author: Julie Weisenhorn, Extension educator, horticulture

Reviewed in 2021

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30 Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Shade

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 09/09/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column. She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

Fact checked by

Sarah Scott

Fact checked by Sarah Scott

Sarah Scott is a fact-checker and researcher who has worked in the custom home building industry in sales, marketing, and design.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

The Spruce / Catherine Song

Shrubs that grow in shade can add color and cheer to drab nooks as well as canopy-covered areas of your property. Ranging from short bushes to tall hedges, shade-loving shrubbery includes both evergreen and deciduous plants.

Some shade-tolerant shrubs produce beautiful blossoms, while others are famous for their attractive foliage. Many offer year-round appeal, making them perfect for shady yards where sun-loving plants simply cannot thrive.

Learn about 30 low-maintenance shrubs that will spruce up shaded areas of your lawn and garden without a lot of effort.

Low-Maintenance Shrubs for Shade

Watch Now: Tips for Selecting the Right Shrubs

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. A Dangerous Garden Thug Exposed: Daphne Laureola. Master Gardeners Association of British Columbia.

  2. Labossiere Alexander W., Thompson Dennis F. Clinical Toxicology of Yew Poisoning. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, vol. 52, no. 6, pp. 591-599, 2018. doi:10.1177/1060028017754225

  3. Amelanchier alnifolia. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  4. Hamamelis virginiana. Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, University of Texas.

  5. Red Buckeye. University of Kentucky, Department of Horticulture.

  6. Japanese Skimmia. Washington State University Extension PNW Plants.

What shrubs grow in the shade, names, photos, characteristics

Dacha owners want to grow different plants, including large trees that shade part of the area. The desire to beautifully decorate the territory of the site raises the question of which shrubs grow in the shade, which herbs and flowers will serve as companions for them, and help create original compositions in a semi-shaded area.

Contents

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Light-loving crops, when planted in a shaded area, feel uncomfortable, their growth and development slow down, budding on them is weak, the color of the leaves becomes faded, or even completely changes.

Shade-loving ones can hardly stand bright light, suffer from the sun's rays that burn the foliage, and eventually dry up.

Does the intensity of the shade matter

Which shrubs grow in the shade is the main question that we will consider, but before proceeding to it, it should be clarified that the shade can be different. According to the quality of the shade, the choice of plants is made.

Shady corners of the site can be divided into several types:

Are there any advantages to a shaded area?

The range of plants used to improve a shaded area is wide, but to get the desired result, you need to take into account:

  • too poor soils will need to be enriched with nutrients, when choosing them, the acidity of the soil should be taken into account;
  • soil moisture level, for shade-tolerant deciduous shrubs, it is important that the soil remains moist in hot weather;
    the need to equip a drainage system for too wet and heavy soils. Pebbles or pieces of brick laid on the bottom of the planting holes can be used as drainage.

    • Depending on the parameters of the shaded area, it can be wet or dry. To select suitable shrubs, you need to determine the type of shade and select varieties accordingly.

    If the shaded area is occupied by large fruit or ornamental trees, then the shade will be dry, because large plants have a strong root system and are able to pump water out of the soil, and with it nutrients. Wet shade is formed on dense soils in the absence of drainage.

    What varieties of shade-tolerant shrubs are planted in the garden

    The list of plants that do well in shady areas is quite long and allows you to apply different techniques to create different styles of landscape design. Shrubs are used for the following purposes:

    Ornamental shrubs, which are commonly used in landscape design, are divided into 2 groups:

    Let's watch a useful video about which shrubs grow in the shade:

    How to choose shade-tolerant ornamental shrubs

    To determine which shade-tolerant plants will suit the site, study their characteristics and visual assessment of the photos on which they are depicted.

    Let's present the most popular varieties that surprise with their decorative effect and attract with relative ease of care.

    Rhododendron

    This representative of the Heather family looks beautiful during the flowering period, pink or lilac petals of its inflorescences, densely covering the branches, have a bright color. Dense, fleshy leaves, oval or ovoid in shape, look attractive.

    Rhododendrons are very hardy, easily enduring conditions of heavy shading, in which other species will wither and eventually die. However, for bushes, it is preferable to choose semi-shaded areas with drained soil. It is advisable to provide for the possibility of watering plantings during a period of severe drought.

    Rhododendrons are used for planting along garden paths, they look great against the background of conifers or building walls.

    Garden jasmine or mock orange

    Very popular plant, readily grown by gardeners. The view is attractive, the flowers are bright, large, have an amazing aroma, which fills the entire garden during the flowering period.

    Shrub does not require quality soil, can adapt to life in any conditions. The plant is frost-resistant, in summer it can withstand prolonged drought. The procedure for caring for jasmine practically consists in correct and fairly frequent pruning and pruning of bushes. Dense plantings are used to create hedges.

    But if you want to admire the lush flowering of mock orange, then you can observe it if the bushes are planted in partial shade, in conditions of deep shade, flowering will not be plentiful. In addition, many varieties of garden jasmine have been bred today; when choosing, you should take into account the peculiarities of the climatic conditions of your area of ​​​​residence.

    Cotoneaster

    Ornamental plant resistant to adverse living conditions, it can be grown on shady areas, even in cities where the air is characterized by increased gas content.

    Cotoneaster branches are densely covered with dark green leaves that turn red in autumn. The bushes have a beautiful dense crown, designers prefer to use it when creating a hedge.

    In addition, bushes lend themselves well to shaping. When creating garden compositions, both erect and creeping plant varieties are used.

    Flowering shrub, flower petals in different varieties may be white or pink, the flowers themselves may be collected in racemes or solitary. Cotoneaster fruits are bright, black or red.

    Gotensia

    Shrub considered one of the most common and popular in the world. In the conditions of the middle lane, dozens of frost-resistant varieties are grown.

    Hydrangea is planted in sunny and shaded areas, provided that there is enough nutrient soil. It is necessary to provide for the possibility of irrigation, because. hydrangea is very sensitive to soil moisture.

    The plant is characterized by long flowering, and the flowers at different stages of flowering have a different color, at first the petals of hydrangea paniculata lettuce, then white, at the end of flowering they become a delicate pink color.

    Kalynolistny vesicle

    This shrub is the undoubted leader in the number of varieties, in its description they usually emphasize decorativeness, unpretentiousness, suitability for growing in urban conditions are distinguished among the quality characteristics.

    A spherical vesicle bush covered with corrugated leaves and lush clusters of flowers looks luxurious, the seeds of the plant ripening in boxes look no less attractive against the background of the leaves. Among the latest achievements of breeders, it should be noted new varieties that are distinguished by a unique foliage color: purple and golden yellow.

    Derain white

    The plant attracts attention with beautiful leaves with a white border along the edge. The bright color of the leaves does not fade in the shade; by autumn, pink and apricot shades are added to the color scheme of the leaves. The decorativeness of the plant is not lost in winter, its red shoots look very bright against the background of snow.

    Deren is not picky about the quality of lighting and is resistant to winter frosts, but it needs moist nutrient soil for active growth.

    Some turf varieties are tall, but shaping their shape and size is not at all difficult, the plant tolerates pruning well.

    For more information about the best shade-tolerant garden plants, watch the video:

    Does it make sense to consider planting fruit-bearing shrubs in shady areas

    Yes, some fruit-bearing shrubs can be grown in shady conditions. Consider the descriptions of the most unpretentious plants.

    Honeysuckle

    This fruit-bearing shrub owes its popularity to its hardiness, it can grow normally in shady areas, it is not demanding on soil quality, it is resistant to polluted air, which allows it to be grown in urban conditions.

    There are a lot of varieties of honeysuckle today, so the shrub can have quite large differences in the color of the leaves and flowers, the fruits can also differ in shape and ripening time.

    It should be remembered that some varieties of honeysuckle, for example, Honeysuckle, are suitable for growing in good light, others (Tatarskaya) withstand moderate shading well.

    Honeysuckle is used for single plantings, vertical gardening, for arranging hedges.

    Barberry

    The plant is fast growing and highly resistant to frost. The bushes do not require special care, the plant can withstand even severe droughts.

    The leaves of the barberry are small, beautifully shaped, green in summer, changing color to burgundy in autumn.

    The Thunberg barberry variety has a burgundy leaf color throughout the summer, and the Thunberg barberry Goldalita has golden yellow leaves.

    Barberry berries have a pleasant aroma and excellent taste and are used in cooking, especially in oriental cuisine recipes.

    Gooseberry

    It can be grown in sunny or shaded areas. The plant does not need frequent watering, it easily tolerates short droughts.

    Gooseberries in the process of ripening acquire a yellow or reddish hue, become translucent.

    The fruits are used in cooking, they are used to make compotes and jams.

    Which companion plants can be planted in shady corners of the garden

    Planting shrubs alone is not enough to create beautiful corners in the shady part of the garden.

    You will need to select small plants that will allow you to maintain the decorativeness of the site throughout the summer season.

    Let's note the most popular ones and give a brief description of them.

    Climbing plants in natural conditions are undergrowth plants, so there is no doubt about their shade tolerance. Liana-like are used to decorate arbors and pergolas, verandas.

    Popular plants in this group are parthenocissus, kirkazon and knyazhik. They grow quickly and are able to form dense thickets. The attention of the owners of suburban areas is often attracted by girlish grapes, whose leaves turn bright red-orange hues in autumn.

    Ferns, depending on the varieties, differ in size, but their leaves have a clear graphic and volume, which allows you to get a background for flowering shrubs.

    No less interesting in compositions with shrubs are hostas.

    They withstand the shading of the site. It is noteworthy that the plant is represented by numerous varieties, gardeners can pick up bushes with a height of 10 to 60 cm. Hostas go well with ferns.

    Ground cover plants are planted to create a carpet under the trees. Saxifrage, periwinkle, lungwort are decorative, develop well in the shade.

    Shade is tolerated from flowering annual crops:

    Bulbs can also be planted in the shade of the trees, as crocuses, daffodils and tulips begin to bloom before the trees have even leafed out.

    Although most cereals prefer the sun. in the penumbra take root:

    Considering which shrubs grow in the shade, we remembered the most popular plants that require minimal care. But in order to get not only decorative greenery, but active flowering and fruiting, of course, you will need to organize proper plant care.

    Shade-tolerant garden plants: unpretentious shade-loving flowers, shrubs and herbs

    There are sure to be shady corners in the garden. I would like to arrange them no less decorative than the front flower beds. And sometimes - and more interesting to compensate for the lack of sunlight. There is no need to roll them into concrete, you don’t have to nurse the oppressed sprouts either - there are many plants that feel great in the shade.

    Shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants - what is the difference
    The division into shade-loving and shade-tolerant plants is not entirely correct: all plants need the sun - this is the basis of biochemistry, their vital activity. It’s just that some species need the open sun, others have learned to get by with scattered or reflected (that is, “tolerate the shadow”). Usually these are the inhabitants of the undergrowth, and it is they who can be classified as shade-tolerant of varying degrees. There are those plants that feel worse in the open sun than in diffused light. That's just how they are usually referred to as shade-loving.

    Sisson Landscapes

    Fact: Shade-tolerant and shade-tolerant garden plants are considered synonymous in everyday life (just look at what users google and what answer search engines give them). Gardeners do not make a difference: they are simply interested in unpretentious plants that can live without bright light - ideal candidates for landscaping a wooded area with preserved trees or planting in a flower bed in the shade of buildings. So, speaking of shade-tolerant and shade-loving plants in this article, we will generally write about species that manage with a small amount of indirect sun.

    Petriv Landscape Designe

    What shade do you have? Will it be a solid shadow on the north side of the house or near the fence, where direct sunlight does not fall at all. For such conditions, hosts (Hosta), multi-flowered (Polygonatum multiflorum), ferns, geraniums - red-brown (Geranium phaeum) and marsh (Geranium palustre), liverworts (Hepatica), doubtful Jeffersonia (Jeffersonia dubia), oak anemone (Anemone nemorosa), which love deep shade.

    Diffused light is provided by tall trees with a sparse crown, such as pines.

    KLUMBAShop Kameneva Natalya and Gavrilova Anastasia

    Large deciduous trees with a low crown create strong shading - the space in their roots is available only to slanting morning and evening sun rays. In the morning and evening, areas on the north side of large dense shrubs or conifers are also illuminated. Such conditions give protection from the midday sun to those plants that need it: these are cornflower (Thalictrum), thick-leaved bergenia (Vergenia crassifolia), shade-tolerant phlox flowers (Phlox) and perennial dicentra (Dicentra). Trees with a less dense crown cast a moving spotted shadow. Similar conditions often occur in orchards. Here, forest dwellers such as forest anemone (Anemone sylvestris), tiarella (Tiarella), lungwort (Pulmonaria), soft cuff (Alchemilla mollis) - flowers that love shade - feel great here.

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    Pay attention to the soil
    Soil quality is very important for shade dwellers. Most of them prefer richly moist but well-drained soil. It should be quite nutritious, but light. These are the soils of deciduous forests. Poor soils should be enriched with compost or humus. Acidity must also be taken into account. If necessary, especially when developing a site overgrown with natural forest, it is worth preparing planting pits for perennials, “filling” them with the type of soil that is optimal for them.

    CGD Landscape Design

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    Humidity and Drainage
    Sufficient moisture is really important for plants growing in the shade - they are used to it in their natural environment. Many of them have evolved broad, massive leaves to help collect scarce sunlight. And although the evaporation of moisture in the shade is much less, they may need abundant watering. Especially on dry sandy soils. However, these plants often have a thick rhizome located rather superficially. With stagnant water, poor drainage and runoff, their roots are prone to rotting. When preparing planting pits for such perennials, additional drainage from pebbles or broken bricks can be laid on the bottom.

    SEE ALSO
    22 Beautiful Flowering Plants for Damp and Damp Spots in Your Garden Among the shade-tolerant species there are shrubs and herbaceous plants, flowering and ornamental, large and miniature forms. They will help you create a lot of really interesting combinations.

    Shrubs
    Among the shrubs there are many natives of the forest, which feel good in the shade and embody all the advantages and decorativeness of this form. They can be placed solo or made up of groups in the same way as in sunny places.

    • White Derain (Cornus alba) is one of the leaders in unpretentiousness. In addition to its other advantages - a beautiful shape and decorative red shoots that will decorate the site in winter - it has another undeniable advantage. Unlike most plants with decoratively colored leaves, which lose their color in the shade, white-variegated forms of turf (in particular, the now widespread variety "Elegantissima") retain a contrasting pattern of leaves. They will help to “refresh” a shady place, create the illusion of moving sun glare here.

    PAN Landscape

    • Warty euonymus (Euonymus verrucosa) and winged euonymus (Euonymus alata), growing in the shade, have textured bark with growths, fruits of unusual shape and incredibly bright autumn .
    • Viburnum (Physocarpus opulifolius) - this shrub needs no introduction, it has been so popular in recent years. And all thanks to the large volume of large leaves, beautiful flowers, decorative seed boxes, and of course, its unpretentiousness.

    CGD Landscape Design

    • Tartarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) is another hardy, shade-tolerant shrub that has made it an indispensable part of urban landscaping. A delicate aroma will fill the area during its flowering in early summer, and later it will be decorated with bright berries of red and orange.
    • Hawthorn (Crataegus) - its hardiness and prunability make it an indispensable material for hedges that will be decorative both in the sun and in shady places.
    • Early Weigela (Weigela praecox) is a flowering shrub for partial shade. However, it is not winter hardy enough.
    • Viburnum (Viburnum) - in the variety of its forms, it grows well in the shade and in the sun.
    • Black and golden currants (Ribes) - of course, growing in the shade, they are unlikely to bear fruit abundantly, but these types of currants are suitable for decorating a shady area.

    Jay Sifford Garden Design

    • Red, Black and Canadian Elder (Sambucus) is another hardy and highly ornamental shrub. Is that black is not winter-hardy enough. It will decorate the shady corner with beautifully cut foliage and bright berries (they are also edible in black elderberry). True, red elderberry and Canadian elderberry have a peculiar smell during flowering. They have even been used as a natural rodent and insect repellent. However, they are perfect for decorating utility zones and corners far from home.

    Margarita Alekseeva

    • Hydrangea (Hydrangea) - feels comfortable in partial shade, because the plant does not like the bright midday sun. And its luxurious inflorescences are a wonderful decoration both in the garden and in the cut.

    In addition, there are a number of shrubs that, although they will not bloom as abundantly as in a sunny place, will loyally react to a shaded position: these are spirea (Speraea), barberry (Berberis), brilliant cotoneaster (Cotoneaster lucidus), snowberry (Symphoricarpos).

    SEE ALSO
    Ornamental Shrubs: 12 Reasons to Plant Them in Your Garden

    Gelderman Landscape Services

    Conifers
    Shade-tolerant plants include common spruce (Picea abies), fir (Abies), Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis), microbiota (Microbiota). These plants are quite suitable for decorating shady places, especially compact and decorative varieties.

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    Coniferous plants in the garden: Selection and application in the shadow. And since the vines growing in our latitudes are mostly inhabitants of the undergrowth, they feel great in shady places. Girlish grapes (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), kirkazon (Aristolochia macrophylla) will develop well here, among the flowering ones - petiolate hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris) and prince (Atragene), which, unlike clematis, also blooms in the shade.

    Le jardinet

    Ornamental plants
    Among the shade-tolerant plants, there are many species with very expressive leaves, distinguished by large size, interesting shape and color. True, decorative coloring, unfortunately, does not always withstand shade conditions. This is especially true of yellow-leaved and yellow-variegated forms. Most of these plants bloom just as beautifully, decorating the shady corner with delicate buds. But it is their leaves that provide a long-lasting decorative effect for a shady flower bed.

    James R. Salomon Photography

    Hosta is by far the best-known shady flower garden dweller. Its plasticity has made it a favorite object of many breeders, thanks to which we now have a really wide range of varieties that differ in size - from 10 to 60 cm, leaf shape and color (green and blue varieties are better for shade). Thanks to this variety, you can create decorative compositions exclusively from the host.

    Spring Lake Garden Design

    Bliss Garden Design, LLC

    Ferns is a large department of plants that are equally great in shape and size. Most of them are shade-loving, which means that these plants are an ideal filling for a shady flower garden, creating a beautiful pattern and a voluminous openwork mass of greenery.

    Landscape workshop of Alena Arsenieva

    Astilboides tabularis impresses with its huge funnel-shaped leaves. And although it also blooms very decoratively, it is often used in flower beds precisely for the sake of leaves. A number of shade-tolerant plants also have large expressive leaves: Rogersia (Rodgersia), podophyllum (Podophyllum), thyroid peltiphyllum (Peltiphyllum peltatum), palmate rhubarb (Rheum palmatum), meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria), thick-leaved badan (Vergenia crassifolia).

    It is worth mentioning separately ground cover plants — shade-loving, covering the ground with a continuous mass of leaves and not giving weeds even a chance. They will serve to fill the lower tier in a shady flower garden - as a replacement for a lawn with a lack of sun, for planting under trees. Many of them bloom beautifully. Shade-tolerant groundcovers: small periwinkle (Vinca minor), apical pachysandra (Rachysandra terminalis), creeping tenacious (Ajuga reptans), saxifrage (Saxifraga) round-leaved and shady, lungwort (Pulmonaria), ivy-shaped bud (Pulmonaria).

    Fenton Roberts Garden Design

    Grasses in the shade
    Grasses are mostly sun-loving. However, for partial shade, you can pick up cereal plants. Spreading forest (Milium effusum), team hedgehog (Dacttylis glomerata), soddy pike (Deschampsia caespitosa), meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) will be able to grow here.

    SEE ALSO
    Good question: How to choose the best cereals for your garden

    Barbara Pintozzi

    Plants that bloom in the shade - for any season
    Shade-tolerant plants are valuable not only for their expressive leaves. Most of them bloom very beautifully. Shade-tolerant flowers may not be able to compete in brightness with plants that love sunny places, but you will be provided with mass flowering and tenderness of buds. The flowering period for the inhabitants of the shade is also different, which means that it is quite possible to create a composition of continuous flowering here.

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    A garden for the lazy - easy and simple!

    Le jardinet

    • ), May lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), thyroid peltiphyllum (Peltiphyllumpeltatum), kupena (Polygonatum), forget-me-nots (Myosotis), perennial tiarella (Tiarella) and other garden flowers that love shade.

    SEE ALSO…
    Good question: What poisonous plants (probably) grow in your garden

    Garden-graphics

    In addition, many shady places are much better lit in spring than in summer. The foliage on the trees has not yet gained strength and density, so in the near-trunk circles, spring-flowering bulbs feel at ease - very beautiful shade-loving flowers for the garden.

    Samuel H. Williamson Associates

    • In the summer of dicentra (Dicentra), geraniums (Geranium), meadowsweet (Filipendula), cornflower (Thalictrum), hostas (Hosta), aquilegia (Aquilegia), lily-of-the-valley loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides), astrantia (Astrantia), loosestrife ( Lythrum) and many other garden flowers that love shade.

    PAN Landscape