Are you looking for a plant that can handle some shade and still look fabulous? Think woodland floor! Use liberal amounts of peat, compost and organic matter when planting these plants. Avoid over-watering and provide good air circulation for healthy plants!
The plants on this list are for full, filtered and partial shade. Full shade means less than 3 hours of direct sunlight a day. Partial shade is about 3-6 hours of direct sun a day. Filtered is dappled sunlight through the trees (this is the easiest shade to grow in). Avoid planting these plants in full sun to prevent sun-scalding damage.
Perennials
- Acanthus
- Ajuga
- Anemones
- Aquilegia (Columbine)
- Asarum (Wild Ginger)
- Astilbe
- Athyrium (Ferns)
- Bergenia
- Blue Oat Grass
- Brunnera
- Columbine
- Campanula
- Carex
- Dicentra (Bleeding Heart)
- Digitalis
- Dryopteris (Ferns)
- Geranium
- Hamelin ornamental grass
- Hakone Grass
- Hakonechloa
- Hellebores (Lenten Rose)
- Hepatica
- Hemerocallis (Daylilies)
(morning shade) - Heuchera
- Hostas
- Iris (Siberian)
- Ligularia
- Lupine
- Lobelia
- Lysimachia
- Mertinesia (Bluebells)
- Myosotis (Forget-me-nots)
- Oenothera
- Primula
- Polemonium (Jacobs Ladder)
- Pulmonaria
- Solomon’s Seal
- Tiarella (Foam Flower)
- Trillium
- Tradescantia (Spiderwort)
Annuals
- Begonias
- Browalia
- Caladiums
- Coleus
- Fuchsia
- Hypoestes (Polka Dot plant)
- Impatiens
- Lobelia
- Magilla Perilla
- Mimulus
- Pansies
- Torenia
Ground Covers
- Ajuga
- Anemone Tomentosa
- Bunchberry
- Bergenia
- Euonymus
- Helleborus
- Honeysuckle
- Ivy
- Lamium
- Lily of the Valley
- Liriope (Lily turf)
- Moss (Irish)
- Liriope
- Lysimachia
- Pachysandra
- Sweet Woodruff
- Vinca Minor (Myrtle)
- Violas
Foliage Plants
- Abutilon (Flowering Maple)
- Aglaonema
- Alternanthera
- Alocasia
- Aspidistra (Cast Iron Plant)
- Elephant Ear
- Ferns (Boston)
- Philodendron
- Spider Plant
Trees
- Cercis Canadensis(Redbud)
- Cornus spp. (Dogwood)
- Hammamelis (Witch Hazel)
- Hemlock
- Magnolia
- Japanese maples
Shrubs
- Clethra (Summersweet)
- Euonymus (Burning Bush)
- Fothergilla
- Hydrangea spp.
- Hypericum
- Itea (Virginia Sweetspire)
- Kerria
- Lonicera (Honeysuckle Vine)
- Viburnum
Evergreens
- Azaleas (need winter shade)
- Buxus (Boxwood)
- Daphne
- Ilex (Holly)
- Kalmia (Mountain Laurel)
- Katsura
- Microbiota
- Pieris Japonica (Japenese Pieris)
- Rhododendron (need winter shade)
- Taxus (Yews)
