Which flowering plants grow in shade

Thanks to recent breeding breakthroughs, the most commonly grown species H. These tough plants prefer rich, well-draining soil, tolerate varying light conditions, and are virtually carefree once established. Naturalize in a woodland setting, plant in front of a mixed border, or in containers. Combine with anemone, hosta, trillium and daffodils. Stinking hellebore H. Among the most beloved ornamental trees, Japanese maples Acer palmatum are grown for their multi-seasonal interest, elegant structure and brilliantly colored foliage in shades of red, orange, yellow and purple.

While some varieties grow into medium or tall trees, others stay smaller, making them suitable for urban lots. These deciduous trees do best when planted in rich, well-draining soil, and with regular water and protection from hot afternoon sun. Use as a backdrop in a mixed woodland border or as a stand-alone focal point.

For natural woodland appeal, birch Betula trees make a valuable addition to the landscape for their elegant stature, fall color, and ornamental bark that is particularly attractive in winter.

Some varieties are extremely hardy, making them a good choice in colder regions. These deciduous trees are fast growing and perform best in rich, well-draining soil with regular water and at least part-day sun.

Grown for its showy flowers and statuesque habit, dogwood Cornus is synonymous with spring. While most are deciduous trees, there are also shrub and groundcover forms. Tree varieties most available to home gardeners tend to be small to medium-sized, making them suitable to urban lots and curbside strips where power lines are a concern. Some varieties prefer full sun, though others are suited to the dappled shade of their native woodland habitat.

Use as a backdrop or focal point in a mixed border, or as a stand-alone focal point in a lawn. Grow with compatible understory plants such as daffodils, sweet woodruff, hosta and ferns. In the dead of winter when there is little life in the garden, the delicate ribbon-like flowers of witch hazel Hamamelis cheer up even the dreariest days. The graceful vase-shaped structure is just a bonus, with some varieties having additional attributes of fall color or fragrance. This deciduous tree or shrub needs virtually no care once established, with most suitable for small spaces.

Smaller specimens can be grown in containers. Combine with other plants with winter interest such as hellebores, snowdrops, and heathers. Plant expert Kerry Ann Mendez introduces you to a wide variety of perennials, flowering shrubs, annuals, bulbs and flowering vines for shade gardens in Zones 3 to 8. Get design tips and plant combinations that will have you eager to plant up the shady spots in your garden. Get plant information, gardening solutions, design inspiration and more in our weekly newsletter.

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Learn more about growing hostas. Buy Now. Learn more about growing coral bells. Maidenhair fern. Photo by Janet Loughrey. Plants to Try: Japanese painted fern Athyrium niponicum var. Learn more about growing caladium plants. Learn more about growing coleus. Golden Japanese forest grass. ASTILBE Astilbe is a favorite of gardeners for its showy flower plumes that appear in summer after many other woodland plants are finished blooming.

Learn more about growing astilbe. Learn more about growing hydrangeas. Common foxglove. Learn more about growing foxglove. Japanese primrose. Learn more about growing impatiens. Learn more about growing bleeding heart. These beautiful perennials bloom in late winter to early spring and come in a range of wild color, from white and pink to and even black.

Evergreen foliage makes these surprisingly hardy plants a welcome addition throughout the year. Combine with other woodland shade lovers like hosta and trillium.

This woodland plant, indigenous to North America, is a beautiful element in shade gardens dedicated to native plantings. The delicate, wispy white flowers bloom for a surprisingly long time, beginning in spring, while the heart-shaped leaves provide year-round color in warmer regions. Foamflower tolerates deep shade but thrives when it receives some dappled sunlight.

This deciduous perennial is one of the few ornamental grasses that thrives in the shade. Japanese forest grass grows in clumps, and can tolerate anything from partial sun to deep shade. Use as a groundcover, massed along a slope, as a foundation plant, or even in containers. Called the trinity flower because the plant has three petals, leaves, and sepals, trillium are one of the splendors of spring in the woodlands of the United States.

Flowers come in white, yellow, and red most commonly. Beloved for delivering beauty and varying color for multiple seasons, these deciduous trees thrive when planted with protection from hot afternoon sun.

If your space is limited, look for smaller varieties that may be more suitable for urban or limited lots. These hardy perennial plants are as versatile as they are varied. They come in a range of sizes and foliage colors, and they work well in containers, as borders, and at the base of trees or shrubs. Hostas produce delicate flowers in the summer in shades of pink, lavender, or white. These tall perennials with tubular-shaped blooms in shades of pink, peach, lavendar, white, yellow, and red thrive in partial to full shade, depending on heat levels.

Because they do not typically have long life spans, foxglove is often planted in succession, so that a set blooms every season. Caladiums are known for their heart-shaped foliage that boasts vivid color combinations of green, white, red, and pink. They thrive in shady sections of gardens, with hot, humid weather, making them an ideal plant for adding bold color between shrubs, under trees, in perennial borders, or in containers.

This fast-growing shrub blooms from spring through summer. Although they enjoy a little morning sun, they prefer shady afternoons. Considering planting on the north or south sides of your home for best results.

These foliage plants thrive in partial shade and produce small, bell-shaped flowers on tall stems that attract hummingbirds. Perfect for dry shade, it works well beneath trees and woodland borders. Left unchecked it can become invasive. The snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis , flowers at the end of winter, often pushing up through frozen ground and blooming for weeks until the daffodils appear. It thrives in full shade, particularly in heavy, moist soils.

Aconites grow into clumps, eventually bearing masses of bright yellow flowers in late January and February. They thrive in damp shade so are perfect for growing in a damp, shay border or woodland garden. There are many varieties of bellflower, most of which thrive in shade.

Campanula lactiflora pictured bears pretty clusters of purple-blue bell-shaped flowers, above heart-shaped green leaves, from summer to autumn. Like all bellflowers, its blooms are a magnet for bees and other pollinators.

Our native foxglove, Digitalis purpurea , is a woodland plant that thrives in dappled or partial shade. There are many cultivars and varieties that flower in different colours and have different shaped blooms.

Most thrive in partial shade but some require more sun. Aquilegias are a charming, old-fashioned cottage garden plant with bonnet-shaped flowers, perfect for growing in partial shade. Aquilegia flabellata pictured is a dwarf columbine, bearing blue nodding flowers over a compact mound of waxy grey-green foliage. Bleeding heart, Lamprocapnos spectabilis Dicentra , bears pink-red, heart-shaped flowers with white tips, which hang from arching flower stems in late spring to early summer.

It grows well in light, damp shade and looks good growing in clumps amongst shrubs. Lungwort, Pulmonaria , is named after its mottled leaves, which are supposed to resemble lungs. Different varieties produce different leaf markings, which look their best in mid spring when putting on fresh growth after flowering. They make excellent groundcover plants, especially for shady borders.

Funnel-shaped flowers are borne in shades of blue, violet, pink, purple, red and white. Brunnera macrophylla is the perfect plant for shady gardens. A native woodland perennial, Lords-and-Ladies, Arum maculatum, is perfect for growing beneath trees and shrubs, which suck moisture from the soil. It bears unusual spring flowers , followed by dense clusters of dark red berries. There are many types of cranesbill geranium, many of which thrive in shade. Dusky cranesbill, Geranium phaem pictured is particularly shade tolerant, and quickly grows to a dense weed-suppressing matt of green, deeply lobed leaves with distinctive purple blotches around the centre, from which small, nodding, purple flowers with yellow centres appear on tall stems, from late spring to early summer.

A winter-flowering staple in the cottage garden, hellebores thrive in dry shade, bearing large clusters of saucer-shaped flowers with white, pink, green, mauve or smoky purple flowers.

Astrantias are superb perennials for growing in shade beneath under trees or in a moist border.