If you're like me and have a nightmare garden border that's both shady and awkward, then this guide for shade-loving plants is for you. Part of my garden here at Garden Ninaj HQ is a mix of deep, dappled, and dry shade. This flower bed also has competition from a hedge and mature trees. It's enough to make you give it up and bark mulch the lot!
However, did you know there is a huge collection of plants that will survive not only in deep shade but also in dry soil or super boggy ground? Don't let a shady garden prevent you from creating an amazing garden design. You simply need the right plants. With my Plants for Shade Ultimate Beginners guide, I'll walk you through the different plants that will survive with tricky light levels and help bring your garden to life!
Plants need light for photosynthesis, the process by which they convert sunlight into energy, allowing them to grow, flower, and produce seeds. This process occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells (usually with green colouration, though some plants have purple or red leaves, where sunlight is captured and used to transform CO₂ and H₂O into glucose.
This provides energy for the plant, with oxygen released as a byproduct. Light is crucial for generating glucose, which fuels all plant functions and development.
Shade-loving plants have evolved unique adaptations to survive and thrive in low-light environments. They typically have larger, thinner leaves to capture more available light, higher chlorophyll concentrations to absorb light efficiently, and often slower growth rates to conserve energy. These adaptations allow them to maximize limited sunlight, making them well-suited for shaded forest floors or other low-light areas. Nature is an expert at adapting!
Shade-loving plants have evolved a variety of adaptations to thrive in low-light environments. Let me explain a few of the evolutionary traits that shade-loving plants share to allow them to cope with lower light conditions and still thrive.
Many shade plants have larger, thinner leaves to maximize light capture. The increased surface area allows them to absorb more light, even when scarce. They also have more surface area for photosynthesis. A good example is the Hasta with its huge ribbed leaves.
Shade plants often have a high concentration of chlorophyll, especially chlorophyll b. This pigment absorbs light at wavelengths less available in shaded areas, optimizing its photosynthetic efficiency.
Shade plants generally grow more slowly to conserve energy in low-light conditions. This reduced growth demand helps them survive with less energy from sunlight. Hellebores, for example, are incredibly slow-glowing shade-loving plants.
Many shade-loving plants are highly responsive to light direction, allowing them to adjust their growth toward any available sunlight, like leaning toward light gaps in forest canopies.
Shade plants often have adaptations that reduce water loss, such as thinner cuticles or fewer stomata, since they typically grow in moist, sheltered environments.
These traits collectively help shade-loving plants maximize light absorption and conserve resources, enabling them to thrive in dimmer, competitive understory environments.
Some shade-loving plants don't necessarily grow as quickly as full-sun plants, as they have less access to sunlight, which helps them photosynthesise. They have evolved to adapt their development to sunlight and the absorption of nutrients available to them, which can sometimes make them slower to grow.
Sometimes, you need plants that cope with poor soil and deep shade. Most guides online and in books avoid this type of shade as it's the most challenging condition to grow in. I am starting with deep shade to help tackle the most demanding conditions. Shade plants are those that grow with lower light levels. North-facing gardens are often known for their shade planting as they don't get as much sun as the coveted south-facing sunny garden aspects.
Here are my recommendations for real Terminator shade-loving plants!
My first unusual plant for shade is Thalictrum 'Black Stockings'. Hold on a second. Isn't Thalictrum a plant that needs damp conditions?! Well, apparently not! I've been growing Thalictrum in the driest part of my shadiest border, and it's been putting on an amazing show for two years now. Apart from needing to be staked sometimes, it has been a real winner.
Nature's version of Febreeze, Sweet Woodruff was used for centuries as a herb and an air freshener! Woodruff is an excellent creeping plant that will provide you with a carpet of green foliage and white flowers. It can be invasive. However, before you all go pulling your face at poor Woodruff hear me out. If you're looking for a carpet of green with dainty flowers in an otherwise dead zone border then I'd argue to give it a go.
It is windproof and happy to be neglected. What's the worst? You can always use a spade to keep it in control or plant it towards the edge of a border with a natural barrier.
Also known by the glamorous title 'Bladderwort', this dry shade queen will happily grow up to 70cm. It loves to be divided, a bit like British politics. Once established, it will survive the drought and reward you with fimbriated (which means sporting a fierce fringe) white flowers. It's excellent for some height and to fill awkward spots. If it gets too vigorous, divide and conquer!
Hebes are my unsung heroes of garden design. Not only are they super hardy, but the majority of them are hardy evergreens. Which gives you great structure during the winter months. Purple Pixie is a super cute cultivar with dark greeny-purple leaves (yes, that colour does weirdly exist) and purple spikes of small flowers. It takes a little bit of care and attention to establish in a dry area. So, use lots of compost to backfill, mulch and water frequently, but once settled, she will be just fine with the odd dry spell.
Look at this cute Hebe specimen above; she will soon grow to fill up to 50cm.
Pulmonia is the good-time girl of awkward shade and some dry spells. Once she gets going, she will happily spread herself about the border with her polka-dot leaves. Pulmonaria is super promiscuous, and you will even find two different-coloured flowers on the same plant. It is easy to divide with a spade in spring and mega low-fuss. Water well until the Pulmonaria is established i.e. puts on new growth and starts to spread.
Not all shade-loving plants need to be low-growing foliage sisters. This Cornus or Dogwood will get you the height your sad, shady border may need. It has variegated leaves against dark red crimson stems, and in the winter, when it drops its leaves, you get vivid red stems for a bright display of heat.
Once they reach your preferred size, you can lift and split them easily or prune out unwanted growth. Not many people consider this a plant for shade, but trust me, you'll be glad to break the trend!
Actea has recently had a name change from its original Cimicifuga (which I quite liked as it sounded like a fun cocktail spirit). It's often seen at Chelsea as a good foliage plant, but the real win with this plant is the Autumn flowering window. When everything else is going underground for a rest, Actea is ready to send up massive spires of white flowers! It needs some moisture, or it will wilt, but it's a great shade lover. Use the darkness against lighter plants like the Silene.
In my opinion, Lamiums' are gorgeous and underrated. Lamium is a wildflower in origin and is also commonly known as non-stinging nettles. The bright yellow hoods of the flowers are great pollinators for insects. They will tolerate shade but do need damp conditions. I find this specimen a good rival to replace Ferns if you're looking for something a bit different. If it gets tatty, simply hack and slash back to a neater stem. It will happily survive brutal pruning.
So, it wouldn't be a definitive list without a grass specimen or a sedge that most people mistake for grass. It's a confusing taxonomic world, isn't it with plants? Anyway, here is our member of the Sedge family, the Carex (the handwash has a lot to answer for). Evergold has beautiful variegation on the leaf, and providing it's not in complete shade, it will work with both a mild drought and some dappled shade. Given its form, it makes for an excellent front-of-the-border plant. So why not give it a go?
This Carex under a bench is evergreen and just fine in a dappled shade. See how I designed this family-friendly shade garden here.
Heucheras go in and out of fashion more quickly than hashtags. I love a nice selection of Heucheras with their maple-shaped leaves and mini spires of flowers. They come in thousands of varieties with some really fun names like 'Marmalade', 'Plum Pudding' and 'Electra'. They are semi-evergreen and will provide a blast of colour in shade.
Purple plants also contain more Anthocyanin than Chlorophyll (which makes the human eye see plants as green). It is a great shade plant, and other Chlorophyll-rich plants may not use green light. Basically, they can use up wasted parts of the colour spectrum.
A top tip is that the darker foliage Heucheras may respond better to shaded borders than their green or yellow counterparts. This is because the purple of their leaf can absorb more green light than green counterparts and less red or blue light. Greener plants absorb the blue and red light more easily and tend not to absorb as much, if any, of the green light.
It also acts as a sunscreen for plants, as purple plants contain less chlorophyll than green-coloured plants. So they require less direct light as well. In forest floors and the tropics, you will often find the underside of the leaves of some plants, which also have a purple hue to capture this green light that bounces off other plants to make the most of the restricted light levels. Waste not, want not. Science lesson over!
When researching shade-loving plants, most guides only focus on plants that like damp shade. Most of these plants are suited to damp garden conditions due to the shade, but what if you have dry shade?
Today's plants are all perfectly at home in dryer, less comfortable spaces and can be a lifesaver for awkward garden spots, in particular underneath established garden trees. This is because these trees will be thirsty and consume large amounts of water. Not to bother, though, with these plant specimens; they all cope really well once established in dry shade.
Epimediums originate from China and are one of the hidden gems in any gardener's toolkit for flower bed design. These low to the ground unassuming herbaceous perennials are often semi-evergreen, so they act as both ground cover and flowering interest. Epimediums do their best in Mid-spring, so they can really help brighten up a dull flower border.
They are slow-growing so I do tend to water them each week as they establish. Once established they are really tough but give them a bit of love to help them on their way. They don't ask for much, sometimes I give mine a leaf mould mulch every few years to give them a bit of TLC. It's in spring when they put on their displays of hanging delicate flowers!
The name really does say it all and this brutal looking Epimedium is bound to stop visitors in their tracks! Don't be put off by the barbed wire appearance they're not that sharp. The wiry stems of the leaves often make them look at if they are hanging by threads as they dance in the wind.
This Epimedium is far less brutal-looking than 'Spine Tingler' but has a proliferation of yellow flowers in spring. It also has a burnt/mottled leaf colouration, which is really interesting. Smaller than 'Spine Tinger, ' this is a front-of-border specimen.
Now, for some burnt ember in the dry, shady border of this Epimedium, It's absolutely gorgeous, and I've used it many times in other Garden Designs over the years. It sends out these tiny little orange flowers in April that, to me, look like hanging bats! This should add a real wow factor to this border.
In my opinion, Tellima grandiflora is one of the most overlooked and underused plants. Not only does it have 'killer gap filler' foliage, but in April, it sends up tall spikes from which bell-like flowers emerge. It is also known as the 'Fringe cup'. It starts off pink, and then the flowers turn a creamy vanilla colour. Simply wonderful.
While it's never listed as a dry shade plant, I've used it many times in awkward dry spots to great effect. Once again, this shows how a mix of knowledge and experience in the garden brings a bounty of rewards. Always trust your own experience in the garden where possible.
It wouldn't be a Garden Ninja guide if I didn't include some contentious critic encouraging plant species. So here it is, the bloody dock. Often argued as a weed, shunned and vilified. These plants are beautiful and deserve more attention. They will cope with pretty much any situation and provide one of the best foils for shady spots due to their bloodshot leaves. You can also eat their acidic-tasting leaves in salads.
They are super easy to grow from seed and undemanding. I'd highly recommend you give them a go, especially as a spacer plant between other all-signing, all-dancing varieties.
Dry shade loving Hellebores are a fantastic plant for those awkward dry spots. They produce beautiful evergreen foliage and then in mid winter flower with the most delightful blooms. Often in places under trees where nothing else will grow. In my experience you will need to drench them once a week for the first few months until they establish. They can also take a few years to get settled and flower but once they do they are a delight.
Try not to divide or move Hellebores too often as they don't like root disturbance.
Pachysandra, also known as Japanese spurge, is a shade-loving evergreen ground cover that thrives in low-light areas. With its lush, glossy green foliage and small white spring flowers, pachysandra spreads quickly to form a dense, carpet-like mat, making it ideal for filling shaded garden beds and under trees where grass won’t grow. This low-maintenance plant is highly tolerant of dry shade and is perfect for creating year-round greenery in difficult spots.
Now it's time to cover off the most popular plants for shade, those that like damp roots and survive in shady moisture retentive garden borders. If you're looking for the most commonly found plants that love the shade, below is a list of beginner plants that thrive in darker gardens with little sun. This selection can be found at most garden centres or pet nurseries and won't break the bank, allowing you to garden to any budget with a shaded garden.
Pulmonaria (or promiscuous pulmonaria as I like to call it, as it self-seeds anywhere) has fantastic polka dot leaves and is brilliantly hardy. The polka dot leaves have a bristly texture and are really tough, surviving both drought and low levels of light. It can be used well for drifts or small pockets of garden interest.
Hosats are probably the most famous damp shade loving plants and you often see them online as an example of shade loving plants. Hostas come in hundreds of varieties and have broad, fleshy colour, rippled leaves. Some Hostas will even flower in the right conditions, sending up stems containing tiny flowers. Below is an example of Hosta undulata at Bodnant gardens. Showing off its textured leaves and flashes of white variegation.
One thing to bear in mind with Hostas is they are prime fodder for slugs when their new shoots emerge each year, so make sure you take precautions to prevent the slugs from March to May whilst they establish or they will either get munched before they can bloor or have holes all through their leaves.
Dicentra spectabilis, or 'bleeding heart' as it's more fondly known, loves the shade and produces fleshy soft stems with these heart-shaped flowers that do look like they could be bleeding. They almost look unreal when planted under a canopy or larger shrub. They originate from the poppy family cultivar called Papaveraceae. There has been some uproar over the reclassification of Dicentra spectabilis to Lamprocapnos spectabilis. I still refer to it in its original guise because I'm a creature of habit. They also are available with a white flower and white alba, which can really brighten a dark or shady garden area.
Lamium, or the non-stinging nettle, is also excellent shade plant. It has delicate flowers, usually pink or white, and variegated leaves. In my experience, it's really tolerant of neglect and can take pretty much anywhere. It has a habit of creeping, but some light maintenance can keep it in check. The flowers are beautiful and have an irregular flower form. I often think they look similar to mini orchids.
Dianella caerulea 'Little Jess' is a really tough shade-loving plant. For most of the year, it has dark green blade-like leaves. This is a great plant for awkward corners of the garden. It will tolerate both damp and some shade. It sends out beautiful flowers later in the year and has all-year-round colours. Liriope muscari 'Monroe White' is also a similar shade-tolerant plant.
The Japanese painted fern has silvery, purple-tinged foliage and thrives in moist, shaded spots. It adds a delicate texture to the garden and helps add more detail to flower beds. It can be left over winter for much-needed structure.
Astilbe is the quintessential damp, shady border plant that packs a punch. With feathery plumes of flowers in shades of white, pink, and red, It loves moist soil and partial to full shade. It surprises many beginner gardeners because its flowers are so vibrant, even in the shade.
Looking for a tropical-style plant that brings a feeling of the exotic even to shaded borders? Then look no further than the Leopard plant Ligularia. Known for its bold leaves and bright yellow or orange flowers, Ligularia thrives in damp, shaded areas and takes your planting for a run on the wild side.
Once you have this plant, it will never leave you. It's nearly impossible to kill and thrive in all but the driest of shady flower beds. It loves damp ground and growing under or around deciduous shrubs. This plant features arching stems with hanging, bell-shaped flowers and grows well in moist shade.
Another near-indestructible plant, lady mantle, will self-seed everywhere and copy in both deep shade and scorching full sun. It is probably the toughest plant I grow and features heavily in my low-maintenance garden schemes. Known for its soft, rounded leaves that hold dewdrops, Lady Mantle grows well in partial to full shade and damp soil.
Foamflower produces delicate white or pink flowers in spring and is an excellent ground cover for moist, shaded areas. Although it is often mistaken for Heucheras, as they have a very similar habit, it is more delicate and detailed and works fabulously in shaded container gardens or for rental properties where plants need to be relocated when you move.
If you're looking for high-impact early spring foliage, then Brunnera is the shade-loving plant for you. Often called "False Forget-Me-Not," this plant has heart-shaped leaves and small blue flowers and thrives in damp shade.
Last but not least, it is nearly impossible to destroy this shade-loving plants- Lysimachia. Creeping Jenny is a a low-growing ground cover with bright green foliage and yellow flowers, ideal for filling in shaded, damp spaces. It also grows in full sun and is an excellent addition to hanging baskets and container gardens, where it can spill over the edge and soften pots.
We've looked at herbaceous perennial plants (those that die back at the end of each year and then regrow the next) but what about shrubs, plants often used for structure in the garden. Luckily there are a range of fantastic sherubs that can cope with different levels of shade, so you can design amazing flower beds egvven if your dealing with a shady garden.
Here’s a more detailed look at ten wonderful shrubs that thrive in shady areas. Each offers unique foliage, flowers, and seasonal interest throughout the year, making them perfect for shaded parts of your garden. My advice is pick a few that flower during different seasons to help build succession planting in your garden. Lets jump in and review the top 10 shrubs for shade.
Hydrangeas are popular for their large, showy flower clusters, which come in shades of blue, pink, purple, or white, depending on soil pH. They prefer dappled or partial shade and need well-drained, moist soil. There are near endless species from lacecap to paniculata and even super compact varieties so do your research for the size and colour of Hyndrangea that works for your garden space and design.
Hydrangea macrophylla varieties bloom in mid-to-late summer and can reach heights of 3-6 feet. Their flowers and lush green foliage add beauty and structure to shaded garden spaces. Prune hydrangea in early spring following my super easy guide below.
Skimmia is an evergreen shrub known for its year-round appeal, with shiny, dark green leaves that stay vibrant through winter. In spring, Skimmia produces clusters of small, fragrant white flowers, which give way to bright red berries in female plants when pollinated. They add a bright blast of wintery colour to any garden and are near indestructable for the beginner gardener.
Growing 3-4 feet high, it’s an ideal choice for shady borders or as a focal plant in shaded areas, and it’s also low-maintenance once established.
Rhododendrons and Azaleas are beloved for their profuse spring blooms, which range from white and pink to deep purple and orange. These shrubs prefer dappled shade or morning sun with afternoon shade, thriving in slightly acidic, well-drained soil. They typically grow to 3-5 feet tall, with some dwarf varieties staying smaller, making them versatile for smaller garden spaces. Azaleas work well as foundation plantings, in borders, or under trees where they receive filtered light.
As Rhosodendrons flower in spring they can add a welcome shot of colour as your gardens waking up from its winter slumber. If you really want to wow your neighbours plant a winter shrub like Witch hazel and some autumn shrubs to create a garden that never really sleeps!
Camellias are prized for their stunning, rose-like flowers that bloom in late winter or early spring. With glossy, dark green foliage, camellias are evergreen, making them attractive year-round. They bring great form and structure to any garden and should be positioned at the back of flower beds and borders when designing your garden.
They come in various colors, including red, pink, and white. Camellias prefer partial to full shade with well-drained, slightly acidic soil and can grow to heights of 6-12 feet, depending on the variety. They add elegance and structure to shaded garden areas, as well as winter interest.
Boxwood is an adaptable evergreen shrub known for its dense, compact form and versatility in garden design. It can tolerate shade, especially in warmer climates, where it benefits from some relief from intense sun. Boxwoods are perfect for creating hedges, borders, or formal garden structures, as they respond well to pruning. Growing 2-6 feet tall, they maintain a tidy shape and add year-round greenery to shaded areas.
However, do take care as they can suffer from box blight or box caterpilla. A better alternative sometimes is Ilex crenata which looks similar, can be clipped and cut but doesn't suffer from the same devasting diseases as box does.
Daphne is a small, slow-growing shrub that rewards with its intensely fragrant flowers in late winter to early spring. The blooms are typically white or pink and stand out against the shrub’s dark green leaves. Daphnes do well in partial shade and require well-drained soil to avoid root rot. Reaching about 3 feet in height, Daphne is best placed where its delightful fragrance can be appreciated, such as near entryways or along shaded paths. I love planting them near front doors in large comntainers and adding shade loving spring bulbs to the container as well.
Fatsia, also known as Japanese aralia, brings a tropical look to shaded gardens with its large, glossy, deeply lobed leaves. Although it looks tropical its a bullet proof beginner shrub that's nearly impossible to kill and has practically no pests in the UK!
It’s an evergreen shrub that grows up to 6-10 feet tall and produces small, creamy-white flowers in late fall, followed by black berries. Fatsia tolerates full to partial shade and prefers well-drained, moist soil. It’s an excellent choice for adding bold texture and an exotic flair to shade gardens or as a backdrop for smaller shade plants.
Known as Oregon grape holly, Mahonia has distinctive, spiky, holly-like leaves that turn a deep bronze-purple in winter, adding seasonal interest. In late winter to early spring, it produces clusters of fragrant yellow flowers, which are followed by dark blue berries that attract birds. Mahonia is low-maintenance and grows well in full to partial shade. This hardy shrub can reach up to 5 feet in height and is perfect for naturalizing in woodland gardens.
Also known as Andromeda, Pieris is an evergreen shrub that produces cascading chains of white or pink, bell-shaped flowers in early spring. Its new growth often emerges in shades of red or bronze before maturing to green, adding year-round interest. Pieris thrives in partial shade and acidic, well-drained soil. This shrub typically grows 4-8 feet tall and works well in borders, woodland gardens, or shaded foundation plantings.
Be careful not to hard prune Peris as they take years to recover, be very tentative with pruning as they are slow growing and don't respond well. What can be nice is to crown lift the shrubs so the branches and trunk is bare with the top showing the foliage, mini bonsai if you will!
Sweet Box is a shade-loving evergreen known for its compact form and small, fragrant white flowers that bloom in late winter to early spring. The flowers are followed by shiny black berries, adding further interest. Sweet Box grows slowly to about 2-4 feet in height and spreads to form a dense, low-maintenance ground cover in shaded spots. It thrives in well-drained soil and is ideal for planting along shaded paths or under trees where space is limited.
While we've examined the different kinds of plants for shade, it is important to assess the level of shade your garden experiences to choose the best shade-loving plants. Below are the three main types of shade you may be dealing with. A shady garden may have several of these types of shade, so it's worthwhile noting what shade levels each area receives on an average day.
These gardens will likely be North Facing, surrounded by tall overhanging trees or adjacent buildings. The deep shade will also mean they will be drier, given that rain and other moisture will have difficulty reaching the lower areas. These areas also tend to be cold and dry. The plants you choose should be fully shade-loving, not just tolerant for these areas eg Hostas, Ferns and Ivy are great in deep shade.
These gardens may have some trees or buildings which, as the sun moves, cast shade over the garden in pockets. During the summer, when the trees are in full flower, the shade will be heavier, but in Autumn and spring, some light will get through.
These conditions are similar to woodland aspects, so woodland plants ideally work best here. It would be best if you looked for shade-tolerant plants. Flowering plants like Primulas are best as they flower before the trees develop their leaves. Snowdrops and Anemones are also good choices.
Nearly all gardens experience shade in parts, and the partially shaded areas can be used to their best advantage. Even a south facing garden will have some shade cast by trees, buildings or structures so make sure you review where the shade is in your garden.
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Whether in dappled shade or dry full shade, this list of plant heroes offers more choices for those awkward borders. By understanding your garden's shade, you can choose plants that work for your exact conditions. Don't just settle for the bare minimum; use this guide to help you pick beautiful floriferous or foliage plants that grow in any shade.
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Hi, wonder if you can help me please? I have a bed which is south west facing but I have two very large pine trees which cast shade and cover everything in pine needles as soon as the wind blows! Also the bed is at the end of the path that runs down the side of the house so the bed gets lots of wind. I’ve tried planting shade loving plants as it’s mostly in the shade but it does get a fair amount of hot sun in the summer so those plants really struggle, but it’s not sunny enough for sun lovers. Can you suggest some plants I could try for acid loving soil, many thanks