For many gardeners, shady areas are problem spots in the home landscape. Many plants, however, perform well in shady areas. Selecting and planting shade-tolerant plants can turn a shady problem site into a beautiful garden.
How Much Shade Do You Have?
When selecting plant materials, gardeners should consider the degree of shade at the site. Some plants thrive in partial shade, others tolerate heavy shade. Areas on the north side of buildings or under the canopy of dense shade trees receive little or no direct sunlight. Only plants that grow well in heavy shade should be planted in these sites. Partial shade can be described as areas that receive a few hours of direct sun but are shaded much of the day.
Care of Shade Perennials
Some shade gardens, particularly those under the canopy of trees, can be quite dry. These perennials compete with tree roots for water (and the trees usually win!). Supplemental irrigation is beneficial in these areas when soil conditions are dry.
A layer of organic mulch not only helps hold in moisture but can also reduce weeds. While weeds may not spread quite as aggressively in shade gardens, they will still be a problem without some management. Often, mulch can reduce weeding to an occasional and simple chore.
Many of the shade-tolerant perennials are native to woodland sites. Add organic matter, such as compost or peat, and incorporate to a depth of 6 to 8 inches prior to planting. The organic matter improves soil drainage and helps to conserve soil moisture.
Perennials for Shade
The following perennials are good choices for partially to heavily shaded sites.
Perennials Adapted to Partial Shade
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Height | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Snakeroot | Actaea racemosa | 4-6 ft. | Flowers are tall |
| Doll's Eyes | Actaea pachypoda | 18-30 in. | Fruit is round and white with a distinctive dot (hence the common name) |
| Columbine | Aquilegia spp. | 1-3 ft. | Flowers come in shades of white, yellow, pink, red, blue, purple |
| Dwarf Goat's Beard | Aruncus aethusifolius | 12 in. | Korean native, plant somewhat runcus resembles a sm. white astilbe |
| Goat's Beard | Aruncus dioicus | 4-6 ft. | Native to North America |
| Astilbe | Astilbe spp. | 10-24 in. | Flowers are fluffy plumes of white, pink,red,or lavender |
| Tuberous Begonia | Begonia × tuberhybrida | 12-18 in. | Tender, tubers must be dug in fall |
| Bergenia | Bergenia cordifolia | 12 in. | Best feature is large, shiny leaves |
| Siberian Bugloss | Brunnera macrophylla | 12-18 in. | Produces small, blue forget-me-not-like flowers |
| Caladium | Caladium × hortulanum | 1-2 ft. | Tender,tubers must be dug in fall |
| Turtlehead | Chelone spp. | 2-3 ft. | Flowers resemble the head of a turtle |
| Bugbane | Cimicifuga racemosa | 3-8 ft. | Well suited to background areas |
| Fringed Bleeding Heart | Dicentra eximia | 12-18 in. | Foliage has a ferny texture |
| Shooting Star | Dodecatheon meadia | 12-18 in. | Native to eastern Iowa. Flowers petals sweep upward forming "shooting star" |
| Barrenwort | Epimedium spp. | 12 in. | Groundcover, small flowers somewhat resemble columbine |
| Queen-of-the-Meadow | Filipendula ulmaria | 3-4 ft. | Flowers are white |
| Coral Bells | Heuchera spp. | 12-24 in. | Many different foliage types. Flowers can be quite ornamental too. |
| Bleeding Heart | Lamprocapnos spectabilis | 1-3 ft. | Heart-shaped flowers are produced on arching stems. |
| Creeping Lily-Turf | Liriope spicata | 8-12 in. | Groundover. Grass-like foliage. Spreads quickly by rhizomes |
| Gooseneck Loosestrif | Lysimachia clethroides | 3 ft. | White curving flower stalk |
| Woodland Phlox | Phlox divaricata | 12-15 in | Woodland native, blue flower |
| Creeping Phlox | Phlox stolonifera | 4-6 in | Spring flowers are very colorful |
| Lungwort | Pulmonaria spp. | 8-12 in. | Fuzzy leaves are less likely to browsed on by deer |
| Siberian Squill | Scilla siberica | 3-6 in. | spring blooming blubs, bright blue flowers |
| Meadow Rue | Thalictrum spp. | 1-6 ft. | Size varies greatly among specaies. Plants have fine-textured foliage |
| Foam Flower | Tiarella cordifolia | 6-12 in. | White flowers,attractive foliage |
Perennials Adapted to Heavy Shade
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Height | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madenhair Fern | Adiantum pedaturm | 10-18 in. | Fine-textured foliage |
| Bugleweed | Ajuga reptans | 6-9 in | Aggressive groundcover, blue flowers |
| Jack-in-the-pulpit | Arisaema triphyllum | 1-2 ft. | Woodland native. Needs moist soil |
| Wild Ginger | Asarum spp. | 6-10 in. | Creeping rootstalks and leaves have ginger-like fragrance |
| Lady Fern | Athyrium nipponicum 'Pictum' | 2-3 ft. | An easy to grow fern |
| Lily-of-the-Valley | Convallaria majalis | 6-12 in. | Groundcover, can become invasive |
| Shield or Wood Fern | Dryopteris spp. | 2-3 ft. | Large group of ferns |
| Sweet Woodruff | Galium odoraturm | 6-8 in. | Groundcover. Plants produce white fragrant flowers in spring |
| Hosta | Hosta spp. | 4-36 in. | Dependable perennial. Numerous species and varieties available |
| Yellow Archangel | Lamiastrum galeobdolon | 12-18 in. | Yellow flowers, silver variegated foliage, also known as Galeobdolon luteum |
| Spotted Deadnettle | Lamium maculatum | 6-8 in. | Groundcover |
| Ostrich Fern | Matteuccia struthiopteris | 4 ft. | Coarse-textured fern with large fronds. |
| Virginia Bluebells | Mertensia virginica | 1-2 ft. | Early spring-blooming perennial. Plants produce nodding clusters of blue flowers. |
| Cinnamon Fern | Osmunda cinnamomea | 2-4 ft. | Fertile fronds resemble cinnamon sticks |
| Japanese Pachysandra | Pachysandra terminalis | 6-8 in. | Groundcover. Often winter burns in exposed sites |
| Mayapple | Podophyllum peltatum | 12-18 in. | Woodland native. Spreads by rhizomes forming colonies |
| Solomon's Seal | Polygonatum spp. | 2-5 ft. | Woodland native. Long, arching stems bear greenish white flowers |
| False Solomon's Seal | Smilacina racemosa | 3 ft. | Woodland native |
| Celandine Poppy | Stylophorum spp. | 18 in. | Produces bright yellow flowers and deeply cut, oak-like leaves |
| Merrybells | Uvularia spp. | 1-2 ft. | Woodland native. Produces nodding, yellow flowers |