Plants You Can Grow in the Shade Or Shade Loving Perennials

All plants need sunlight to survive. It is, after all, necessary for the production of food that nourishes plants from root to leaves. However, not all plants wither and die in low-light conditions. 

There are plant species that not only survive but also thrive despite not being in direct sunlight. Shade tolerant plants adapt well to the shade and are an excellent choice for growing a beautiful shade garden.

Today we’ll be looking at plants that grow and thrive in low-light areas. Let’s get started!

Shade Loving Perennials

Hydrangea

Hydrangea is a deciduous shrub that is native to Japan. They are known for their clustered blooms that come in a wide variety of colors including white, blue, red, pink, and purple depending on the acidity of soil they’re grown in. These plants grow perfectly in partial shade.

Ferns

Ferns are a popular choice for shade gardens because of their ability to grow moist and shady areas. Their frilly leaves may look delicate but these plants are hardier than you think. They also add colorful interest to your garden. 

For example, Autumn ferns change their colors along with the season. In the spring, they start out as coppery pink before turning green in the summer. When fall comes, this cultivar turns into a warm shade of rust.

Hosta

Hosta plants are hardy Shade Loving Perennials that thrive well in shade gardens. They live long and are known for their attractive foliage that run from pale yellows to deep blue-greens. They also come in a wide variety of sizes, heights, textures, and colors. What’s more, hostas bloom beautiful white or purple flowers so they make a viable option for making a shade garden beautiful.

Impatiens

Impatiens or touch-me-nots are annual or perennial herbs with succulent stems. Too much sun can actually wither these plants making them perfect for shade gardens. These low maintenance plants have blue-green foliage and flowers that come in different colors like blue, purple, red, orange, white, pink, and yellow.

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding Heart is known for its heart-shaped pink and white flowers. It belongs to the poppy family and originated in Asia. These Shade Loving Perennials grow best in partial shade with rich and moist soil. They bloom in the spring until early summer. 

Pansies

Pansies are fragrant and edible blooms that resemble faces that are either white, yellow, purple, or blue. The garden pansy grows best in rich soil in a damp, cool climate. They bloom in autumn and in spring before the summer heat.

Foamflower

Tiarella or foamflower are garden plants native to Asia and North America that belong to the saxifrage family. This shade-loving plant produces sprays of small flowers that shoot up in spires from a small mound of foliage. They are low maintenance, they bloom in the spring, and they have a colorful foliage that grow in the autumn. These perennials also make for a good ground cover.

Azaleas

Azaleas are flowering shrubs that bloom in the spring with their flowers lasting several weeks. They are very shade tolerant and they grow well near or under shade trees. They feature red, pink, and white blossoms and they thrive in acidic, well-drained soil and moderate temperatures.

Canadian Hemlock

Canadian Hemlock are members of the pine family. These evergreen plants are pyramidal in shape and thrive in partial shade with rich and moist soil. These feature soft, feathery evergreen needles that are deep green with two parallel, whitish bands on the underside. They form a flat, horizontal spray on the twig.

Boston Ivy

Boston Ivy is a flowering plant in the grape family native to eastern Asia in Korea, Japan, and northern and eastern China. These deciduous, shade loving perennials vine with bluish fruits and bright red fall foliage. These are ornamentals that are often grown on buildings, walls, and fences for its aesthetic beauty.

Astilbe

Astilbe are hardy herbaceous perennials that are cultivated by gardeners for their large, handsome, often fern-like foliage and dense, feathery plumes of flowers. They feature long-blooming, plume-like flowers in soft shades of white, pink and red, and the flowers are held on tall, stiff stalks, above the airy foliage.

These plants bloom from spring to summer and they thrive in either full sun or partial shade. 

Dead Nettle

Dead nettles are herbaceous plants native to Europe, Asia, and northern Africa. They thrive in shade with rich and moist soil conditions. They have flowers that come in white, purple and pink, and silver-variegated leaves.

While there are challenges to growing a shade garden, you can still grow lush ornamentals as long as you know which species to plant. The plants listed above are just some of the most beautiful options for you to choose from. 

Have you successfully grown shade loving perennials in your garden? Tell us your experiences in the comments below.

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