Are you looking for shade-loving plants? Then we have lots of things to talk about!
Everyone wants to have a gorgeous garden filled with beautiful and colorful plants that will make them smile. It adds such a nice and subtle touch to any property, making it look dreamy and magazine-worthy.
If you’re not blessed with a sunny garden but still want to create the green oasis of your dreams, you’re in the right place. We’ve talked to professional gardeners about working with what you have, and we discovered the most stunning shade-loving plants for your space. They’re show-stoppers, colorful, delicate, and pretty; all of your neighbors will be green with envy. And the best part is that they will make every gloomy day feel special.
Are you ready to have the garden you always dreamed of? Then here are the best shade-loving plants you need:
1. Japanese forest grass
Japanese forest grass, scientifically known as Hakonechloa macra, is a pretty shade-loving plant that has mounds of cascading leaves. If you’re looking for eye-catching greenery, gardeners recommend choosing golden and variegated forms. Their colors will pop even in partial shade, so it will brighten up the space. Moreover, they’re good in pots, so don’t forget to check the Japanese forest grass out. You won’t be sorry.
2. Grandiflora “Ballerina” x Amelanchier
Grandiflora “Ballerina” is a shade-loving plant that will turn your garden into a dreamy wonderland. This one loves semi-shade and thrives in deeper shade in the summer.
Unless you’re blessed with a huge space, it’s best to get multi-stemmed varieties, which will impress you with brilliant fall color, summer berries, clouds of white blossoms, and coppery new leaves in spring. Such a lovely plant; no wonder gardens adore it!
3. Melica Uniflora
Described by many gardeners as a delicate and attractive shade-loving plant, Melica uniflora grows in wooded areas, on shady banks, and on alkaline soils. Once established, it quickly self-seeds and grows into upright clumps with stalks of delicate, rice-like blooms, and it looks stunning.
4. Hydrangeas
Do you have any favorite plants? I adore hydrangeas, and I think they add a sophisticated pop of color to any garden. If you like showing off your beautiful shrubs on social media, this shade-loving plant looks amazing on Instagram.
Once they’re established, these impressive shrubs will make your garden look happier and more summer-appropriate. Hydrangeas are resilient and tough, and you can choose from a variety of sizes and forms, including climbers.
If you love hydrangeas as much as I do and you’d like to have them in your garden, you can get lovely shrubs from here!
5. Ferns
Many ferns are evergreen and will grow happily in unfriendly environments. They come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, ranging from the graceful and moisture-loving Osmunda regalis to the hardy polystichum and shiny-leaved Asplenium. If you love green plants, you can’t go wrong with some daring and shiny ferns.
6. Barrenwort
Barrenwort, also known as Epimedium grandiflorum, is a great choice for those who want a pop of color without a shiny garden. This evergreen plant thrives in dry shade, providing reliable ground cover with its heart-shaped leaves and wiry branches. Don’t forget to trim clumps with shears to reveal emerging flowers above the leaves and enjoy the view.
7. Ivy
Hedera helix, or ivy, as it’s popularly known, is a fantastic shade-loving plant for anyone who wants more greenery in their gardens. English ivy is a climbing plant that looks beautiful and covers unsightly areas in a yard, such as a wall or man-made building. If you want an additional touch of green, this one is right for you!
8. Hardy Geraniums
The next shade-loving plant we’ll talk about is the hardy geranium. It will thrive in dry shade, and your garden will look incredible all day long. While G. Phaeum, G. Versicolor, and G. Endressii can be very ferocious and self-seed readily, G. Macrorrhizum and G. x Oxonianum make excellent ground cover plants in full or partial shade.
9. Hellebore
Hellebore, scientifically known as Helleborus orientalis, is a shade-loving plant that’s delicate and smells heavenly. According to experts, these perennials with leathery leaves are more resilient than their delicately hanging heads might suggest, and they’re fabulous throughout the winter and spring.
Plant them in a spot where you can gaze up into the blossoms, because they’re very pretty. The stinking hellebore, or H. foetidus, is a plant that thrives in extremely dry shade and only smells when you touch it. That’s such a lovely and unique thing about it, isn’t that right?
…If none of these shade-loving plants is suitable for your garden, we still have many others to talk about, so read along with us!
10. Clematis
If you love spring and want to add a delicate touch to your garden, you need to plant some gorgeous clematis. C. montana is a variety that blossoms in spring, while C. viticella flowers in the fall. They’re both excellent climbers in shaded areas, so make sure you put them in a place where they can climb a wall or squeeze through a tree or shrub. Don’t forget that they like their roots to be in shadow and their heads to be in the sun to thrive.
Are you ready to have the garden of your dreams? Then keep reading!
11. Fringe cups
Did you know that fringe cups are scientifically known as Tellima grandiflora? This shade-loving plant is rather tall, semi-evergreen, and loves to be around trees. The Fringe Cups is a ground-cover perennial, and it produces spires of bell-shaped, white, or green-tinged blooms above rosettes of leaves from May to July.
Even though it likes soil that retains moisture, it will thrive almost as well in dry shade. Do you like how delicate this plant looks? No wonder it is one of gardeners’ favorites.
12. Cyclamen Coum and Cyclamen Hederifolium
Cyclamen coum and Cyclamen hederifolium look stunning, and their lovely flowers are so colorful, they’ll put a small smile on your face. C. coum blooms in late winter and early spring, and it thrives in damp soil.
C. hederifolium is a little different, and it thrives in dry shade and flowers in August and September. If you think of planting these two in your garden, make sure to choose a spot where they won’t be disturbed. Once they’re established, they will quickly spread beneath your deciduous trees, making your space look like a fairytale garden.
13. Mountain laurel
Also known as Kalmia Latifolia, the mountain laurel is native to North America, where it grows untamed in forested areas. This pretty shade-loving plant enjoys partial shade and requires cool, rich, acidic soil when planted. It features year-round evergreen foliage and gorgeous red and white blooms in late spring. It’s a show-stopper, without a doubt.
14. Foam flower
The foam flower, or Tiarella cordifolia, as it’s known in the scientific world, is the last shade-loving plant on our list. This evergreen perennial blooms in late spring and early summer, and it also has lovely frothy white flower spikes that are held just above its sturdy heuchera-like leaves. It’s an excellent option for dry, deep shade, and the foliage will impress you with its bronze tints in the fall.
Do you know any other shade-loving plants that we didn’t include in our list? Let us know in the comments! If you have any requests for what you’d like to read next, feel free to share them with us. Would you plant any of these lovely shrubs? If you enjoyed this article and you’d like to check out something else from Gardeners and Plants, here’s a good post for you: 10 Delicious Must-Have Vegetables for Your Indoor Garden
