Shade Gardening

Shade-Loving Flowering Plants
Popular Shade Growing Plants for Foliage and Groundcover

Do you have dreams of a decked-out garden full of lush plants, but you’re stuck surrounded by trees and buildings that throw serious shade? Don’t worry, your dream garden is still totally attainable! While most plants require a great deal of sunshine to thrive, there are still loads of flowers that thrive in shade and are still just as bright and beautiful as the others. Follow this guide for selecting the best shade-tolerant garden plants to add a burst of color to your yard.

Shade-Loving Flowering Plants

A little shade won’t stop these fab flowers from living their best life. Put these ideas for shade plants in the dimmer corners of your yard, and they’ll instantly brighten up the place with their vibrant blossoms. 

Impatiens: Shady garden or not, this vivacious blossom is wildly popular among gardeners all over the world. They’re low-maintenance, easy to keep happy, available in so many cheerful colors, and they look fantastic in baskets and window boxes. While some varieties can be a bit susceptible to mildew if watered too much, New Guinea impatiens are quite resistant to fungus and will grow fabulously in moist soil under the shade.

Coral Bells: It’s not just the colorful flowers that get people buzzing about coral bells. While technically considered to be one of the best evergreen plants for shade, the foliage of these fabulous perennials can actually come in striking shades of purple, red and bronze. Most varieties bloom in late spring, but some types bloom later toward the fall, so if you plant a mix of different kinds of coral bells in your yard, you can enjoy these vivid blossoms almost all year round!

Popular Shade Growing Plants for Foliage and Groundcover

You may have a heavily shaded yard surrounded by a canopy of trees, or maybe you’ve just got a garden full of tall leafy plants that cast a lot of shade down below. Whatever the reason may be, it’s always a good idea to have some lush leafy greens to help fill out the garden and maintain a nice balance of flowers and foliage.

Hosta: This classic foliage plant has gorgeous wide leaves in a variety of different color patterns, but the bi-colored version featuring yellow-white leaf centers and deep green edging is commonly seen in shady gardens. They do blossom for a brief time in the summer, sporting white or purple blossoms atop tall, sturdy stems, but these perennials are beloved for their striking leaf coloring and quick spreading, making them fantastic groundcover plants to fill out gaps in the garden.

Coleus: Few foliage plants can compete with the spectacular color displays of the coleus. While many different color palettes exist within this family of ornamental plants, one of the most distinctive varieties features emerald green edging with neon magenta centers, like a cluster full of watermelon wedge candies! Just be careful if you’ve got pets— while coleus is safe for humans to handle, they can give your cats and dogs a gnarly rash, so try to keep them out of reach from your four-legged friends.

Growing a garden in the shade is easier than you think! It’s just a matter of picking the right plants and placing them in the right spots. You won’t have to worry about a shortage of color or visual interest— these tried-and-true shade growing plants are sure to liven up your outdoor landscape.