Stephen Albert
Few garden annuals or perennials will succeed in dense shade. Where no sun penetrates, the list of plants for growing in shade is almost wholly restricted to plants native to thick woodlands.
Where there are two or three hours of sun each day, or flickering shade from trees, some garden favorites will bloom satisfactorily.
Get to know your shade
Study your garden to determine where shade occurs and for how long. There are all degrees of shade; light shade caused by high branches of an open-growing tree, dense shade caused by a grove of evergreen trees, and intermittent shade caused by a building or tree interrupting continual direct sunlight.
Full shade occurs where there is virtually no sunshine. The ground in full shade can be cold and poorly prepared. When it gets wet, it stays wet.
When planting in full shade, prepare the soil by digging the ground deeply and adding or replacing some of the soil with large quantities of acid soil amendments (most full shade plants are acid-loving). Check the soil often to be sure it is not soggy.
Annual and perennial flowers for full shade
| A-B Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
| Agapanthus | Agapanthus spp. | 8-10 |
| Ajuga | Ajuga spp. | 3-9 |
| Amethyst Flower | Browallia speciosa | Annual |
| Arum, Italian | Arum italicum | 6-10 |
| Astilbe | Astilbe spp. | 3-8 |
| Begonia, Hardy | Begonia grandis | 6-10 |
| Begonia, Wax | Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum | Annual |
| Bleeding Heart | Dicentra spp. | 3-9 |
| Brunnera, Heart-Leaf | Brunnera macrophylla | 3-8 |
| Bugbane | Cimicifuga spp. | 3-8 |
| C-D Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
| Cardinal Flower | Lobelia spp. | 2-9 |
| Cast iron Plant | Aspdistra elatior | 8-10 |
| Christmas Rose | Helleborus niger | 3-9 |
| Coleus | Solenostemum scuttellarioides | Annual |
| Columbine | Aquilegia spp. | 3-9 |
| Coral bells | Heuchera sanguinea | 3-9 |
| Corydalis | Corydalis spp. | 4-8 |
| Cupflower | Nierembergia spp. | Annual |
| Cyclamen, Hardy | Cyclamen hederifolium | 7-9 |
| Daylily | Hemerocallis spp. | 3-10 |
| Dead Nettle, Spotted | Lamium maculatum | 3-9 |
| E-G Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
| Epimedium | Epimedium spp. | 4-9 |
| Ferns | varies | |
| Flowering Tobacco | Nicotiana spp. | Annual |
| Foam Flower, Allegheny | Tiarella cordifolia | 4-9 |
| Forget-Me-Not, Chinese | Cynoglossum amabile | Annual |
| Forget-Me-Not, Woodland | Myosotis sylvatica | Annual |
| Foxglove | Digitalis purpurea | 4-8 |
| Fuchsia | Fuchsia spp. | 8-10 |
| Geranium, Hardy | Geranium spp. | 3-8 |
| Goatsbeard | Aruncus dioicus | 3-7 |
| Goldenstar | Chrysogonum virginianum | 5-9 |
| H-M Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
| Hellebore | Helleborus spp. | 5-9 |
| Hosta | Hosta cultivars | 3-8 |
| Impatiens | Impatiens spp. | Annual |
| Kafir lily; Clivia | Clivia miniata | 9-11 |
| Lady’s Mantle | Alchemilla mollis | 4-7 |
| Lenten Rose | Helleborus orientalis | 4-9 |
| Ligularia | Ligularia spp. | 5-8 |
| Lily-of-the-Valley | Convallaria majalis | 3-8 |
| Mimulus | Mimulus x hybridus | Annual |
| Mondo Grass | Ophiopogon japonicus | 7-9 |
| Money Plant, Honesty | Lunaria annua | 4-8 |
| Monkshood | Aconitum spp. | 3-7 |
| O-V Common Name | Botanical Name | Zones |
| Obedient Plant | Physostegia virginiana | 2-9 |
| Pansy | Viola x wittrockiana | Annual |
| Phlox, Creeping | Phlox stolonifera | 2-8 |
| Pigsqueak; Bergenia | Bergenia spp. | 3-8 |
| Primrose | Primula spp. | 5-8 |
| Pulmonaria; Lungwort | Pulmonaria saccharata | 3-8 |
| Queen-of-the-prairie | Filipendula rubra | 3-8 |
| Salvia, Annual Red | Salvia splendens | Annual |
| Sweet Alyssum | Lobularia maritima | Annual |
| Sweet Woodruff | Galium odoratum | 4-8 |
| Trillium | Trillium spp. | 4-8 |
| Turtlehead, Pink | Chelone lyonii | 3-8 |
| Vinca; Periwinkle | Vinca spp. | Varies |
| Violet | Viola spp. | Varies |
| Virginia Bluebells | Mertensia virginica | 3-7 |
Also of interest:
Annuals and Perennials for Part Shade
