Shade gardeners often lament that there are limited plant choices for the shade garden. Untrue. Many plants that are known as sun lovers, like daylilies, actually enjoy the relief of partial shade, especially in hot areas. While Hostas now come in a wonderful array of colors and textures, you can add color to your shade garden with the following plants that aren't strictly shade plants, but which make wonderful shade or partial shade garden plants. When choosing plants for shade, you have to expand the box.
1. Aconitum fischeri - Monkshood
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Monkshood likes full sun, but is fine in partial shade. The blooms, which resemble monks’ hoods, hang along spiky stalks and can last for up to 2 months. Very pest and disease resistant. Note: All parts of this plant are poisonous. Zones 2 - 9
2. Aquilegia - Columbine
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Butterflies and hummingbirds can't resist the delicate, nectar filled blossoms of columbine. The bi-colored bell-shaped flowers come in a wide variety of colors, although you'll often find them for sale mixed. They are prone to leaf minor, but you can always cut the foliage back after it blooms. Zones 3 - 9
3. Astilbe - False Spirea
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Astilbes are one of those near perfect flowers. The fern-like foliage stays attractive all season. The flower plumes, in shades of whites, pinks, purples and reds, bloom once but last the whole season as they fade. Except for dividing astilbes to make more, they require no effort. A similar great plant to consider is Aruncus or Goat's Beard. Zones 4 - 9
4. Belamcanda chinensis - Blackberry Lily
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Belamcanda has the sword-shaped leaves of its cousin, the iris, but its flowers are distinctive. Small, flattened, star-shaped flowers often in orange but available in a range of colors, with or without spots bloom for a day each, over a period of several weeks in summer and fade to rounded seed pods. Zones 5 - 9
5. Cimicifuga racemosa- Bugbane, Black Cohosh, Black Snakeroot
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Black Cohosh can easily reach 6 - 8' in a season and adds great height and texture to the shade garden. The dense, deeply cut foliage gives rise to even taller stalks of bottle-brush white flowers in late summer or fall. Zones 3 - 9
6. Dicentra - Bleeding Heart
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Delicate bleeding hearts are work horses in the garden and they welcome the relief of shade. The common variety D. Spectabilis can be ephemeral in hot areas. The fringed varieties will repeat bloom throughout the summer. D. cucullaria, Dutchman's breeches, is another spring charmer with white blossoms resembling pantaloons. Zones 2 - 9
7. Epimedium - Barrenwort
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Epimedium is often dismissed as a slow growing ground cover, but they desesrve more respect. The spring blooming flowers come out in clusters and the foliage, which starts out almost lime green, changes to a rich red in fall. They’ll tolerate full sun to full shade and even the dry shade under trees. Zones 5 - 9
8. Primula - Primrose
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Primulas are one of the first flowers to bloom. Even their name tells you they are a spring flower. Primulas can handle some sun in the spring, but once things warm up, they’ll require at least partial shade. They also have a preference for moist, but well-drained soil. Colors are usually vibrant, sometimes bi-colored. Zones 3 - 9
9. Thalictrum aquilegifolium - Meadow Rue
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
Meadow Rue has columbine like foliage, with fuzzy white, pink or purple clusters of summer blossoms. Thalictrum takes care of itself and doesn’t like fuss or being moved, but they thrive in partial shade. They reach heights of 3 - 5 feet. Zones 3 - 9
10. Spring Blooming Woodland Flowers
Photo: © Marie Iannotti (2008) licensed to About.com, Inc.
- Brunnera macrophylla (Siberian Bugloss) - A close cousin of forget-me-nots. Zones 3 - 9
- Mertensia (Bluebells) - Ephemerals that dazzle then disappear. Zones 3 - 9
- Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon's seal) - Especially the variegated version with white edging. Zones 3 - 9
- Pulmonaria saccharata (Lungwort) - An early bloomer with white-spotted foliage. Zones 3 - 9
- Trillium grandiflorum (Wake Robin) - An early charmer with parts of 3. Zones 3 - 9
