The 25 Best Shade-Loving Plants to Beautify Your Garden

Sun-loving plants may get all the attention, but full-shade plants work hard in the background to keep your yard looking good. They're stunning too: Many beautiful annuals, perennials, shrubs, and ornamental grasses love the shade. Whether you're looking for something to plant under a fast-growing shade tree, in flower beds, hanging baskets, or containers on a backyard patio, there's a wide variety of plants that grow in the shade and can add color and interest to your outdoor spaces.

Just know that there are different levels of shade-loving growth. A full-shade plant needs fewer than three hours of direct sunlight during the day—in other words, it wants up to 21 hours of shade. Partial shade means a plant needs only three to six hours of shade a day. The amount of sun and the timing of it can be important for shade plants to thrive too. Some shade lovers, such as flowering shrubs, bloom best with some sun—preferably in the morning because the hot afternoon sun is too intense, especially during the summer months. If you're looking to plant shrubs or perennials, which come back year after year, make sure they're suited to your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone. After all, there's no sense in spending money on plants that won't survive the winter.

Ahead, find the 30 best shade plants to brighten up any dark spot in your garden.

 

1

Vinca Minor Periwinkle Vine

These rich, purple blooms provide a burst of color to your garden from late spring into the fall months. Shade-tolerant and hardy, this shade-loving plant is great for gardening beginners. They thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 through 8.

 

2

'Chocolate Chip' Bugleweed

Ideally used for ground cover in sparse areas of your garden, this variety of bugleweed boasts spiky, violet flowers with a dark green and brown foliage base. Because this shade-loving plant is so dense, it helps to control stubborn weeds that love to pop through. Plant in USDA Zones 4 through 9.

 

3

'Chantilly Lace' Goatsbeard

This deer-resistant plant grows primarily vertically, making it a great space-saving variety for smaller gardens. The bright, cream blooms are soft and fluffy, adding a dimensional texture to your landscaping. Plant in USDA Zones 3 through 7.

 

4

Cherry Heuchera

This shade-loving plant is the epitome of the fall color palette in a single plant. The vibrant orange and red foliage keeps its color throughout the long growing season, even in full shade. This perennial will also survive through mild to moderate winters.

 

5

'Queen of Hearts' Siberian Bugloss

Grown best in USDA Zones 3 through 8, this shade-loving plant blooms silver-blue, heart-shaped flowers whether in full sun or full shade. Ideal for those looking for deer-resistant plant varieties, the Siberian Bugloss is known for its hardy nature.

 

6

Blue Oat Grass

For those who live in a cold climate or experience harsh winters, blue oat grass is a great bet for year-round color and interest. It never loses its silver-blue hue, no matter the temperature, and you don't have to worry about it getting too much shade. This is a great option for those looking to add more ornamental grasses to their landscaping.

 

7

Foxglove

This biennial is often grown as an ornamental plant because of its vivid flowers. This shade-loving plant's bright colors attract both people and animals (including pollinators like bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds), but it's important to remember that all parts of a foxglove plant are extremely toxic and poisonous.

 

8

Gigantea Primrose

Hardy and colorful, primrose flowers are popular among gardeners all across the country since they can thrive in hot and cold climates. Primroses appreciate the morning sun but do their best in partial to full shade.

 

9

Browallia

Gaining in popularity as an alternative to impatiens, this beautiful annual comes in shades of periwinkle blue, white, and violet on mounding foliage. It's an attractive choice for shady baskets, window boxes, and containers, reaching about a foot wide and tall.

 

10

Hosta

Hostas range from a petite four inches to as big as six feet across! These shade-loving plants are great for adding beautiful texture and greenery. Just be aware that these perennials are a favorite of deer and rabbits. If those creatures visit your garden frequently, consider planting something less tasty.

 

11

Marginata Lime Sweet Potato Vine

If you're looking for a vining annual that works equally well in sun and shade, a sweet potato vine is the answer. This pretty plant comes in shades of purple, burgundy, and chartreuse and looks fabulous spilling over the sides of containers and window boxes.

 

12

Shade Porch Hummingbird Begonia

Begonias do well in a variety of conditions, including full shade. Depending on the variety, they can range from six inches to three feet tall and six to 18 inches wide. Some types are grown primarily for their striking variegated foliage. Most are considered annuals.

 

13

Ligularia

Ligularia, which is sometimes called the leopard plant, has large, showy leaves and bright flowers in shades of yellow. This shade-loving perennial is especially happy in boggy or wet conditions. It can grow anywhere from three to eight feet tall and two to four feet wide.

 

14

Bambini Viola

These happy-faced flowers tolerate full sun in spring and fall, but come summer, they'll need part shade. They often die back in hot weather and revive when things cool down. They're annuals but some types self-seed and may appear again next spring.

 

15

Epimedium x warleyense 'Orange Queen'

Also known as bishop's hat because of its flowers' unique shape, epimedium thrives in part to full shade and blooms from mid to late spring. This perennial can grow between eight and 12 inches tall and 12 to 36 inches wide. It's a great ground cover for shady spots.

 

16

Brunnera Jack Frost

Often used as a ground cover, this perennial is known for its tiny flowers that bloom in the spring. It also has charming heart-shaped foliage with white variegation, making it a delightful shade-loving plant whether it's in bloom or not.

 

17

Red Bleeding Heart Seeds

Known as bleeding hearts (and you can see why!), these charming perennials are a must-have in any shade garden. Depending on the variety, they can grow between six inches and three feet tall and one and three feet wide.

 

18

Tradescantia Ohio Spiderwort Flower

This pretty shade-loving plant with a fun name blooms in midsummer and prefers moist yet well-drained soil. Expect it to grow to between six inches and three feet tall, depending on the variety.

 

19

Hellebore

This gorgeous perennial looks delicate but is actually tough as nails. It's also called the Lenten rose because it blooms in late winter to early spring, around the time of Lent. It's available in a profusion of colors ranging from pure white to the deepest pinks and almost black. Depending on the variety, you can expect a hellebore plant to grow between one and three feet tall and wide.

 

20

Heuchera

Heuchera, also known as coral bells, is one of the most versatile perennials for any garden. Most types grow in light ranging from full sun to full shade, so read the tag to be sure which kind you're buying. It has small flower spikes in midsummer but is grown mainly for its striking foliage that spans every color of the rainbow from chartreuse to purple-black. The plant's size ranges from one to two feet tall and six to 30 inches wide.

 

21

Astilbe

Astilbe needs shade so its pretty flower plumes won't scorch in the sun. Plant this perennial in drifts, or clumps, among other spring-flowering, shade-loving plants like ferns and hellebores to show it off to the best effect. It comes in many shades including pale pink, creamy white, and the hot pink seen here.

22

Japanese Painted Fern

There's a reason why ferns are often found in moist, shady forests: They love light to moderate shade. These perennials come in an array of lovely, lacy forms and spread into a beautiful ground cover over time. They can reach up to a few feet tall, depending on the variety. Just make sure to choose a variety that can survive winters in your climate.

 

23

Chinese Ground Orchid

Bletilla, also known as the Chinese ground orchid, is a stunning low-maintenance addition to any garden. Plant the bulbs the previous fall for spring blooms, and protect this plant from the harsh afternoon sun if you want it to look its best. Expect it to grow to between one and three feet tall and six to 12 inches wide.

 

24

Dead Nettle

The unglamorous name of this perennial is distracting because it's actually a pretty, reliable ground cover that needs almost zero care. Also called lamium, this shade-loving plant has silvery or variegated foliage with white, yellow, pale pink, or purple blooms.

 

25

Interstella Lily of the Valley Shrub

This stunning shrub, also called pieris, is one of the first to bloom in spring. Its blooms are very long-lasting, and it can handle some morning sun.

 

26

Foamflower

Foamflower, also called tiarella, is a cold-hardy perennial that blooms with masses of frothy flowers in early spring. If you want these delicate flowers to look their best, make sure they're in part to full shade—especially in more southern zones. They'll reach about a foot tall and wide.

 

27

Coleus

These gorgeous annuals are grown primarily for their striking leaf colors that range from lime green to deep red with tiny flower spikes in summer. Coleus typically likes shade, but some newer varieties will tolerate the sun. Check the plant label to be sure of what you're getting. In general, they range from one to three feet tall and wide.

 

28

Lobelia Cascade

This sweet annual looks best cascading from baskets and containers. Lobelia doesn't like the heat, so make sure it's in full shade and keep it watered well. If it starts to look shaggy in midsummer, trim it; it'll rebound in the cooler weather of fall. This plant stays relatively small, topping out around at around six to eight inches tall with a draping form.

 

29

Japanese Forest Grass

Ornamental grasses are great for adding greenery and volume to your garden that'll last even through the scalding summer months. This deciduous perennial grass is known for its bright yellow-green hue and dense growth, which makes it ideal for ground coverage.

 

30

Fuchsia 'Dark Eyes'

Fuchsias are an eye-catching annual that drapes beautifully from pots and hanging baskets and blooms all season long. Best of all? Hummingbirds will flock to this shade-loving plant's gorgeous flowers in purples, pinks, and whites! Keep this plant in full shade.