15 Plants That Can Thrive In The Shade

Shade can present a challenge in gardening, but it doesn’t mean the end of your gardening journey. Plenty of plants thrive in shady areas, bringing life to those dimmer corners of your garden or home. These slides will introduce you to 15 shade-loving plants to bring home or to your garden.

Hostas

These plants have lush leafage, which comes in blue and green shades, and even variegated varieties. Their resilience and ability to thrive in shady conditions make them popular for gardens with limited sunlight.

Ferns

With their graceful fronds and rich green leaves, ferns add a touch of elegance to shady places. These relatively low-maintenance plants can flourish in various soil conditions, making them a versatile choice for shady gardens.

Bleeding Heart

This perennial plant gets its name from its heart-shaped flowers, which dangle delicately from arching stems. They bloom in shades of pink and white, adding a romantic and whimsical touch to shaded areas.

Lungwort

Also called pulmonaria, this plant has unique spotted leaves and clusters of tubular flowers. It blooms in early spring, providing much-needed color to shady parts when few other plants are flowering.

Astilbe

Astilbes are known for their feathery plumes of flowers, which come in shades of pink, red, and white. Get them if you need a hue splash or more texture in your shady gardens, especially when planted en masse.

Japanese Forest Grass

This ornamental grass has striking foliage ranging from bright green to golden yellow. It adds color and texture to shady spots, especially when backlit by the sun.

Hellebores

Also called Lenten roses, hellebores are prized for their early spring flowers, which come in shades of white, pink, purple, and green. They are a welcome sight in shady gardens, often blooming when few other plants are in flower.

Caladium

Caladiums have lively-colored leafage, which comes in shades of pink, red, green, and white. These plants add a tropical feel to shady gardens and can be used in containers or as border plants.

Heuchera

Heucheras, or coral bells, are known for their colorful foliage and delicate flowers. Besides being a go-to for those who want something interesting, they attract pollinators like bees and butterflies.

Tiarella

Also known as foam flowers, tiarellas produce delicate white or pink flowers that resemble foam. They add a soft, airy feel to shady parts and are useful as ground covers or in woodland gardens.

Brunnera

Brunneras have heart-shaped leaves and bring forth small blue flowers in spring. These charming flowers will beautify your garden. They can serve as border plants or in containers.

Ajuga

This low-growing ground cover has colorful foliage and blue, pink, or white flower spikes. Ajugas form a dense carpet of hue in shady areas, often used to suppress weeds and make garden beds look more interesting.

Lamium

Here is another low-growing ground cover. It has silver-variegated foliage and pink, purple, or white flowers. Lamiums add a bright color to shady spots and are commonly used in rock gardens or as edging plants.

Begonias

Begonias come in many varieties, including some that thrive in shade. They produce colorful flowers and have attractive leafage. These flowers make shady spots beautiful and add interest, especially in containers or hanging baskets.

Foxglove

These tall, stately plants produce spikes of tubular flowers in yellow, purple, pink, and white shades. They add vertical interest to shady gardens and are loved by bees and hummingbirds.