Finding plants that thrive in partial or full shade can be frustrating. There are native plants that grow well in partial or full shade almost anywhere in North America. Here are a few of our favorites.
What Kind Of Shade Do You Have?
The first step in planning a native shade garden is to determine what kind of shade you have. Dappled shade happens when a tree shades the area under it and the sunlight only reaches the ground around the leaves. Many native plants love this kind of shade as it mimics what they would receive in a forest or woodland.
Partial shade is when the sun is completely blocked for some of the time and the sun reaches the ground between six and two hours of the day. It is often caused by a building or other permanent structure.
Full shade is when something blocks the sun completely and the ground only gets two or less hours of sunlight. Full shade is challenging to grow anything in, because the plant can’t photosynthesize enough to feed itself.
Using Texture For Garden Interest
Many shade-loving plants do not have prominent blooms. Using texture and different sizes and shapes can add interest to shade gardens that do not impress with flowers. For example, Hostas do not have impressive flowers, but the foliage comes in a variety of shades of green and white.
Soil Moisture
Soil moisture is as important in shade gardening as it is in gardening in the sun. Some shade-loving plants like wet feet and others prefer dry feet. Try to group plants with similar moisture requirements together so you don’t have problems.
Plants For Dappled Shade
Virginia Bluebells are a small plant that blooms in early spring as it carpets the forest floor. The sky-blue flowers are delicate looking and attract the eye. Virginia bluebells thrive in zones 3-9. Pollinators such as bees and butterflies frequent these flowers.
White Dogwood Trees are understory trees that get from 15-25 feet high. They do well in dappled shade under a larger tree. Dogwoods grow in zones 5-9. This dogwood has white blooms in the spring and red berries that birds eat in the fall. Pollinators and wildlife are attracted to this tree.
The PawPaw tree is a small understory tree that has an edible fruit. It is attractive to pollinators and wildlife who eat the fruit. The deep burgandy flowers often come out before the leaves do, creating a striking interest in the tree. The fruit of the paw paw tree is green and tastes delicious.
Black Cohosh is a green perennial that has striking flower stalks of white flowers. It grows in zones 3-8 and the flowers attract pollinators. Many women believe black cotash eases the symptoms of menopause. Black cohosh grows best in dappled or partial shade.
Elderberry Bushes grow in dappled light. They have long branches up to 12 feet long. The leaves are green and can be as large as 12 inches. The dark purple fruit attracts wildlife and can be made into jams, jellies, and wine. Elderberries grow in zones 3-9.
Spigelia Indian Pink has long, tubular red flowers that attract hummingbirds. It grows in zones 5-9. Spigelia Indian Pink prefers moist soils but can handle the occasional drought. The plant gets two feet tall and two feet wide. It needs dividing every two to three years.
Baneberry Doll Eye has interesting white berries with black tips that are attractive but poisonous. It grows in zones 3-8. The flowers attract pollinators and the berries attract birds and other wildlife. They remain on the plant several months into fall and winter, so provide winter interest. This plant likes moist soil.
Partial Shade
Many plants that grow in dappled shade also grow in partial shade, but not all of them do. The sun can be intense when it is shining on plants in the few hours it shines, and some plants cannot tolerate that intensity of sunlight.
Yarrow grows in sun or partial shade. The feathery leaves and flat topped white flowers are welcome in any shade garden. Yarrow grows in zones 3-9 and attracts pollinators. The strong smell repels insects and protects nearby plants from pests.
Full Shade
We have a shade fern package of ten ferns that do well in low light conditions. These ferns grow from early spring to fall and are great for that spot that is too shaded for most plants to grow in.
We Can Help
TN Nursery can recommend shade plants that will grow where you live. Just call us at 931.692.7325 and we can help you find the right plants for all your landscape areas.