Our Top Ten Plants for Shade

Not everyone can have a south facing garden and shaded beds needn’t be problematic or boring. Although shady areas can be restricting there is still a huge range of plants that will flourish in these beds. Sun filled gardens aren’t the only places brimming with flowers and there are a great number of plants with colourful and exciting foliage. Here are some of our favourite plants for those shady spots.

RUDBECKIA FULGIDA VAR. SULLIVANTII ‘GOLDSTURM’

Otherwise known as black eyed Susan Rudbeckia is a great plant to add a splash of colour at the end of the season and its daisy like flowers last into autumn for a bit of sunshine when the days get shorter. It’s also a good plant for pollinators which is especially useful after summer. It’s happy in the shade (although not deep shade) and looks great paired with ornamental grasses.

Cheerful yellow daisy flowers of Rudbeckia

ANEMONE X HYBRIDA ‘HONORINE JOBERT’

This is one of our very favourite plants. It’s happy in both full sun and full shade and everywhere in between which makes it a very useful plant. Its leaves form good ground cover and tall white flowers emerge in late summer lasting into autumn. It’s a great plant to add height and interest later in the season.

Japanese anemone tall white flowers with contrasting yellow stamens

HEUCHERA ‘GREEN SPICE’

Now available in a huge range of colours there is space for Heuchera in every garden. They prefer partial shade but can tolerate shadier as well as sunnier spots so they’re a great ground cover option to repeat around the garden. We love the brighter coloured options which add a splash of colours in darker spots. The tall flower spikes (where they get the name Coral Bells) also add taller vibrant colour. They’re also evergreen in milder winters so are great for year round interest.

Heuchera are available in a huge range of colours from these deeply veined green leaves to bright pink options

DRYOPTERIS WALLICHIANA

Ferns are a go to for shady spots as there are so many varieties that are happy in spots ranging from dappled shade to deep canopies. There are a huge number to choose from varying in shape, size and colour. Evergreen ferns are great for year round structure but can get a little tatty in the winter so you may want to consider deciduous options for great spring growth. One of our favourites is Dryopteris wallichiana which has contrasting black stems against the green fronds. It’s on the larger side so looks great towards the back of the border under trees.

Ferns are a must have for any shady garden, we particularly love the contrasting stems of Dryopteris wallichiana

It’s also worth working out exactly what sort of shade you’re dealing with. A spot completely shaded by dense tree canopies all day long will have different needs to an area that gets three hours of sunlight around midday. Many plants can thrive in part or dappled shade but not as many will do well in full shade. Shady spots can have quite wet soil but underneath trees can often be quite dry since the tree roots are taking up a lot of the water so the soil condition is worth bearing in mind as well.

CAREX ‘ICE DANCE’

Grasses are another great option for providing contrasting textures and there are many that do well in shade. There are many varieties of Carex but we’re highlighting ‘Ice Dance’ which has striking variegated cream leaves. It also has flower spikes in the spring for an additional soft texture plus it’s evergreen so you’ll retain the structure all year round. ‘Ice Dance’ is happy everywhere from full sun to full shade which makes it ideal for repeating around a garden.

The variegated leaves of Carex ‘Ice Dance’ brighten up dark corners and add texture to planting schemes

AJUGA REPTANS ‘CHOCOLATE CHIP’

Another great option for ground cover is the evergreen matt forming Ajuga. Usually found with darker leaves we prefer the cultivar ‘Chocolate Chip’ which has foliage with a range of green and purple colours. This brightens up shadier areas especially combined with its spikes of blue flowers in early summer. It’s an excellent choice to cover up bare soil in otherwise hard to grow areas under trees or shrubs.

Ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ has a gorgeous range of colours in its mat-forming foliage

VIBURNUM TINUS ‘EVE PRICE’

Viburnums are a great shrub for shade as most grow in the darkest spots. We love ‘Eve Price’ which doesn’t get as big as some varieties and has particularly lovely white/pink flowers. It has a long and particularly early flowering period starting in the winter so it’s great for early pollinators. The flowers are followed by blue black berries which are also great for attracting birds to your garden. It’s also evergreen so gives you year round structure.

We love the deep pink buds opening to white starry flowers appearing early in the year on Viburnum ‘Eve Price’

FATSIA JAPONICA

The striking evergreen foliage of Fatsia japonica makes an excellent feature in any garden. It does well in full shade (as well as full sun) which means it’s a good choice for a difficult spot under a tree canopy. Aside from the leaves it has attractive white flowers followed by black berries which are all great for wildlife, in early autumn the plant is often found covered in bees.

The palmate leaves of Fatsia japonica look almost tropical but are a great option for a shady bed

HYDRANGEA PANICULATA ‘BOBO’

Hydrangeas are a great shrub for shade and they come in so many shapes and colours that there’s one for everyone. Many get very big so we’ve picked ‘Bobo’ which is a dwarf variety and more suitable for small London gardens or even in containers. It has rounded conical flower heads which begin pure white and become flushed with pink as the temperature drops. Try planting a few different hydrangeas dotted round the garden for a spectacular display.

Hydrangeas are a gorgeous choice for a shady bed and come in lots of shapes, sizes and colours - one of our favourites is ‘Bobo’

LONICERA PERICLYMENUM ‘GRAHAM THOMAS’

Honeysuckles are a good option for shade as most prefer it to full sun. This cultivar prefers partial shade so is a good option for a shadier fence. It has a long flowering period at the end of the summer with white flowers ageing to yellow which attract a range of pollinators. It is deciduous but is less vigorous than its evergreen cousins (such as Halliana’ which can be difficult to control).