Enjoy Beauty Beyond Bloom Time with These Perennials That Grow in Shade
Far from just a wash of green in summer, some plants for lower-light conditions can offer eye-catching foliage, flowers, or structural forms throughout the year. The following perennials that grow in shade earn their keep by providing interest in multiple seasons, making them great additions to a shaded space.
Incorporate a diverse mix of plants for multiseason interest
There is a major focus on foliage in Yvonne Tsikata’s woodland garden, starting with trees and shrubs like variegated hollies (Ilex spp. and cvs., Zones 5–9), dogwoods (Cornus spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9), and maples (Acer spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9). While the woodland is most lush and abundant in summer, there is enough going on to make this space an oasis in all seasons. Perennials and shrubs are interplanted to fill each other’s dormant periods, and a number of plants were chosen for their multiseason interest.
See More Plants from This Woodland Shade Garden
6 Multiseason Show-Stoppers for Shade
1. ‘Ogon’ sweet flag
Acorus gramineus ‘Ogon’
- Zones: 5–9
- Size: 6 to 15 inches tall and wide
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; medium to wet soil
- Native range: Eastern Asia
This grasslike plant keeps its color and texture throughout winter, thereby providing four-season interest.
2. Astilbe
Astilbe spp. and cvs.
- Zones: 3–8
- Size: 1 to 4 feet tall and wide
- Conditions: Partial to full shade; rich, well-drained soil
- Native range: Eastern Asia and eastern North America
The ferny foliage of astilbes looks good throughout the season. Chinese astilbe (A. chinensis var. pumila, Zones 4–8) features pink, long-blooming flowers.
3. Dwarf fothergilla
Fothergilla gardenii
- Zones: 5–8
- Size: 2 to 4 feet tall and wide
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; acidic, moist, well-drained soil
- Native range: Southeastern United States
This shrub has lovely blue-green foliage and white, scented, bottlebrush-like flowers in spring. In fall, the foliage is a fiery kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, and yellows.
4. ‘Brilliance’ autumn fern
Dryopteris erythrosora ‘Brilliance’
- Zones: 5–8
- Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
- Conditions: Partial to full shade; rich, moist, well-drained soil
- Native range: Eastern Asia
The new early-spring growth of this fern is coppery cinnamon, and it stays green throughout winter.
5. Heuchera
Heuchera spp. and cvs.
- Zones: 3–8
- Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and wide
- Conditions: Partial shade; rich, well-drained soil
- Native range: Eastern Russia and North America
These plants display a wide variety of leaf colors. Purple foliage, like that of ‘Silver Scrolls’, is a welcome addition even when the plant isn’t flowering.
Read More: The Hunt for the Best Heucheras
6. Virginia sweetspire
Itea virginica
- Zones: 5–9
- Size: 3 to 5 feet tall and wide
- Conditions: Full sun to partial shade; medium to wet, well-drained soil
- Native range: Southeastern United States
This native shrub has white flowers in spring, crisp apple-green leaves in summer, and fiery red fall foliage that can be seen from a distance.
Photos by Diana Koehm unless otherwise noted.
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